YIELD: 4 servings | PREP TIME: 20 minutes, plus time to chill the lobsters | STOVETOP: about 1 hour 15 minutes SLOW COOKER: 6 hours 30 minutes to 8 hours 30 minutes | PRESSURE COOKER: 40 minutes
• 2 (1- to 1½-pound) live lobsters (see Tip)
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, ghee, or avocado oil
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 cup diced shallots (about 2 large)
• 1 cup diced carrots (about 2 medium)
• 1 cup diced celery (about 4 ribs)
• 2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 (2-inch) strips orange zest
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 sprig fresh thyme
• ½ cup cognac
• 3 tablespoons arrowroot starch
• 2 cups Fish Broth, Chicken Broth, or Veggie-Herb Broth, or more if using steamed lobsters (see Tip)
• 2 cups heavy cream or full-fat coconut milk
• ½ teaspoon minced fresh tarragon
1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
2. Place the lobsters in the freezer for 20 to 30 minutes. Remove a lobster from the freezer and place it on its back on a large rimmed cutting board or on a flat cutting board nested inside a rimmed baking sheet. Insert a chef’s knife directly behind where the claws attach to the body; with a swift motion, cut toward the head. Repeat with the second lobster.
3. Carefully plunge the lobsters into the boiling water and cover the pot. Boil for 10 minutes. Remove the lobsters and allow them to cool slightly on a cutting board. Reserve 1 quart of the cooking liquid.
4. Remove the meat from the lobsters: Tear off the claws and tail. Working over a bowl to catch the juices, use a shell cracker to break open the claws, then pull out the meat. Cut the tail lengthwise through the underside and pull out the meat. Cut the meat into small pieces. Reserve the shells and bodies in a bowl.
5. In a large heavy-bottomed pot, heat the butter and olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the shallots, carrots, celery, garlic, tomato paste, orange zest, bay leaf, and thyme and stir them into the fat, then add the lobster shells, bodies, and any juices that are in the bowl. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring often, until the vegetables are soft.
6. Turn the heat up to high and add the cognac. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until the liquid is almost gone. Stir in the arrowroot starch and cook for another 2 minutes.
7. Add the reserved cooking liquid, fish broth, and cream and bring to a boil. As soon as it comes to a boil, turn the heat down to a bare simmer. Cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the soup is reduced and thickened.
8. Strain the solids out of the soup through a fine-mesh strainer, pressing out all of the liquid with a wooden spoon.
9. Rinse out the pot and return the liquid to it. Add the reserved lobster meat and tarragon and cook until just heated through, about 2 minutes.
Slow Cooker Instructions: After completing Step 6, transfer the contents of the pot to a slow cooker and add 3 cups of the reserved cooking liquid, 1 cup of fish broth, and the cream. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. Continue with Step 8.
Pressure Cooker Instructions: After completing Step 6, transfer the contents of the pot to a pressure cooker and add 3 cups of the reserved cooking liquid, 1 cup of fish broth, and the cream. Secure the lid and cook on high pressure for 15 minutes, then allow the pressure to release naturally before opening the lid. Continue with Step 8.
Chef’s Tip: If you’d prefer to skip Steps 1 through 3, purchase steamed lobsters from your fishmonger. Use extra broth in place of the reserved cooking liquid.
