THIS basic préparation is one of our most important inventions and makes the différence in many of our dishes between good and superb cooking. And it is used, of course, to make our LOBSTER BISQUE. The full recipe below, which can easily be halved, yields 6 pints or more.
Two 11/2-pound live lobsters
2 medium carrots
1 celery heart
1 medium onion
1 shallot
2 pounds fresh tomatoes
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
2 bay leaf
Pinch of thyme
6 tablespoons olive oil, in all
4 tablespoons butter
3 quarts plus 1 CUP CONCENTRATED FISH STOCK
2 cups tomato purée
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground pepper
2 cups heavy cream
FIRST PREPARE a mirepoix: Wash and scrape the carrots and celery; peel the onion and shallot. Plunge the tomatoes into boiling water, remove and peel them, cut them in two, and press out the seeds. Dice all the vegetables quite fine, and combine them. Put three fourths of this mixture in a large heavy pan with the herbs, 4 spoonfuls of the oil, and the butter. Cook over a moderate flame, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes or until the vegetables are soft.
Meanwhile, separate the claws from the lobsters and divide the bodies from the rails with a heavy sharp knife or small cleaver. Split each piece in two and carefully remove the tomalley (liver) from the bodies. Keep this in reserve.
Add all the lobster pieces to the mirepoix and continue cooking until the shells turn bright red, stirring frequently with a large wooden spoon. When all the pieces are red, add the CONCENTRATED FISH STOCK (or, lacking that add consommé or, less acceptably, water), and add the tomato purée, pepper, salt, and the tomalley. Mix well and simmer all gently together for 20 minutes. Remove the lobster pieces with a slotted spoon.
Preheat the oven to 450' F. Remove the lobster meat from the shells, cutting the shells as necessary, and put the meat aside. Put the shells on a baking sheet and heat them in the oven until they are dry; this will heighten the flavor they impart to the final bisque. Do not let them scorch. Pound the shells as fine as possible in a mortar (or break them up and pulverize them in an electric blender). Place them in a small saucepan with the remaining 2 spoonfuls of oil and the test of the diced vegetables.
Cook this mixture gently for 20 minutes, then add it to the liquid in which the lobsters cooked. Now add the cream, mix well, add the lobster meat, and cook all together again gently for about 20 minutes, or until the sauce is thick, stirring frequently. Pass the mixture through a fine strainer several times, discarding the lobster meat and the shells. Taste for seasoning and pour the bisque base into earthenware crocks or glass jars. It will become very thick when cool. Store, covered, in the refrigerator only after it is completely cool.
