Ingredients

Bisque

• 1-1.2 kg lobster (live), 1 large or 2 small lobsters
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 3 tbsp butter
• 3 shallots, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 celery stalk, finely chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 tbsp cognac
• 1 can of diced plum tomatoes
• 200ml dry white wine
• 2 litres of fish stock
• pinch of grated nutmeg
• pinch cayenne pepper
• maldon salt and freshly ground black pepper
• juice of 1/4 lemon
• 100ml double cream

To Serve

• 4 tbsp cream

Method

1. Lobster: Place the live lobsters in a cold fridge for 1-2 hours. To kill them stab them through the cross in the centre of their heads (this will kill them instantly), then cut through the rest of the lobster to cut them in half. Remove the internal track and the grey sack in the head. Remove the claws from the body and crack the claws with the back of your knife.
2. Melt the butter with the oil in a large casserole pan. Add the shallots, carrot, celery and bay leaf to the pan, and cook them over a moderate heat for a couple of minutes without colouring. Add the lobster to the pan and cook for 5 minutes then add the cognac to the pan and bring it to a strong simmer. Remove one half of the cooked lobster tail and remove the meat and set it aside to garnish the soup. Return the half tail shell to the pan. Stir in the finely chopped plum tomatoes, white wine and fish stock. Bring the mixture to the boil then reduce it to simmer and leave it to cook for 30 minutes.
3. Remove the lobster from the pan and extract all the meat from it. Remove the bay leaf from the cooking liquid. Puree the cooking liquid with the lobster meat until it is smooth. Strain the liquid through a fine sieve and return it to a large saucepan.
4. Place the soup over a high heat and season the soup with nutmeg, cayenne pepper and a little salt and pepper. Stir in the double cream and a little lemon juice. Bring the soup to the boil and then reduce it to a simmer. Leave the soup to cook for 10-15 minutes. Serve or keep warm until ready.
5. To Serve: Distribute the soup among serving bowls and place a piece of the lobster tail in the centre of each serving of soup (reheat the tail with a little butter under a grill). Drizzle a little cream around the soup. Serve.