Ingredients
Lobster tails x 4 (2 each) – buy with shells but serve with shells off
Handful of Rocket & (Pea shoots optional)
½ Cauliflower head
30ml Double Cream
1 Large Shallot
2 carrots
1 celery stick
1 spring onion
4 garlic cloves
50g butter
Handful of Chives
Brandy – 3 tablespoons
Herb: Thyme
Defrost the lobster tails and take the shells off and reserved the protein.
Fry the lobster tail shells in a pot along with the roughly chopped shallot, spring onion, diced carrots, diced celery stick, cut 3 garlic cloves in a bit of (10g) butter until the vegetables have become soft. (The more shellfish shells you use the better). Add the brandy, Thyme and ½ pint of water and bring to the boil and then continue to simmer for 20 minutes until the sauce is reduced.
Strain the liquid (discarding the other ingredients) into another saucepan and leave the liquid to cool.
Cut the Cauliflower head into florets reserving a few to brown in a frying pan with butter and a roughly cut clove of garlic.
Cut the remaining Cauliflower and discard any woody stems. Boil in a saucepan using water/vegetable stock until soft and then discard the liquid and transfer the cooked Cauliflower to a blender. Add the Double cream and blend until smooth. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper.
Fry the remaining Cauliflower Florets until nicely browned with the one sliced cut garlic clove and reserve onto kitchen paper.
Wash the Rocket and Pea shoots. Cut the Chives finely.
Put the Lobster sauce back onto the heat and reduce on a high heat. Add the cold butter cut into 1cm dices and watch the sauce thicken nicely. Season with sea salt and black pepper.
Poach the Lobster tails gently in the Lobster sauce until cooked, probably 4-5 minutes.
To serve, on a plate put the rocket/pea shoots at the base.
Put the creamed cauliflower on top
Assemble the browned Cauliflower Florets on top of the puree
Add the poached Lobster tails in the centre
Spoon the reduced lobster sauce around and on top of the dish
Sprinkle the chives generously onto the Lobster Tail.
Serve immediately.
This will also work well with large prawns as a starter too. It’s a great sauce, so you can make in advance and put in the fridge for a couple of days. It would make a great starter for Christmas or New Year too. You can also use Lobster claws and the body of the lobster if buying a whole following cooking advice from reputable Fishmongers.
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