Salmon & prawn bisque

A decadent starter that is worthy of any high-end restaurant menu, it's easier than it looks to make and will certainly impress guests at your next dinner party.

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PREP 30 MINS COOK 1 HOUR SERVES 8

PRAWN BISQUE
1kg prawns with shell on
1 red onion,  chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
4 bay leaves
5 black peppercorns
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon tomato puree
½ tsp smoked paprika
Half a lemon, squeezed
50ml thickened cream
salt to taste
SOUS VIDE SALMON
4 large pieces of salmon with skin on
Oil
Chopped dill

PRAWN BISQUE
Barbecue the prawns until charred and cooked. Cool and peel the prawns. Save the cooked prawn meat and freeze it for another time. Place the barbecued prawn shells and heads in a deep pan and cover with boiling water.
Add bay leaves, peppercorns, red onion and garlic to the pan and simmer for 30 minutes.
Using a hand blender, blend the contents of the pan and place through a fine sieve. Push as much as you can through the sieve with a spoon. Discard the remaining shells. Clean and place a piece of muslin in the sieve. Add the butter to the pan until melted and then add the tomato puree, smoked paprika and lemon juice. Add the prawn broth liquid and stir gently. Add the cream and simmer for a couple of minutes. Season with salt to taste.
SOUS VIDE SALMON
If you have a sous-vide stick set the temperature to 49°C and the timer to 15 minutes and place it in a large deep pot. Place each salmon piece in a glad bag. Take out as much air as possible and make sure the bag is 100% sealed.
If you don’t have a sous-vide stick, use a cooking thermometer, but you will need to monitor the heat on your cooker for 15 minutes making sure it does not go above 49°C.
Take the salmon out of the bag and using paper towels dry the salmon. Carefully peel off the skin. Heat a shallow fry pan to medium-high, add the oil and fry the salmon skin on one side until crispy, turn over and cook the other side. Once cooked, place on a paper towel.
To serve, pour the simmered bisque into a small bowl and half a piece of salmon. Place the salmon skin on top and scatter some dill. Serve immediately.

TIP Make it ahead of time and freeze.