Ingredients

• 500 g of fresh lobster (chopped into pieces)
• 6 table spoons of butter
• 1 big onion chopped
• 1 carrot diced
• 1 celery stick diced
• 3 tablespoons brandy
• 1 cup of dry white wine (250 ml approximately)
• 4 cups (1 litre) fish stock
• 1 tablespoon tomato puree (the really thick concentrated sludge kind)
• ½ cup of long grain rice
• 1 fresh bouquet garnish
• 150 ml of double (heavy) cream (plus extra for garnish)
• salt, ground white pepper
• Cayenne pepper

Preparation

1. Melt half the butter in a large pan, add vegetables and cook over low heat until soft
2. Add the lobster and stir until the shell on each piece turns red
3. Pour over the brandy and set it alight, when the flames die down, add wine and boil, reduce it to half. Pour in fish stock and simmer 2-3 minutes, then remove the lobster
4. Stir in the tomato puree and rice, add the bouquet garni and cook until rice is tender
5. Meanwhile, remove the lobster meat from the shell and return shells to the pan. Dice the lobster meat and set it aside
6. When the rice is cooked, discard the larger pieces of shell. Tip the mixture into a blender or food processor and process to a puree. Press the puree through a fine sieve placed over a clean pan. Stir the mixture then heat until almost boiling.
7. Season and then lower the heat. Stir in the cream slowly.
8. Dice the remaining butter and whisk it into the bisque, one piece at a time.
9. Add the diced lobster and serve immediately after garnishing with cream and adding some optional brandy.