Ingredients

• 2 cooked lobsters
• 75g/3oz butter
• 1 onion
• roughly chopped
• 1 carrot
• roughly chopped
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 tbsp tomato purée
• 75ml/3fl oz white wine
• 500ml/18fl oz fish stock
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 400g/14oz spaghetti
• 6 tbsp olive oil
• 2 shallots
• finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves
• finely chopped
• 4 tomatoes
• peeled
• de-seeded
• diced
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tbsp chopped fresh basil
• plus extra small leaves for garnish

Directions

• For the bisque
• cut the cooked lobsters in half lengthways and remove the meat. Roughly chop the lobster meat
• except the claw meat
• into 2cm/¾in pieces. Reserve the claw meat and lobster shells
• and keep everything in the fridge until needed.
• Heat half of the butter in a frying pan until foaming
• add the onion
• carrot and thyme and cook for 2-3 minutes
• or until softened but not coloured.
• Add the reserved lobster shells and tomato purée and cook for a further minute
• stirring well.
• Add the white wine and cook until reduced in volume by half.
• Add the fish stock
• bring the mixture to the boil
• then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes
• until the liquid has reduced and thickened a little.
• Take off the heat
• and allow to cool slightly
• then blend in batches in a food processor to a purée.
• Strain the puréed bisque through a sieve into a clean saucepan and whisk in the remaining butter.
• Season
• to taste
• with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Keep warm.
• For the spaghetti
• bring a large pan of salted water to the boil
• add the spaghetti and cook according to the packet instructions.
• Drain the spaghetti
• reserving a little of the cooking water
• and set aside.
• Meanwhile
• heat the olive oil in a frying pan and add the shallots and garlic and cook for two minutes.
• Add the chopped lobster meat and chopped tomato and heat through.
• Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper then add the basil
• spaghetti
• reserved cooking water and a couple of ladles of the bisque. Toss together. (Save the remaining lobster bisque for use in other dishes.)
• Heat a frying pan until hot
• add the butter and reserved lobster claw meat and cook for 1-2 minutes on each side.
• To serve
• pile the spaghetti into serving bowls and top with one lobster claw each and a few basil leaves.