Lobster Bisque Cappuccino with Cognac Foam

⏱ 95 min · Serves 6

Silky, deeply savoury lobster bisque served espresso-cup style under a cloud of cognac cream foam. It looks like a cappuccino, tastes like the sea in a velvet coat, and makes guests go quiet for a second — the highest compliment a starter can get.

Per serving: 420 kcal · 21.0g protein · 11.0g carbs · 30.0g fat

Ingredients

• 2 whole cooked lobsters (about 500g each), meat removed, shells reserved
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 50g unsalted butter
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 1 fennel bulb, chopped
• 2 celery sticks, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 tbsp tomato purée
• 100ml cognac (plus 1 tbsp for the foam)
• 200ml dry white wine
• 1.2 litres fish stock
• 400g tinned chopped tomatoes
• 1 bay leaf, 2 sprigs thyme, 3 tarragon stalks
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 150ml double cream
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• Sea salt and white pepper
• For the cognac foam: 150ml double cream, 50ml whole milk, 1 tbsp cognac, pinch of salt, 1/4 tsp lemon zest
• To serve: snipped chives, tiny pinch of smoked paprika

Method

1. Crack the lobster shells and heads into rough pieces with the back of a heavy knife. Chop the tail and claw meat, cover and chill.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large heavy pot over high heat and fry the shells for 6–8 minutes, pressing down, until deeply fragrant and brick-red.
3. Add the butter, onion, carrot, fennel, celery and garlic. Lower the heat and sweat for 10 minutes until softened.
4. Stir in the tomato purée and cook 2 minutes, then pour in the 100ml cognac. Stand back and flambé (or simply let it bubble away) for 1 minute.
5. Add the wine, reduce by half, then the fish stock, tomatoes, herbs and cayenne. Simmer gently, uncovered, for 40 minutes.
6. Fish out the herb stalks. Blitz the soup — shells and all — in batches in a strong blender for 30 seconds each, then pass through a fine sieve, pressing hard. Pass a second time through a sieve lined with muslin for true velvet.
7. Return to a clean pan, add the 150ml cream and simmer 5 minutes to the consistency of single cream. Season with salt, white pepper and lemon juice. Warm most of the lobster meat through in the bisque off the heat.
8. For the foam, gently warm the cream, milk, cognac, salt and lemon zest to about 60C, then froth hard with a stick blender or milk frother until light and bubbly.
9. Divide the bisque between 6 warmed espresso or small cappuccino cups, tucking a little lobster meat into each. Spoon over the foam, dust with smoked paprika and scatter chives. Serve immediately, with teaspoons and warm sourdough.