Velvet Prawn & Lobster Bisque with Cognac

⏱ 150 min · Serves 4

A deeply burnished, silky bisque built the proper way — shells roasted until they smell of the sea and caramel, simmered with brandy, tomato and cream, then pressed and passed until glossy. Finished with sweet poached lobster and prawns, a swirl of cream and a whisper of tarragon. Restaurant-quality, and worth every minute.

Per serving: 612 kcal · 45.0g protein · 16.0g carbs · 38.0g fat

Ingredients

• 2 whole cooked lobsters (about 500g each), or 2 raw lobster tails plus 300g extra prawn shells
• 500g whole raw shell-on prawns
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 50g unsalted butter
• 1 large onion, roughly chopped
• 1 carrot, roughly chopped
• 2 celery sticks, roughly chopped
• 1 fennel bulb, roughly chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, crushed
• 3 tbsp tomato purée
• 2 tbsp long-grain rice (for thickening)
• 120ml Cognac
• 250ml dry white wine
• 1.5 litres fish stock (or water)
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 thyme sprigs
• 3 tarragon sprigs, plus extra to serve
• 1 tsp sweet paprika
• Pinch of cayenne
• 200ml double cream, plus 2 tbsp to swirl
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• Sea salt and white pepper
• Crusty sourdough, to serve

Method

1. Heat oven to 220C/200C fan. Remove the lobster meat from the shells and set aside, chilled. Peel the prawns, keeping the shells and heads; chill the peeled prawn meat with the lobster.
2. Chop the lobster shells into rough pieces. Spread all the shells and prawn heads on a baking tray with 1 tbsp olive oil and roast for 20-25 minutes, until deep coral-red and intensely fragrant.
3. Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil and half the butter in a large heavy pot. Add onion, carrot, celery, fennel and garlic and cook gently for 12-15 minutes until soft and lightly golden.
4. Stir in the tomato purée and paprika and cook for 3 minutes, until the purée darkens and smells sweet. Add the roasted shells and stir well.
5. Pour in the Cognac, stand back and flame it (or simply let it bubble hard for 1 minute). Add the white wine and reduce by half.
6. Add the stock, rice, bay, thyme and tarragon. Bring to a bare simmer and cook, uncovered, for 45 minutes, skimming any foam.
7. Fish out the bay and herb stalks. Blitz the soup in batches (shells and all) in a robust blender until the shells are pulverised — about 1 minute per batch.
8. Press the soup through a fine sieve into a clean pan, working it hard with a ladle to extract every drop of flavour. Pass a second time through a very fine sieve or muslin for a truly silky result.
9. Bring back to a gentle simmer, stir in the cream and reduce for 10 minutes until it lightly coats a spoon. Season with salt, white pepper, cayenne and lemon juice.
10. Melt the remaining butter in a frying pan and cook the prawn meat for 1-2 minutes until just pink; add the lobster meat for 30 seconds to warm through. Slice the lobster.
11. Divide the seafood between warm bowls, ladle the bisque around it, swirl with cream and scatter with tarragon. Serve with crusty sourdough.