Bourride

First make a jolly good dollop of aioli. To do this, crush the garlic using a mortar and pestle, then whisk the egg yolks. Drizzle in the olive oil, stirring or whisking constantly, until you have a thick yellow mayonnaise. Stir the lemon juice and add the salt and pepper to taste.

Alternatively, crush the garlic in a garlic press; then put all the ingredients except the olive oil into a food processor or liquidiser. Turn on the motor and process for a few seconds before drizzling in the oil with the motor running, until you achieve the same yellow mayonnaise. Store, covered in the fridge until required.

Chop the vegetables finely; there should be enough to cover the bottom of a large pan in which you will poach the lobsters. Pour some olive oil into the pan and soften the vegetables. Then pop in the lobsters or crayfish, cover them with a mixture of white wine and water, add some salt and pepper and bring to the boil. The moment the liquid has boiled turn off the heat, clamp a lid onto the pan and leave the lobsters to cook in the residual heat for 20 minutes. Remove the lobsters, turn on the heat under the lobster flavoured stock and poach the fillets of fish gently (don’t boil them). While the fillets are poaching, cut the lobsters in half, place these on a platter and keep them warm. As soon as the fish is ready, lift from the pot, place them alongside the lobster halves and keep both fish and lobster warm Now strain the poaching liquid and discard the vegetables and half of the stock. Over a fierce flame, reduce the rest to a third of its volume. Lower the heat and whisk in the cream and saffron. You should begin to get a thick custard like consistency. Finally, whisk in two thirds of our aioli until you have a thick creamy garlicy sauce. Strain this sauce over the fish and lobster. The remainder of the aioli can be spooned over the top of the dish.

Oh and the harissa, I hear you cry! Fry some little croutons of bread in olive oil, spread the spicy concoction on the croutons and float them in the sauce. Serve with boiled potatoes.