INGREDIENTS: (Serves 4 - 6)

   1 small (300gm/10ozs) lobster, raw or cooked
   1 medium onion - peeled and coarsely sliced
   6 - 7 cups water
   80gms/3ozs butter or margarine
   4 tbsps plain flour
   2/3 cup cream
   1/3 cup tomato paste
   2 - 3 tsps chicken stock powder
   2 tsps fish sauce
   1 tsp lemon juice
   1/2 tsp coarse ground black pepper
   1/4 tsp ground white pepper (or to taste)
   Salt to taste

METHOD:

In a stockpot, boil the water with the onion, fish sauce, black pepper and chicken stock powder.

If using cooked lobster, twist off the head, cut tail in half lengthwise, remove meat from shell and set aside. Add the head and shell to the stock and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes. Remove lobster head and allow to cool.

If using raw lobster, add to the stock, cover and cook for about 10 - 12 minutes. Remove from stock, allow to cool and proceed as for cooked lobster (see previous step).

Remove sand chute and dice lobster tail meat into desired sized cubes. Break lobster head and legs open and extract any edible meat, dice, add to tail meat and set aside.

Strain stock with a sieve and discard shell and onion.

In a large saucepan, melt the butter (or margarine), add flour and make a roux. Cook over medium heat, whisking continously for about a minute, add tomato paste and continue whisking till mixture is smooth.

Gradually add the strained stock (a ladleful at a time) while continuing to whisk.

If mixture is too runny, simmer (uncovered) to reduce. When mixture has thickened to gravy consistency, add lemon juice, white pepper and salt to taste.

Slowly add the cream while stirring, but do not bring to the boil.

Add diced lobster meat and stir for a few more minutes until lobster meat is heated through.

Serve immediately.