Crab bisque

Method

1. Heat the olive oil in a very large, high-sided pan and add the onions, garlic, carrots and celery. Add 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper and the fennel seeds, then reduce the heat. Cover and allow the vegetables to sweat for a good 10-15 minutes.
2. When the vegetables have begun to tenderise, add the broken crab shell and turn up the heat. Add the Pernod or brandy and carefully ignite. When the flames have died down, add the tomatoes, saffron, orange zest and juice and 1.5 litres water. Bring the soup to a simmer and cook for 2 hours.
3. Strain the soup (now a stock) into a large heatproof container, removing any really hard, big bits of shell from the colander – particularly the main piece of shell and the claws. Put what’s left back into the pan and, using the end of a rolling pin, smash the remaining meat and shell up until it is as small as you can get it. (If you have a Mouli food mill, you can use it to grind the shells. A food processor is not recommended.) Using a ladleful of the stock, pass the smashed shell and bits of vegetable through a sieve to remove any sharp, broken bits. Add the murky purée that’s left to the stock. Season to taste. You can enrich the soup with double cream or crème fraîche, if you like. Serve with croûtons, aïoli and sprinkle with a pinch of cayenne pepper.
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