Roasted Tomato Fennel Lobster Bisque

The first lobster bisque I ever tasted was served at Chateau Montebello Hotel in Montebello, Quebec many years ago. I was not a big fan of seafood at the time but was very impressed by the rich soup with the lightly herbed flavor of tarragon. I credit that bisque with making me more open to seafood flavors which I have grown more and more to appreciate over the years.

As an homage to that beautiful bisque, I have created this lobster soup version which we thoroughly enjoyed a couple of weeks ago. Small cups of this soup make a wonderful first course at any dinner party or celebratory meal. It could also be the star of the show if served as the main course at a special lunch.

3 lbs shelled lobster, steamed

Don't overcook the lobster, a slight under cooking is best at this point as it will be added back tot he bisque later. Save 2 cups of the steaming liquid.

Shell the lobster over a large bowl to catch any liquid. Separate the meat from the body and claws and chop it into a 1/2 inch dice to add back to the bisque later. Whole shelled claws on top of the soup make a beautiful, impressive presentation.

Simmer the shells and any liquid in the bowl along with the 2 cups of  the steaming liquid and:

6 cups water

1 small chopped onion

3 cloves roughly chopped garlic

3 tbsp chopped tarragon or dill
2 stalks celery

1 carrot

6 peppercorns

Simmer very gently together for about 30-45 minutes. Strain through several layers of cheesecloth to create a clear broth.

While the stock simmers, get started on the roasted tomatoes and fennel.

8 large ripe tomatoes diced
1 large fennel bulb diced
1 medium red onion diced
2 cloves chopped garlic
4 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp honey

3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper to season

Toss all ingredients together in a shallow baking dish and bake at 350 degrees F. Cook for about 60-70 minutes, stirring occasionally or until the fennel pieces are very soft and most of the liquid has cooked off and the tomato and fennel reach a good chunky consistency. Puree this mixture well in a blender or food processor and pour into a soup pot. Add.

6 cups seafood stock stock (salt free or low sodium are best)

2 tbsp chopped fresh tarragon (dill is good too)

Simmer for 20-30 minutes or until the soup reaches your desired consistency. Taste and do a final seasoning of salt and pepper if necessary. Add the chopped lobster meat to the soup and simmer for just a couple of minutes before doing a final seasoning of salt and pepper, stirring in a squeeze of lemon and serving with a drizzle of heavy cream.

Seafood Lasagna with Roasted Fennel Tomato Sauce

 

I've tried quite a few seafood lasagnas in restaurants over the years but it is difficult to find one where the seafood is not overcooked because of the cooking method. Some others have had quite heavy sauces with far too much garlic or herbs which overpower the delicate taste of the seafood. When adding herbs, I usually do it at the last minute so as not to over-saturate the flavor of the sauce. Truthfully, the mellow anise-like flavor of the roasted fennel is enough in this sauce and you can leave out the herbs if you like.

In this recipe the sweet, rich flavor and perfectly cooked texture of the seafood is what is important. Get all the individual elements right and this is simply the perfect seafood lasagna.

 

Serves 4-6

Roasted Fennel Tomato Sauce

1 to 2 pounds ripe Roma tomatoes diced
1/2 large fennel bulb diced
1/2 medium red onion diced
2 cloves chopped garlic
4 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp brown sugar
1/4 tsp crushed chillies (optional)
Salt and pepper to season

Toss all ingredients together in a shallow baking dish and bake at 350 degrees F. Cook for about 50 -60 minutes, stirring occasionally or until the fennel pieces are very soft and most of the liquid has cooked off and the sauce reaches a good chunky consistency. Puree the sauce in a blender or food processor and transfer to a saucepan.

Add:

2 1/2 cups plain tomato sauce

2 tbsp chopped fresh tarragon or dill (optional)

Simmer for 10-15 minutes.

Pasta

4- 6 sheets fresh lasagna pasta, cooked

You can use store bought fresh pasta or make your own fresh pasta.
Find a good basic fresh pasta recipe (along with a great recipe for Parmesan Chicken Lasagna) here:
http://www.rockrecipes.blogspot.com/2007/11/parmesan-chicken-lasagne.html

Cut the cooked pasta into about 3x4 inch rectangles. You will need 4 rectangles per serving.

Seafood

Use whatever combination of seafood that you like or is in season. Practically any seafood works in this recipe. In this version, to make about 6 servings I've used:

1 pound cooked lobster, sliced or chunked

1 pound large scallops
1 pound shelled, de-veined  shrimp

I steamed a 1 1/2 to 2 pound lobster for about 15 minutes, let it cool slightly, then removed the meat carefully from the shell and cut it into slices or chunks.

The scallops are lightly seasoned with salt and pepper and pan seared in a hot cast iron pan for just a couple of minutes per side.

I sauteed the shrimp quickly  for only a few minutes with a half clove of minced garlic and a couple of tablespoons of  salted butter.

To construct the lasagna, spoon some sauce onto the individual serving plates and lay down the first layer of pasta. Add a layer of scallops, cover with sauce and add another layer of pasta. Next add a layer of shrimp, more sauce and another layer of pasta. Finally add a layer of pasta, more sauce and the final layer of pasta.

Spoon a little more sauce over the lasagna and top with a 1/4 inch thick slice or two of fresh mozzarella. Melt cheese under the broiler for just a minute or so and serve.

Touton Lobster Roll with Homemade Lemon Olive Oil Mayo

This photo got a lot of oohs and ahhs when I posted it to Facebook and Twitter yesterday. This is a distinctly Newfoundland twist on a lobster roll, made on a traditional touton instead of a baked roll for a delicious contrast between the sweet, tender lobster and the crusty, chewy touton. Just delicious.

I always prefer to leave lobster plain in a lobster roll with a drizzle of the mayo but feel free to toss the lobster in the mayo along with anything else you think you'd like to compliment the lobster in whatever combination you like. Some good suggestions are:

chopped fresh dill or tarragon
minced shallots
diced tomato or celery
finely diced sweet red pepper
diced avocado

Don't know toutons? Learn all about how to make this traditional Newfoundland favorite here:
http://www.rockrecipes.blogspot.com/2008/05/toutons.html

Lemon Olive Oil Mayo

In a blender or food processor combine until thick and pale in color

2 large or extra large egg yolks
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
A pinch cayenne pepper
1 tsp lemon zest, finely chopped

Add oil alternately with lemon juice in three parts, adding the oil very slowly in a thin stream.

1 cup extra virgin olive oil
Juice of one large lemon
This will produce a thick mayonnaise. If you want it thinner,just use a little less olive oil. You can add a tsp of  fresh chopped dill or tarragon to the mayo if desired.