Recipe: Al's Seafood Bisque - Al Yeganeh (AKA Seinfeld, The Soup Nazi)

AL'S SEAFOOD BISQUE
(Al's Yeganeh, AKA the Seinfeld's Soup Nazi)

"For years soup impresario Al Yeganeh has dished out hundreds of containers of freshly made creative offerings to his daily line up of patient take-out customers on West 55th Street in New York City."

2 cups dry white wine
1 bay leaf
1 onion, roughly chopped
1 clove garlic
2 ribs celery
1 lobster (1 1/2 to 2 pounds)
12 medium-size shrimps, in shell
24 mussels, well scrubbed
4 cups water, divided use
12 sea scallops
4 cups heavy (whipping) cream
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 cup fresh spinach, well rinsed and chopped
1/2 cup grated carrot
Salt and freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Combine the white wine, bay leaf, onion, garlic and celery in a large stock pot over medium heat. Biol. Add the lobster, cover the pot and steam for 10 minutes. Remove the lobster, set aside and cool.

Add the shrimps to the boiling broth, cover the pot and steam for 5 minutes. Remove the shrimps with tongs, set aside and cool.

Add the mussels, cover the pot and steam until they open, about 5 minutes. Remove the mussels with the tongs, extract the meat and discard the shells.

Add 2 cups of water to the liquid in the pot, bring to a boil and add the scallops. Cover the pot, and steam for 3 minutes. Remove the scallops with the tongs.

Extract the lobster meat, reserving the shells. Peel and devein the shrimps, reserving the shells. Chop the meat into bite-size pieces, cover and set aside.

Return the lobster and shrimp shells to the broth and add 2 more cups of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer for 30 minutes. Strain the broth and return it to the pot. Discard shells.

Bring the broth to a simmer over low heat. Add the cream, milk and herbs and simmer until mixture thickens slightly, about 5 minutes. Add the seafood and simmer for 2 minutes. Stir in the spinach and carrots and simmer another 2 minutes to just wilt the spinach. Season with salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Serve hot.

Makes 6 Servings
Source: The New York Cookbook by Molly O'Neill