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INGREDIENTS:
- Kosher salt
- 3 about 1 1/4 lb each live lobsters,
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 carrot, chopped
- 2 ribs celery, chopped
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 sprigs fresh tarragon
- 2 Tbsp tomato paste
- 1 cup Cognac or brandy
- 5 cups clam broth or fish stock
- 1/2 cup long-grain white rice
- 1 cup heavy cream
- Salt and freshly ground white pepper
- Snipped fresh chives, for garnish
DIRECTIONS:
Fill a large pot ¾ full of heavily salted water to a boil over high heat. Add lobsters, one at a time, cover and cook about 7 minutes. Immediately plunge lobsters into ice water. When cool, remove tails from bodies and remove meat from tails. Cut tails into smaller pieces and transfer to a small bowl. Reserve shells in a larger bowl. Remove legs and claws from bodies. Remove meat from legs and claws and add to tail meat. Reserve shells.
In a heavy, large Dutch oven over medium high heat, add olive oil. Add carrot, celery and onions and cook until vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, thyme and tarragon and stir to combine. Let cook about 1 minute. Add tomato paste and stir to combine. Add reserved shells and juice to pot. Add Cognac, ignite and cook until alcohol has evaporated, about 2 minutes. Add clam juice, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 1 hour.
Strain broth through a colander, pressing down hard on solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Wipe out pot and pour back broth. Discard solids. Add rice and cook over medium heat until grain is overly soft, about 20 minutes.
Using a food processor or blender, carefully process hot soup until smooth. Return to pot over low heat, add cream and reserved lobster meat. Season with salt and white pepper. Garnish with chives.