Butternut Squash & Lobster Soup

It's winter in Chicago for sure. Today is a cold and windy day so I'm going to make some lobster soup for this weekend! This is one of my favorite fall soups of all time. It just seems to warm you all the way to the bone.

Ingredients

• 2 Large Butternut Squash
  
• 2 small Onion
  
• 10 cloves Garlic
  
• 4 Yams
  
• 2 quart Chicken Stock
  
• 1 cup Heavy Cream
  
• 1 Lobster Tail (cooked and broken in chunks)
• 4 stalks Dill
  

Directions
Peel the yams and squash and chop into chunks. Roughly chop the garlic and onion. In a large stockpot, sweat the garlic and onions (add a couple drops of oil to the pan and spread it; then over low heat and covered, let the onions and garlic cook in their own juices until soft. Add the squash, yams and stock. Simmer for about 40 minutes or until soft. Let cool for 30 minutes. Puree the soup in a blender, adding the cream slowly, and return to a pot. Simmer until hot. Blend the dill and oil together. Garnish with lobster and dill oil.
Source:Squash Soup

Creole Pumpkin Lobster Soup

Fall is upon us and it's time to break out my favorite soup recipes! Pumpkin is a very underrated and underused fruit (yes, it's a fruit...I just asked). It can be used in an assortment of recipes ranging from Soups and casseroles, to cookies and cakes. This is one of my favorite uses of the pumpkin because it also involves Lobster! As usual, you can also use Crab, Shrimp, or any other seafood you like in this!

Ingredients

• 4 sugar pumpkins, halved and seeded
  
• 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
  
• 5 (1 pound) lobsters
  
• 4 ounces unsalted butter
  
• 1 large white onion, chopped
  
• 2 garlic cloves
  
• 1 thyme sprig
  
• 1 rosemary sprig
  
• 1 bay leaf
  
• 1 cup medium-dry white wine
  
• 1/2 cup creme fraiche
  
• 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
  
• 1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
  
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard
  
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
  
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Drizzle the pumpkin halves with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Wrap each half tightly in foil and bake on a large cookie sheet for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until tender. Let cool slightly, and then scoop the pumpkin flesh into a bowl. Meanwhile, bring a stockpot of water to a boil. Prepare a large bowl of ice water. Salt the boiling water and add the lobsters. Cover and cook over high heat for 3 minutes. Using tongs transfer the lobsters to the ice water and let cool. Twist off the heads and reserve. Crack the claws and remove the meat in 1 piece. Using a heavy knife, halve the lobster tails lengthwise, cutting through the meat and the shells. Remove the dark intestinal veins from the tails. Transfer the lobster tails and the claw meat to a large baking sheet; refrigerate. Clean out the lobster heads with a spoon and return the shells to the stockpot. Simmer the shells for 30 minutes, skimming frequently. Strain the lobster stock through a fine sieve and reserve 8 cups. In a soup pot, melt 4 tablespoons of the butter. Add the onion, garlic, thyme, rosemary and bay leaf. Cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened, about 8 minutes. Add the cooked pumpkin and the wine and simmer until the wine has reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Add 6 cups of the lobster stock and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove and discard the herb sprigs and bay leaf. In a food processor or blender, puree the soup with the creme fraiche. Return it to a clean pot. Add enough of the remaining 2 cups of lobster stock to make the soup velvety; season with salt and pepper. Mix 1 tablespoon of kosher salt with 2 teaspoons of pepper and the garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, dry mustard, cumin, nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves. In a very large skillet, heat the remaining 1/4 cup of olive oil. Add the lobster tails, cut sides down, and cook over high heat until the shells begins to brown, 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to moderate, turn the tails and add the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter and the spice mixture. Cook the tails for 2 minutes, basting them with the spice butter. Transfer the tails to a plate and remove the meat from the shells. Add the lobster claws to the skillet and baste with the spice butter, 2 minutes per side. Add the claws to the tails on the plate. Bring the soup to a simmer. Ladle into warmed bowls and garnish each serving with a lobster tail half and a claw
Source:Pumpkin Soup

Lobster with Wild Mushrooms & Rosemary Vapors

This elegant lobster recipe is sure to please even the pickiest of people. I like making this recipe on special occasions. The rosemary always leaves such a pleasant aroma in the kitchen!

Ingredients

• 1 cup distilled white vinegar
  
• 4 1 1/2-pound live Maine lobsters
  
• 1/2 cup Canola oil
  
• 3 carrots, peeled, thinly sliced
  
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
  
• 1 fresh fennel bulb, thinly sliced
  
• 2 tomatoes, thinly sliced
  
• 4 fresh tarragon sprigs
  
• 8 cups fresh rosemary leaves stripped from branches
  
• 2 tablespoons plus 1 1/2 cups (3 1/4 sticks) butter, room temperature
  
• 2 pounds assorted fresh wild mushrooms (such as oyster, crimini, chanterelle, and stemmed shiitake), cut into 1-inch pieces
  
• 4 large fresh thyme sprigs
  
• 3 garlic cloves, halved

Directions
Bring 8 quarts water and vinegar to boil in 10- to 12-quart pot. Add 2 lobsters headfirst and cook until shells turn bright red and lobsters are just cooked through, about 11 minutes. Using tongs, remove lobsters from water. Repeat with remaining 2 lobsters. Twist claws and tails off lobsters. Crack claws and remove meat. Using kitchen shears or heavy large knife cut lobster tails lengthwise in half; remove tail meat. Cut meat into large bite-size pieces. Place in medium bowl; cover and refrigerate. Reserve claw and tail shells. Using kitchen shears cut away lobster gills. Rinse shells under cold water. Place in large bowl. Pour cold water over and soak 10 minutes. Drain; rinse well. Heat 1/4 cup oil in large pot over medium heat. Add lobster shells, carrots, and next 4 ingredients. Cook until vegetables begin to soften, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. Add 4 quarts water and simmer 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Strain lobster broth into large bowl, pressing on solids. Strain broth again through fine strainer into same pot. Boil over medium-high heat until broth is reduced to 2 cups, about 1 hour. Cool slightly; chill broth and lobster meat separately.) Bring 1 quart water to boil in tea kettle. Place 2 cups rosemary in each of 4 large bowls; place on table. Melt 2 tablespoons butter with 1/4 cup oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms, thyme, and garlic and sauté until mushrooms are tender, about 6 minutes; discard thyme and garlic. Add lobster and 1/2 cup butter to skillet and heat through, about 3 minutes. Meanwhile, bring lobster broth to simmer in small saucepan. Pour hot lobster broth into blender; add 1 cup butter. Blend until butter is melted and mixture is frothy, about 30 seconds. Divide lobster mixture among 4 shallow bowls. Pour butter sauce and foam over lobster mixture and serve. Pour 1 cup boiling water into each bowl.
Source: Rosemary Vapors