Lobster Bisque

INGREDIENTS:        
12 oz Maine lobster with shell (we used just the tail)
2 Yellow onions, diced
4 oz Garlic, chopped
2 each Carrots, diced
2 cups Brandy
2 ½ qts Seafood stock
1 qt Heavy cream
½ lb (2 sticks) Unsalted butter
8 oz Flour, all-purpose
2 oz Sugar, white granulated
4 sprigs Thyme, fresh
Salt, kosher (to taste)
Pepper, ground white (to taste)
¼ cup Tomato paste
2 oz Oil, canola                            

STEPS:
Remove lobster meat from shells and rough chop the meat and the shells separately.
Using the oil, heated to almost smoking add the lobster SHELLS and cook until they become fully red.
Add the garlic, onions, carrots and lobster meat to the shells.
Sauté approximately 5 minutes.  Until vegetables begin to soften.
Add the brandy to the pot and allow alcohol to flambé.
Add the stock, thyme and tomato paste.  Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer.
Simmer approximately 20-30 minutes.
Using a blender puree all the ingredients in the pot and strain the a fine strainer.  Discard the solids.
In a pot make a blonde roux using the flour and the butter.  
Add the strained soup to the roux, and, stirring constantly, bring to a boil.
Add the heavy cream and sugar.
Season with salt and white pepper to taste.
Enjoy.

Beach Walk Café
2700 Scenic Highway 98
Destin, FL 32541
850-650-7100
www.BeachWalkCafe.com
Open 7 days a week/ 5:30-10:00
Located inside the stunning Henderson Park Inn
An adult’s only property. No children under 13 years of age please.
Reservations are encouraged

About the Restaurant:
Beach Walk Café was just named in the Top 100 Most Romantic Restaurants in America by OpenTable Diners Choice Award. Beach Walk Café is located inside the Henderson Park Inn, which was just named in the Top 10 Most Romantic Hotels in America by TripAdvisor.

Beach Walk Café offers an experience they call “Toes in the Sand”. Bask in the luxury of your own private table right on the water's edge. Waves lilt and crash mere inches from your feet, the sun flirts with the horizon as you drink in the ultimate panoramic view of the Gulf. If there's a perfect dining experience, it could only be second to this one.

About the Chef:
John Sallman is the Executive Chef at Beach Walk Café. Prior to joining Beach Walk Café, Sallman was the Food & Beverage Supervisor of the Courtyard and Residence Inn by Marriott; a hotel known worldwide for the family and business traveler, located at the Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort. Previously, Sallman was the Executive Chef of a high volume fresh local seafood restaurant featuring American Regional Cuisine. In addition, Sallman was the Executive Chef of Café Provence, a fine dining, Classical French restaurant.

During his tenure at the Marriotts, Chef Sallman upheld the standards of Marriotts, managed the food & beverage staff for both properties, and won second place in Sandestin’s annual gumbo competition.

While at Café Provence, located in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida, Sallman honed his fine-dining skills working with classical French cuisine. Composing dishes with premium ingredients and baking fresh breads from scratch, Sallman found his passion for the culinary arts.

Sallman worked for two years with the Westin Grand Bohemian located in Orlando, Florida starting as a line cook and was promoted to his first restaurant management position. At the Westin he was the Sous Chef of the Boheme, the luxury boutique hotel’s fine-dining restaurant. While at the Boheme he was recognized with a certificate of appreciation for being a part of the team that brought an AAA Four Diamond rating to the restaurant and property in its first year.

Chef John Sallman received a degree in Culinary Arts from Johnson & Wales University located in Miami, Florida. Sallman graduated from Johnson & Wales on the Dean’s List.