A FORTNIGHT ago, I attended a rather jolly wine tasting at the Turnberry resort on the windswept Ayrshire coast in Scotland.
It’s a beautiful establishment, recently refurbished in a modern-retro style that suits the place perfectly, and boasts a wonderful spa in addition to the three magnificent golf courses for which the place is world famous.
I had the opportunity to play the fearsome Ailsa course and, well, let’s put it this way – I think my chances of a Ryder Cup call-up are faint at best.
Sporting activities aside, I had two very good meals in the dining room, named 1906, whose menu has recently been changed to span all the great dishes of Escoffier-period fine dining.
Everywhere you look on the menu, there’s a classic, whether it’s sole ‘bonne femme’, a crunchy veal Holstein (a personal favourite of mine, and something I must get round to writing about in full for you) or Steak Diane. You don’t see many of those on the menu these days, and this is a shame, for some of these all-time greats are solid-gold hits.
The rich cream sauce on the Steak Diane never fails to bring a satisfied ‘mmm’ from the lips, and despite its rather dated feel, a classic duck à l’orange is, in expert hands, a sheer delight. Its reputation was rather tarnished by generations of ham-fisted cooks who thought a stock cube and a bottle of Britvic constituted a decent sauce. Those poor ducks. Such a senseless waste.
As I made my way to my table, I passed a group whose starters had just arrived, and my nostrils picked up the unmistakable rich, heady aroma of a lobster bisque being tackled. Before even sitting down, I knew what I was going to order. It was lovely, and such a rush of memories too.
A good lobster bisque is almost a meal in itself – powerful, dense creamy soup, laced with thick cream and, ideally, a hearty slug of brandy.
The Turnberry version was great, served with a crunchy crouton and a whole lobster claw on the side, and I resolved to make my own when I returned to The Weavers Shed. It’s become an instant top-seller. Clearly people like a little stroll down memory lane!
I embellish mine with some Gruyère cheese toasts and a fiery spoonful of rouille, as is common in France with fish stews.
If you can’t find fresh lobsters, or the thought of making soup out of such expensive beasts appalls you, there are ways and means. Many fishmongers will sell ‘stiffs’ – lobsters that have died in the tank and are quickly frozen. These are perfect for soup. You can also use a mixture of lobster shells, prawn shells and even crab shells. Ask the fishmonger what he can sort out for you, bearing in mind he may need a day or two to get everything ready.
One final note – you will need a blender or food processor with a good strong motor on it, and plenty of patience. Whizzing up lobster shells is hard-going, and the soup is reliant on the grinding of the shells for maximum flavour. Persevere, and you’ll have one of the best soups known to man.
Ingredients: 5 X 1kg lobsters (preferably fresh, but pre-cooked will be fine), 50ml olive oil, 75g butter, 3 onions, 6 cloves garlic, minced, 3 large leeks (white part only), 4 celery stalks, 2 tbsps tomato puree, 100ml Cognac, 2 litres fish/vegetable stock, 700ml double cream, juice of 1 lemon.
Rouille: 4 garlic cloves, crushed, 1 medium red chilli, seeded and chopped, 1 large red pepper, seeded and chopped, 1/2 tsp smoked paprika, 180ml olive oil, 2 tbsp fresh white breadcrumbs, Maldon salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Croutons: Freshly-grated Gruyere cheese, 1 thin baguette, sliced.
Method:To make the rouille, place the peppers, garlic, breadcrumbs and paprika in a blender or food processor, and blend until smooth, then gradually add the oil until you obtain a smooth, thick mayonnaise-like sauce. Season and reserve. Chop the lobsters into as many pieces as you can, and fry them in the olive oil until lightly-coloured. Add the butter and the vegetables and sweat for a further 10 minutes or until soft. Add the tomato puree, then the Cognac, and flambé for a few seconds. Add the stock and bring to the boil. Simmer for 45 minutes.Then, in small amounts, blend the soup. I find it best to blend the soup three times to avoid over-working the blender, using plenty of liquid each time, and stopping occasionally to allow the motor to cool. Sieve the soup to remove any remaining large shell pieces. You should have a smooth, rich soup.Add the cream and lemon juice and simmer for a further 30 minutes, before checking the seasoning. To serve, toast slices of baguette, and pile lots of grated cheese on top. These should be served to each guest, along with the pot of rouille. The idea is to stir in the rouille and float the toasts in the bisque.
