Cornish crab bisque with lemony croutons

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp canola oil plus a little to serve
• 1  onion chopped
• 1  fennel bulb chopped
• 1  carrots chopped
• 2  bay leaves 
• 1  garlic clove crushed
• 1 tbsp tomato purée 
• 200 g crab meat whole white (half brown meat, half meat)
• 1 pinch saffron threads 
• 3 tbsp brandy 
• 1 l fish fillet whole (or make your own if using a crab - see tip, below)
• 100 ml double cream 
• 1  lemon zest plus a tablespoon of juice
• 2 slices sandwich bread white cut into croutons

Equipment

• bowl
• sauce pan
• oven
• sieve
• baking pan
• immersion blender

Directions

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.
2. Add the garlic and cook for 1 min more, then stir in the tomato pure for another 1 min.
3. Add the brown crabmeat, saffron, brandy and some pepper, stirring until the brandy has bubbled away.
4. Add the stock and stir until smooth. Cover with a lid and simmer for 15-20 mins or until the vegetables are soft.
5. 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.
6. Add the cream and simmer for another 5 mins the soup should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
7. Add a few drops of lemon juice, taste and season or add more lemon if necessary, then chill until ready to serve.
8. Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas
9. Toss the croutons with the remaining oil, the lemon zest and some black pepper on a baking tray.
10. 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.
11. 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.