Soups

Today we tackled different soups. Apparently there are 3 types of soups: clear soups (like a consomme) cream soups (like cream of mushroom), forgot the other type of soups but bisque and chowders fall under this category. Then there is a separate category of regional soups like gumbo and chili. So today we made a consomme, fish soup, potato and leek soup, clam chowder, and lobster bisque. Now, I heart lobster bisque so who volunteered when chef asked who wants to make it? Me, of course! Here's how you make it. First you take all the lobster shells (no meat) and brown them off in the pot. Once the connective tissue dissolves and the shells are soft then you add your aromatics (veggies.) Once all the liquid is cooked out of the shells and aromatics then you place the herbs and spices. I can't remember them all but here's a few: tarragon, fennel seeds, basil, white pepper, black pepper, sea salt, saffron, brandy, anise, anise liquor and of course water. Then you simmer everything together for about 45 min. Then you take a huge, industrial size immersion blender and blend everything together. That's right kids even the shells. See the shells acts as a thickening agent for the soup. It gives the soup its nice silky texture. You never knew you were eating lobster shells did you?? After everything is blended, then you take a pot and ladle the soup mixture through chinois (very very fine strainer.) You do this because you want a very smooth texture and straining it takes out the pulp of the herbs and veggies and discards any bits of shell that didn't grind up. THEN you reduce the soup by about half, then you finish it off with the cream. So much work for the best soup in the world. Very worth it to me--just expensive to make!

If you are wonder my second favorite is the consomme then the clam chowder.

What a fun night!!