Lobster Ravioli with Silky Shellfish Bisque

⏱ 180 min · Serves 4

Hand-rolled pasta parcels stuffed with sweet lobster, ricotta and tarragon, floating in a glossy brandy-spiked bisque built from the shells. It's a proper weekend project — and the kind of plate that silences a table.

Per serving: 812 kcal · 48.0g protein · 63.0g carbs · 39.0g fat

Ingredients

• 2 live or cooked lobsters (about 600g each), or 400g cooked lobster meat plus 500g shells
• 300g '00' pasta flour
• 3 large eggs plus 2 extra yolks
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp fine salt
• 150g ricotta, drained
• 1 tbsp finely chopped tarragon
• 1 tbsp finely chopped chives
• Zest of 1/2 lemon
• Pinch of cayenne
• 2 tbsp olive oil (for bisque)
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 carrot, diced
• 1 celery stick, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 tbsp tomato purée
• 60ml brandy
• 150ml dry white wine
• 1 litre fish stock
• 1 bay leaf, 2 thyme sprigs
• 150ml double cream
• 60g cold unsalted butter, cubed
• Salt, white pepper, squeeze of lemon
• Semolina, for dusting

Method

1. If using live lobsters, chill in the freezer 20 minutes, then boil 6-7 minutes, cool, and pick all the meat. Keep every scrap of shell.
2. Make the pasta: mound the flour, add eggs, yolks, oil and salt, and bring together. Knead 10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Wrap and rest 1 hour at room temperature.
3. Bisque: crush the shells and roast in 2 tbsp oil in a wide pan over high heat for 5 minutes until fragrant. Add onion, carrot, celery and garlic; cook 8 minutes.
4. Stir in tomato purée, cook 2 minutes, then add brandy and flame or reduce by half. Add wine, reduce again, then stock, bay and thyme. Simmer 45 minutes.
5. Strain through a fine sieve, pressing hard. Return to the pan and reduce to about 500ml. Add cream, simmer 5 minutes, then whisk in the cold butter off the heat. Season with salt, white pepper and lemon. Keep warm.
6. Filling: chop 300g of the lobster meat finely (reserve the claws or tail medallions for garnish). Fold through ricotta, tarragon, chives, lemon zest, cayenne, salt and pepper. Chill.
7. Roll the pasta through a machine to the second-thinnest setting. Lay out one sheet, place teaspoons of filling 5cm apart, brush around with water, lay a second sheet on top and press out all air. Cut into 6cm rounds or squares and seal edges firmly. Dust with semolina; you should have 20-24 ravioli.
8. Cook the ravioli in well-salted simmering water for 3 minutes, until they float and the edges are tender.
9. Warm the reserved lobster pieces gently in a spoonful of the bisque.
10. Ladle bisque into warm bowls, add 5-6 ravioli per person, top with the reserved lobster, a few chive tips and a final grind of pepper. Serve at once.