Langoustine bisque

langoustines

Whenever I see live langoustines in the market, I will buy some to enjoy the sweet taste, the same sweetness as lobster but much more tender flesh.

I simply put them into a big pot of boiling water (with slices of ginger, spring onion, salt), then switch of heat and soak them for around 2-3 minutes depending on their size.

They are sweeter when eaten cold.  

I keep the shells in the freezer until there are a lot, enough to fill a soup pot, then I transform into a bisque. 

langoustine bisque

 

1. Place half the shell on a baking tray, bake at 200˚C until fragrant, dry and slightly brown, around 30 minutes.

baked langoutine shells

2. Put the baked shells and the un-bake ones in a soup pot, add slices of a few carrots, onions, ginger, bay leaf, leek, cover with water and bring to boil, simmer for 2-3 hours until reduced to deep brown and rich flavor. 

making langoustine bisque

3. Sieve the liquid out, season with salt. At this moment, can divide into portions in jars and freezer the extra amount for future use.

4. To serve, add sour cream to boiling liquid to round off the flavor, some parsley for colour, and a few pieces of langoustine tails.