Chilli Lobster Bisque

1. 1

   To get a hold of a few lobster bodies, swing past a good fresh seafood wholesaler, and ask for the goods. chances are you will be able to pick them up free or of minimum cost. while you are there grab the lobster meat you need for the recipe.

2. 2

   boil the shells only in a large pot with a litre or so of water for about an hour or so. in my opinion to get the best flavour out of a meal sometimes it takes a little time and i don't feel like this is the kind of recipe that you will be whipping up after work or before you grab the kids from school. It should be crafted with all the time and patience that this soup deserves.

3. 3

   Once the shells are cooked out sieve off the stock and continue to simmer until it has reduced by about half. you should have a potent and freshly made stock ready for your soup.

4. 4

   In a large pan saute the finely diced shallots and garlic in a smack of good quality olive oil,

5. 5

   add the tomato paste and suger and let it sizzle a bit to cook out the bitterness.

6. 6

   once slightly browned deglaze the pan with the wine. a nice dry white should do the job, nothing too sweet.

7. 7

   add the lobster stock and bring to the boil, continue to simmer if you feel like there is still too much liquid in the pan, you want about 800 ml's i reckon.

8. 8

   stir in the cream and your bisque should start to look like it should. give it a good stir and while you're at it, stir in the chopped lobster meat allowing it to cook through.

9. 9

   add the chilli to taste, you can really add as much or as little as you like. i like it with a good bit of kick!

10. 10

    allow it some time to simmer and really let those ingredients get comfortable with each other. it will only taste better. you can control the flavour this way by how much you choose to reduce the soup or not.

11. 11

    It should be served in a big flat bowl, feel free to stir in a tablespoon of sour cream and garnish with a big sprig of flat leaved parsley. it should look as good as it tastes.

12. 12

    Also goes down extremely well with a hunk of crusty bread and a glass of new zealand Sav Blanc. Enjoy it. Rome wasn't built in a day!

* Per serving · 4 servings · Values may vary.