Velouté de Homard au Paprika

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Heavy 6-quart pot
• •Sturdy kitchen shears
• •Rolling pin or heavy potato masher
• •Fine-mesh sieve
• •Large heatproof measuring jug
• •Whisk
• •Instant-read thermometer, optional but useful for the liaison

Instructions

1. 1

   Ready the lobster

   Ask the fishmonger to dispatch the lobster just before you leave, or dispatch it immediately before cooking. Twist off the claws, separate the tail, cut the tail through its shell into four thick rounds, split the body lengthwise, and crack each claw once so the cooking liquor can enter. Keep every drop of juice. Dry the shell-on pieces well and season them with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt.

   Have all the aromatics measured before cutting the lobster. Once dispatched, it belongs in the pot promptly, not waiting on the board while onions are found.
2. 2

   Sear the shell

   Heat the oil with 2 tablespoons of the butter in a heavy 6-quart pot over medium-high heat. When the butter foams and then quiets, add the lobster in a single layer and sear for 4 to 5 minutes, turning the pieces until the shells are vivid red and their ridges have taken a little bronze. Work in two batches if necessary; crowding traps moisture, and pale shell gives a pale soup. Transfer the pieces and their juices to a bowl.

3. 3

   Build à l’Américaine

   Lower the heat to medium. Add the onions, shallots, and another 1/2 teaspoon salt to the lobster fat, then cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring, until soft and pale gold. Add the garlic and tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Lower the heat, stir in 1 3/4 teaspoons of the paprika, and give it no more than 20 seconds in the fat. Pull the pot from the heat, add the Cognac without attempting to flame it, then return the pot to the burner and reduce until nearly dry. Add the wine and reduce it by half. Stir in the concassed tomatoes, 5 1/2 cups of the stock, the bouquet garni, the lobster, and all its juices. Hold at a bare tremble for 8 minutes. If the paprika catches and smells acrid before the liquid goes in, transfer the aromatics to a clean pot without scraping the burnt film and continue there. You lose a little fond, not the soup. Ça se rattrape.

   Paprika should smell round and sweet, never smoky or bitter. Its short blooming wakes the spice; prolonged frying ruins it.
4. 4

   Extract the shell liquor

   Lift out the tail and claw pieces. As soon as they are cool enough to handle, remove the meat, cut it into generous dice, cover it, and keep it cold. Return the emptied shells and any juices to the pot with the body pieces. Simmer uncovered at the gentlest tremble for 25 minutes, then crush the softened shells firmly against the side of the pot with a sturdy rolling pin or potato masher. Let them infuse for 5 minutes more. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a measuring jug, pressing the vegetables and shells firmly but stopping before dry shell paste is forced through. Aim for about 6 1/2 cups of strained liquor, adding the reserved stock if needed or reducing briefly if there is too much.

5. 5

   Cook the blond roux

   Rinse the pot and melt the remaining 4 tablespoons butter over medium-low heat. Whisk in the flour to make a blond roux, the butter-and-flour thickener, and cook it for about 3 minutes until it smells faintly of biscuits but has taken no brown color. Add the strained lobster liquor a ladleful at a time, whisking each addition smooth before the next. Bring the velouté to a bare simmer and cook for 15 minutes, whisking occasionally and skimming away any foam. It should lightly coat the back of a spoon while still pouring freely. If it tightens too far, loosen it with a little stock; if small lumps remain, pass it once through the clean sieve.

6. 6

   Make the Cleveland liaison

   Whisk the egg yolks with 1 1/4 cups of the cream in a heatproof bowl. Slowly whisk in about 2 cups of the hot velouté, one ladleful at a time, then take the pot off the heat and whisk the tempered liaison back into it. Return the pot to its lowest heat and stir for 3 to 5 minutes, until glossy and slightly fuller, but never let it boil. If the surface shows beads of fat or the texture turns grainy, take it off the heat at once, whisk in the reserved cold cream, blend briefly, and strain. Ça se rattrape. When smooth, season with the white pepper, the remaining salt as needed, and the reserved paprika only if the warmth needs sharpening.

7. 7

   Add the garnish

   Fold the lobster dice, the 2 tablespoons of cooked rice, and the 1 tablespoon of diced pimento into the velouté. Warm for 2 to 3 minutes over very low heat, stirring gently so the lobster stays tender and the liaison never approaches a boil. Taste once more for salt. Ladle into warmed bowls or bring the velouté to the table in a soupière, making certain every serving receives lobster, rice, and pimento. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Choose one lively medium lobster rather than several small tails. The body and claw shells build the liquor, while loose tails alone leave you buying meat without the foundation that makes the velouté taste of lobster.
• •Sweet paprika is the right bottle. Smoked paprika changes the dish's register, and hot paprika soon overwhelms the shellfish; the spice should warm the finish and deepen its coral color, not scald the tongue.
• •Out of tomato season, use 1 1/2 cups (360 ml / 300 g) of good canned whole tomatoes, drained and roughly chopped. The classical pantry solved this long ago, and an honest preserved tomato beats a pale fresh one.
• •Use unsalted stock with a clean shellfish or white-fish flavor. Clam-heavy broth becomes harsh as it reduces, and a salty commercial stock leaves no room to season the finished soup.
• •Pour a dry white Burgundy, mature Champagne, or another full but restrained dry white. The wine needs enough body for cream and lobster, with acidity to clear the palate between spoonfuls.

Advance Preparation

• •The strained lobster liquor can be prepared through step 4 one day ahead. Cool it quickly in a bowl set over ice, cover, and refrigerate within 2 hours.
• •Keep the diced lobster in a separate covered container in the cold. Cook the rice and dice the pimento ahead as well, but add all three only during the final gentle warming.
• •Make the roux and liaison close to serving. Once finished, the velouté may wait for about 20 minutes over barely warm water, but it must not boil. Reheat leftovers gently and use within 2 days.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 240g)