Serves 6
“Winning Recipe for the Guernsey Soup Kitchen Challenge”
1500 g Fresh Live Crab
50g Guernsey Butter
1 Large Carrot
3 Sticks Celery
1 Large Onion
1 Fennel Bulb
1 Medium Leek
1 Clove of Garlic
6 Ripe Tomatoes
120g Tomato Purée
250ml White Wine
125ml Dry Vermouth
1500ml Fish Stock
50ml Cognac
1dl Guernsey Cream
Tarragon & Thyme
Olive Oil / Sea Salt / Pepper
1 Lemon
To firstly kill the Chancre Crab either place in a freezer for a couple of hours or simply pierce the crab with a sharp knife through its air sack. Altenatively plunge into a large pan of salted boiling water for approx. 10 minutes. Sea water is fine.
Take off the top of the shell, remove the grit sack and gills and discard. Cut the Crab into smaller pieces with a large cook’s knife. Heat a large heavy based pan until almost smoking and add some olive oil together with the Crab pieces and roughly cut vegetables and garlic, cook for 10 – 15 minutes, stirring frequently until lightly caramelised.
Add the Cognac and ignite or flambé until all the alcohol has burnt off.
Add the tomatoes and tomato purée and cook whilst stirring for a further 10 minutes.
Add the white wine and Vermouth. Return to boiling point and simmer until volume has reduced by half.
Pour onto this the pre-prepared fish stock and sprigs of herbs and simmer gently for up to two hours. Skim the surface of any scum which may rise during this period.
Liquidise the soup in batches or using a large hand blender to blitz before passing through a fine sieve at least twice. Pour into a clean saucepan and continue to simmer until the Bisque slightly thickens, add the Guernsey Cream and season with Sea Salt and freshly ground white pepper. A squeeze of lemon juice will help bring the flavours out.
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