Lobster bisque

Put the lobsters in the freezer four to seven minutes until dazed, then split them through the head below the eyes down to the board.

Remove the stomach sack, an inch-long pouch in the head, and take out the tamale and the green roe; separate claws, chest halves and tails.

Cook the carrot, onion and celery mirepoix in a knob of butter for six to eight minutes, then move them out of the pot.

Peel, seed, juice and dice the tomatoes.

Film the bottom of the pan with an eighth inch of oil over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, add the chest halves cut side down with the legs and brown in two batches without crowding, turning until the shells are a deep dark red, four to five minutes in total.

Lower the heat slightly, season with salt and pepper, add six tablespoons of cognac and ignite it, shaking the pan until the flames die down.

Add the wine, tarragon and bay leaf, then the mirepoix, the tomatoes, cayenne, mashed garlic, the tamale and roe, the claws and the tail.

Simmer 20 minutes.

Meanwhile bring the fish and beef stock to a boil in a sauce pan, sprinkle in the rice, stir once and simmer 20 minutes.

Lift the lobster out of the cooking sauce, pick all the meat and keep the shells; scissors for the shell and a rolling pin over a towel for the legs and claws.

Pass the cooking sauce through the food mill and chop the shells into half-inch pieces, reserved for the lobster butter.

Strain the liquid off the rice, keeping it, and blend the rice with half the lobster meat and the cooking sauce, loosening with the rice liquid if too thick.

Return the puree to the rice sauce pan.

Lobster butter: melt three ounces of butter in the lobster pan, add all the shells, saute over moderate heat with salt and pepper 2 to 3 minutes, add two tablespoons of brandy and cook until the liquid has evaporated.

Blend the shells, scraping down as needed, then press the puree through a sieve, three times here, adding water because the rice liquid was already used.

The lobster butter was abandoned: it tasted pasty and grainy of shell, and the step was skipped.

Garnish: melt one ounce of butter in a small frying pan, add half a lobster tail and the remaining chopped meat and saute about two minutes over medium, turning the heat down so the butter does not burn.

Add a tablespoon of brandy and cook until evaporated, then set aside.

Add some of the lobster meat to the bisque and bring it very slowly up to a simmer.

Stir in 60 ml of cream, a little at a time, then finish with a little salt and a crank or two of pepper.

Pour into a bowl, set the lobster tail in the centre and float parsley over the top.