Pan-Seared Seabass & Crab Bisque

INGREDIENTS

• 800g seabass fillet cut into 100g slices

• 80g dried seaweed – chopped

• Crab meat from 5 crabs – cooked & well-seasoned

• 300g tomato concasse

• 15g fresh basil

• 50ml olive oil

• 1 lemon

Crab & Shrimp Bisque

• 5 fresh crabs

• 300g shrimp shells and heads

• 3 tbs olive oil

• 1 carrot, chopped

• 2 stalks celery, chopped

• 3 tomatoes, chopped

• 5 cloves garlic, chopped

• 5 shallots, chopped

• 3 sprigs fresh tarragon leaves, chopped

• 75ml Cognac

• 300ml dry white wine

• 4 tbs tomato paste

• 6l fish stock or water

• Salt

• Freshly ground pepper

• Cayenne pepper

• Pinch fresh thyme

• 1 bay leaf

• 500ml fresh cream

• 1 lemon, juiced

• 1 tablespoon minced chives or parsley leaves

METHOD Bisque

1. Quickly pre-blanche crabs and remove

meat. Set meat aside for topping.

2. Heat a 6-litre stockpot, add oil and sauté the crab and shrimp shells until they are red.

3. Add carrot, celery, tomatoes, garlic, shallots and tarragon and continue to sauté for 10 minutes.

4. Pour in the cognac and ignite. When the flame has subsided, deglaze with white wine.

5. Add tomato paste, crab and enough fish

stock to cover. 6. Season with salt, pepper, cayenne, thyme and bay leaf and simmer gently for 15 minutes.

7. In a small saucepan, simmer cream to reduce by half.

8. Remove crab and shrimp shells from the stockpot and set aside.

9. Add reduced cream, then purée the soup in batches in a food processor. Strain and keep warm.

10. Season with lemon juice, salt and pepper.

Add chopped parsley or chives.

Seabass

1. Season seabass with salt and pepper, quickly sear both sides in a pan with olive oil.

2. Top with seaweed and crab meat.

3. Mix tomato concasse with basil, olive oil, lemon juice and seasoning. Place onto fish.

4. Before serving, oven-bake the fish for a

few minutes.

5. On a deep plate arrange the fish, then

pour on bisque. Serve hot.