Cornish crab bisque with lemony croutons

• olive or rapeseed oil↗2 tbsp tbsp

  plus a little to serve

• onion↗1

  chopped

• fennel bulb↗1

  fronds picked and reserved, bulb chopped

• carrot↗1

  chopped

• bay leaves↗2
• garlic clove↗1

  crushed

• tomato purée↗1 tbsp tbsp
• crabmeat↗200g g

  (half brown meat, half white meat) or 1 medium whole crab

• pinch of saffron
• brandy↗3 tbsp tbsp
• good-quality fish stock↗1l l

  (or make your own if using a whole crab - see tip, below)

• double cream↗100ml ml
• zest 1 lemon

  plus a squeeze of juice

• slices white bread↗2

  crusts removed, cut into croutons

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large saucepan, add the onion, fennel, carrot and bay leaves with a pinch of salt and cook for 10 mins until really tender. Add the garlic and cook for 1 min more, then stir in the tomato purée for another 1 min. Add the brown crabmeat, saffron, brandy and some pepper, stirring until the brandy has bubbled away. Add the stock and stir until smooth. Cover with a lid and simmer for 15-20 mins or until the vegetables are soft.

2. 2

   Using a hand blender, blitz the soup until smooth. Pass the soup through a sieve back into a clean saucepan, making sure you push through as much liquid as possible. Add the cream and simmer for another 5 mins – the soup should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Add a few drops of lemon juice, taste and season or add more lemon if necessary, then chill until ready to serve.

3. 3

   Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Toss the croutons with the remaining oil, the lemon zest and some black pepper on a baking tray. Bake for 10 mins, tossing halfway through, until crisp and golden. Leave to cool, then store in a plastic container until ready to serve. The soup and croutons can be made up to 1 day ahead.

4. 4

   To serve, reheat the soup and divide between shallow soup bowls. Spoon a mound of white crabmeat into the centre of each bowl, then drizzle with a little oil and add a few of the reserved fennel fronds. Float a few croutons on top and serve with a little extra black pepper, if you like.