Fusion · Starter
Bisque
New England meets Paris: a mini éclair filled with lemon-tarragon lobster, glazed with a reduced bisque "fondant" set with agar
- Prep
- 45 min
- Cook
- 45 min
- Serves
- 12
Ingredients
- Choux paste — 300 g (water 125 ml, butter 55 g, flour 80 g, eggs 2–3)
- Cooked lobster meat, diced — 220 g
- Mayonnaise — 50 g
- Crème fraîche — 30 g
- Lemon juice — 8 ml
- Tarragon, chopped — 3 g
- Celery, fine brunoise — 25 g
- Lobster bisque, well reduced — 150 ml
- Agar-agar — 1.2 g (0.8% of the bisque)
- Butter, cold — 20 g
- Chive tips — 12
Method
- Pipe 12 éclairs of 6 cm; bake at 185 °C for 20 minutes, then 165 °C for 15 until hollow and dry; cool.
- Reduce bisque to an intense 150 ml; whisk in agar (0.8%); boil 60 seconds; mount with cold butter.
- Hold the glaze at 45 °C (agar sets below ~38 °C — work warm).
- Fold lobster with mayonnaise, crème fraîche, lemon, tarragon, celery; season.
- Split éclairs along one side; pipe the lobster filling generously.
- Dip each éclair top into the warm bisque glaze; it sets to a satin skin in a minute.
- Finish with a chive tip laid along the glaze.