INGREDIENTS

• 2 lobster tails (chopped)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons Infused  Butter Olive Oil
• 2 large shallots, chopped
• 1 to 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 carrot, peeled and chopped
• 1 to 2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
• 1/2 cup  Sherry Reserva Balsamic, cognac, or brandy
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon roughly chopped tarragon
• 4 cups lobster stock or clam juice
• 1/4 cup heavy cream, warmed
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• Salt and white pepper, to taste
• White  truffle oil, to garnish
• Sauteed lobster meat, to garnish (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

• Open and rinse the lobster under cold water.
• In a large pot (or Dutch oven), add butter oil over moderate heat, add lobster and heat about 1-2 minutes. Add the shallots, celery, and carrots and cook until softened, about 5-7 minutes. Stir in the garlic and sauté for another minute.
• Pour in the sherry. Increase the heat to high and simmer until almost all of the liquid cooks out, 3 - 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and tarragon, followed by the clam juice/lobster stock. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 20 - 25 minutes.
• Strain the soup through a fine mesh sieve and return the liquid to the pot. Place the solids (vegetables, lobster meat) in a heavy duty blender and process until smooth. Add the puree back to the pot. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook for 10 more minutes.
• Strain the bisque through a colander lined with a cheese cloth, pushing the solids with a wooden spoon to get as much liquid out as possible. Discard the solids.
• Return the bisque to the pot. Add the warm cream and bring to a gentle simmer. Whisk the starch into 2 tablespoons of cold water and add to the bisque.
• Continue cooking until soup reaches desired thickness, about 2-3 minutes more. Garnish with truffle oil.
• Serve with toasted French bread or crackers.