Remove the lobster tail from the carcasse, this can be trickier than first thought. After removing the head, I prefer to separate one side of the tail shell from the bottom, working towards the end of the tail until the lobster meat can be removed

Finely chop the onion and carrots and add to a pan with sufficient butter and thyme stalks. Gently fry on a low heat until the carrot and onion soften.

Break the lobster carcasse into large pieces and add these to the pan along with the legs, claws and head (I tend to leave this whole). Additionally add cayenne pepper, tomato purée, thyme and white wine to the pan.

Pour the brandy into the pan and set alight (flambé) until the flames naturally die out.

Add the chicken stock and increase the heat of the pan marginally in order to reduce the liquid content and thicken the bisque.

Once the consistency of the bisque has thickened, remove the carcasse (keeping the claws for later) and thyme stalks and pour the remaining bisque into a blender and liquify.

Heat a pan of boiling water and add enough salt to make the water taste strongly of the sea. Cook linguine (fresh or dry vary in cooking times) until al dente.

Heat a frying pan to a medium temperature and add a large knob of butter. When the butter has started to bubble, place an unseasoned lobster tail upside down into the pan, fry on both sides (time depends on the size and thickness of the tail, the meat should look moist but not translucent when cooked)

Sieve the contents of the blender into a pan, add the double cream, season to taste and whisk gently.

Remove the cooked linguine from the pan and at to the plate, add the cooked lobster tail and claws. Then pour over a generous amount of the lobster bisque.