Elizabeth's Story

I have been making a version of this soup in my restaurants and at home for over ten years now — I think it has to be my favourite soup of all time. You can team it with pretty much any shellfish but my best-loved is the combination of beautiful roasted Moreton Bay bugs with sweetcorn. Serve with some warm crusty bread for an amazing starter.

You could also use mussels, lobster, crab, scampi or yabbies

1 tablespoon butter
3 French shallots, sliced
2 garlic cloves, sliced
400 g (14 oz/2 cups) corn kernels, cut from the cob
1 litre (35 fl oz/4 cups) chicken stock
150 ml (5 fl oz) cream
8 Moreton Bay bug tails, peeled and deveined
4 basil leaves, finely sliced
2 teaspoons chilli oil,
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Heat the butter in a pan and gently cook the shallots and garlic until softened but not coloured. Add the corn and cook for another couple of minutes, then add the stock. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the cream and cook for 2 more minutes, then remove from the heat and blend until smooth. Pass through a sieve and season with salt.

Season the bug tails lightly and heat a touch of oil in a frying pan. Fry the bugs for 1 minute on each side, or until golden outside and a little opaque inside.

Pour the soup into bowls and top with the bug tails, sliced basil and chilli oil. Serves 4 as a starter