We are fans of this method of preparation, very simple and unfailingly delicious. You can use grill or barbecue – although your lobster stock made from the wood barbecued shells can be a little too smoky for all dishes.
INGREDIENTS.
Lockdown Lobsters
The fat and flavour combination of your choice. Garlic / herb butter is an easy option but we were really enjoyed the combination served up at Stevie Parle’s Joy at Portobello. Stevie Parle was voted Restaurateur of 2021 by GQ magazine and we were proud to be his supplier !
https://www.joyatportobello.co.uk
This outdoor pop up restaurant served our Lockdown lobster with lardo (Italian cured pork fat strips and rosemary).
METHOD.
You can choose to cook from raw or parboiled. If you want to hang on to them for an extra day, or just prefer to have dealt with them before your guest arrive – parboil them first and keep refrigerated.
Put your lobsters in the freezer for 30 mins until they are comatose. This may take up to an hour for large and very vigorous ones. Do not leave them in until frozen.
We recommend always dispatching them first even for boiling. We usually put a large chopping board at the bottom of the sink for the next stage for kitchen tidiness, but you can also place your chopping board in a large baking tray if your sink is too small. This means any fluid released is contained and not all over your table.
Find the cross on the central dorsal line where the head meets the tail. Place the tip of a sharp chef’s knife on this cross and swiftly plunge the knife down forwards through the head. The legs will continue to move a bit afterward but the lobster is in fact dead.
Here is link so you can see:
Slice the lobster down the centre line and wash clean with cold water. Drain and pat dry.
Puncture the claws to allow steam to escape.
Choose your fat and flavour mixture.
Place in a tray under a very hot grill shell side UP at first for approximately 3- 4 minutes or until all the shell is completely pink. We place near to the grill for maximum heat. Make sure all of the lobster halves – especially the claws are under the hot grill and no tips are staying blue.
If you pre boiled, then you don’t need to leave them as long.
Turn the lobster to flesh side up and baste in a garlic butter/ fat and herbs. Grill for a further 3- 4 minutes. The lobster is done when all flesh is opaque and no longer translucent. Don’t overdo it !
You can also use a barbecue – remember to cook them the other way up to the gill though: flesh side first so you can fill the shell with your flavour for the second stage.
SERVE WITH
Chips, Salad and Homemade Mayonnaise/Aioli.
