Corn Soup with Lobster (or Shrimp)

The base of this soup is a silky corn stock made from home-made chicken stock, freshly picked corn and herbs of your choosing. I prefer basil or tarragon but many others will do. You can serve hot or cold depending on the weather. I like to add shrimp or lobster meat to finish off the soup.

Making It

• 8 cups of homemade chicken stock
• 6 large ears of farm-stand sweet corn, freshly shucked
• 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter
• 1 cup shallots, chopped finely
• 1 cup of basil leaves, rough chopped and separated
• 3 lemons, zested then halved
• 1 cup of a dry white wine
• 1 tablespoon of black peppercorns
• 1 tablespoon of yellow mustard seeds
• 1 tablespoon of celery seeds
• 1 bunch of dill
• 1 head of garlic, cut down the middle
• 2 dry bay leafs
• 1/2 cup of red onion, finely chopped
• 2 live lobsters or 1 pound of large shrimp, deveined but the shells still on
• 2 tablespoons of cream fraiche
• 1/4 cup fresh chives, finely chopped
• 3 ounces of goat cheese, at room temperature
• Kosher salt and freshly ground white pepper

Making It

• Make the corn stock by cutting the kernels off the cob and set aside for later. Use the knife and scrape the milk from each cob into a medium pot then add 4 cups of the chicken stock, and cut the cobs in 1/3 pieces and add as well, bring to boil, lower to simmer and cook for 45 minutes
• Cook the seafood: Take another medium pot and add the remaining 4 cups of stock, lemons, wine, bay leafs, peppercorns, mustard seeds, celery seeds, dill, garlic bring to a boil and reduce to a low heat for 45 minutes
  • For Lobsters. Take a knife and put the point 1/2 inch back from and between the eyes of the lobster and yes, kill it by pushing down piercing the lobster and the cutting the shell open towards you. Then remove the claws all the way to the body as well as the tail. Turn the pot back to medium-high heat and add the claws and legs, wait for 4 minutes and then add the tail. Cook for an additional 6 minutes and remove from the pot and let cool, take off the shells and rough chop the meat, set aside
  • For Shrimp: Take the pot off the heat and add the shrimp and cover for 7 minutes, remove the shrimp with a slotted spoon, reserving the liquid, let the shrimp cool and then peel off the shells and rough chop and set aside
• Complete soup by putting a medium pot over medium-high heat and add the four tablespoons of butter until it bubbles, then add the shallots and basil, cook for two minutes and adds the kernels, cook for another 3-4 minutes, just until corn is tender. Add 3 cups of the corn stock and bring to a full simmer. Remove 1/3 of the kernels with a slotted spoon and set aside. The remaining kernels and liquid should be pureed in a blender and set aside. Take the remaining kernels after you finely chop them and put in a bowl with the chopped basil and chives as well as the lobster or shrimp meat, add the lemon zest and juice and mix together, then separate the mix between 4 to 6 bowl
• If serving hot, heat the soup up and return to the blender, salt and pepper to taste and add 3 ounces of goat cheese and blend together, pour over each of the mix in the bowls and serve