GORDON RAMSAY RECIPES

It’s not quite spring yet, but this young man’s fancy has
already turned to love. No, not that kind; I’m talking about my love for this
ultra-easy, and gorgeously colored, cream of asparagus soup recipe. For me, asparagus is one of those rare vegetables that
shines brightest when enjoyed in soup form.

Don’t get me wrong, I love the
fresh spears, and have posted many recipes featuring them, but for pure
asparagus goodness, you just can’t beat a perfectly made bowl of soup. There are no tricks or secret techniques here; just make
sure your onions are fully cooked before adding the asparagus, and other than
not over-cooking it, there’s not a lot that can go wrong.

Testing the
vegetable’s doneness by pressing them against the side of the pot should
eliminate any guesswork, but if unsure, err on the side of slightly under vs.
slightly over cooked. The other decision you’ll have to make is whether to strain
or not. I recommend it, but totally understand if you don’t. The soup is great as
is, but straining out the woodier fibers does give it a finer, more velvety texture.

Of course, the float of Parmesan and lemon cream on top is
optional also, but pretend it isn’t. It adds a great visual element, and adds a little extra richness to the soup’s lean, green
goodness. I hope you fall in love with this soup soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for about 1 1/2 quarts of soup:

2 tbsp butter
1 diced onion

2 pounds asparagus

salt to taste

4 cups chicken broth

2 cups water

cayenne to taste

freshly ground black pepper to taste

pinch of nutmeg (I forgot to mention in video, but just add
with other spices!)

1/2 cup of heavy cream

For the cream topping:

1/4 cup heavy cream

1 tbsp finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

1 tsp lemon zest

*whisk for minute until frothy and slightly thickened

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I usually don’t have a good answer for why I’ve not gotten
around to filming certain iconic dishes like risotto, beef Wellington, and puff
pastry; but when it comes to lobster bisque, I do have a great excuse.

I won’t bore you with the details of how the tradition
started (translation: I don’t remember), but for as long as I can remember,
I’ve always made lobster bisque on Christmas Eve, to celebrate my sister-in-law
Jennifer’s birthday.

And since the few days leading up to Christmas are always so
busy and hectic with shopping, cooking, and travel, I’ve just never felt like
I’ve had the time to set up the camera to properly film the procedure. Well,
this year I decided to give it a go, and despite all the aforementioned
challenges, I was very happy with how this came out.

One word of warning: this recipe requires live lobsters,
brandy, and heavy cream. If you can’t get, or don’t want to use those
ingredients, then you’ll have to make something else. Sorry, but this recipe is
too sacred for substitutions.

Speaking of live lobsters, I know many are skeptical that
these “bugs” can actually feel pain, but to play it safe, I recommend putting
them in the freezer for 20 or 30 minutes to knock them out cold before their
ultimate demise.

I only showed the cracking and the picking of the lobster meat
very briefly, as this video was already too long for my tastes, but below I’ll
link an additional tutorial that show this in more detail. Yes, this soup takes
a little bit of work and expense, but I think you’ll agree with me (and
Jennifer) that all the effort is well worth it. Enjoy!

Makes about 1 1/2 quarts:
2 live lobsters (about 1 1/2 pounds each)
1 onion, chopped
2 rib celery, chopped
3 quarts cold water (this will reduce by about half during
the entire cooking process)
3 cloves garlic
4 springs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
1 cup crushed tomatoes
1/4 cup tomato paste
2 tsp paprika
1/3 cup white long grain rice
2 tbsp cheap brandy (inexpensive brandy tends to be a little
sweeter, and works well here)
1/2 cup heavy cream, or more if you like it creamier
salt and cayenne to taste
1 tbsp chopped tarragon to garnish

Bonus Lobster Meat Recovery Video:
This video shows the picking of the lobster meat in much
more detail than I did. Since they are boiling the lobster, you can just skip
to the part where he is liberating all the meat. For more general lobster info,
you can also check out this page on Allrecipes.

Tag: heavy cream

Cream of Asparagus Soup – For the Love of Spring

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Classic Lobster Bisque – Finally!

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