Clear Lobster Soup

Ingredients

• 1 cooked lobster (ca. 600 g, from the fishmonger)
• 250 g leek (1 stalk)
• 1 bulb fennel
• 1 Garlic clove
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 star anise
• 1 dried chili pepper
• 3 tbsp cognac
• 100 ml White wine
• 1.25 l fish stock
• Salt
• 0.5 tsp Peppercorns
• 8 Cherry tomatoes

Instructions

1. 1.

   Separate lobster tails and claws. Cut tails lengthwise with a heavy knife and remove the gut.

2. 2.

   Remove the meat from the shell and cut into 1 cm pieces.

3. 3.

   Cut the claws with the knife.

4. 4.

   Break the shell off the claws and separate the meat. Horizontally halve the claw meat.

5. 5.

   Rinse the meat under running water, cover and chill. Roughly chop the shells.

6. 6.

   Remove the dark green part of the leek, cut a 3 cm piece from the white part and set aside.

7. 7.

   Clean and wash fennel and remaining leek, cut into 2 cm pieces. Peel garlic and slice thinly.

8. 8.

   Heat oil in a large pot. Roast shell parts at medium heat for 4-5 minutes.

9. 9.

   Add leek, fennel, garlic, star anise and the whole chili pepper. Sauté for 1 minute, then add cognac, white wine and fish stock and bring to a boil. Add a pinch of salt and peppercorns. Simmer on medium heat for 1½ hours.

10. 10.

    Meanwhile, briefly blanch cherry tomatoes in boiling water, remove, rinse cold and peel the skins.

11. 11.

    Clean and wash the reserved leek. Quarter it and cut into 1 cm diamonds. Blanch in salted boiling water for 30 seconds, remove, rinse cold and drain well.

12. 12.

    Strain the broth through a muslin-lined sieve into a second pot and reduce slightly if desired to intensify flavor.

13. 13.

    Heat leek diamonds, tomatoes and lobster pieces in about 200 ml of broth, lift with a slotted spoon and place in preheated soup bowls. Top with very hot lobster stock and serve immediately.