The holidays are a time for entertaining friends and family. For Chef Dominique Theval of Dominique's Kitchen in Redondo Beach, his customers are included in the "friends and family" group.
One of his go-to recipes for holiday entertaining is lobster bisque. It's great for small get-togethers, especially because it can be made ahead of time and reheated.
Dominique's Creamy Lobster Bisque
Serves 8.
- 2 lobsters, 1 pound each
- 8 cloves of garlic
- 1/4 cup of chopped celery
- 1 cup of chopped onions
- 1/2 cup of chopped carrots
- 1 teaspoon of chopped tarragon
- 1 teaspoon of fresh thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tablespoon of organic tomato paste
- 6 chopped tomatoes
- 1 bottle of Sauvignon Blanc
- 1 cup of brandy
- 4 ounces of butter
- 2 ounces of flour
- 1 quart of double cream
- Sea salt and ground black pepper to taste
In a large pot, bring two gallons of water to boil and add salt. Cook the lobsters in the pot for a minute and a half. Remove. Split the lobsters in half and remove all the meat. Refrigerate meat.
Smash and cut the shells of both lobsters into pieces.
In a pot, melt the butter. Add the lobster shell pieces and sauté for 5 minutes. Add all the vegetables and sauté for another 5 minutes. Add and reduce the brand. Add flour and cook for another 3-4 minutes.
Add the bottle of wine and 1 quart of water. Bring to boil and slow cook for 1 hour. The liquid will have been reduced to 1/3 its original volume.
Using a sieve, strain the liquid into another cooking pot. Bring the liquid back to a boil and add cream. Reduce on slow heat for 15 minutes.
Take lobster meat from fridge, chop finely and add to the bisque. Slow cook for another 5 minutes and add salt and pepper to taste. You can adjust the flavors and thickness to taste by adding brandy, wine, salt, pepper or cream.
Dominique’s Kitchen is located at 522 S. Pacific Coast Highway in South Redondo Beach.
