Bisque de homardLobster bisque
Bisque de homard is the luxurious soup of Brittany and Normandy seafood restaurants and French festive dinners, made by roasting lobster shells hard and simmering them with vegetables, tomato and a splash of cognac until the stock tastes intensely of the sea, then finishing it with cream. This home version uses two cooked lobsters, so there is no need to handle live shellfish; the meat goes back in at the end. The cognac is flamed and simmered, which drives off most of the alcohol but not all; leave it out and add 1 tsp lemon juice for an alcohol-free version. The common mistake is not crushing the shells, which leaves the flavour locked inside. Chef's tip: smash the roasted shells with a rolling pin before simmering; the bisque will be twice as rich.
French
