Lobster Caviar Tower Recipes

LOBSTER AND CAVIAR ON TOAST POINTS

Steps:

• Place your lobster in a pot of rapid boiling water (heavily salted) for 10-15 minutes or until tail has a nice pink/reddish color and has curled. Drain, run under cold water and set in refrigerator to cool.
• Place sliced bread on a cookie sheet and toast in the oven for 10-15 minutes or until well toasted. Wrap garlic in aluminum foil with olive oil and place in the oven for 15-20 minutes until the garlic cloves are soft. Set aside to cool.
• In a bowl, combine mayonnaise, roasted garlic cloves and chives. Mix well.
• Remove your lobster tail from the refrigerator. With pairing scissors cut the front and back of the tail lengthwise and remove meat. Set aside.
• Remove the crust from the toast and cut into points (triangles). Dab your herbed and garlic mayonnaise on the toast in the center. Slice your lobster so you have a nice hearty piece on top of the mayonnaise. Place a piece of arugula on top of the lobster and finish with a dab of caviar.

LOBSTER CAVIAR TOWER

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place a small oven-safe pan on the stove over medium heat with the olive oil. Shred the potato and put just enough in the hot pan to cover the bottom, seasoning with salt and pepper. Brown the potato on the bottom, then turn with a spatula or flip like a pancake, whichever you are more comfortable with. To finish cooking the potato cake, place the pan in the preheated oven. While the potato is cooking, place the crème fraiche in a bowl with the lobster meat and chopped wakame salad. Mix well, seasoning with a bit of salt and pepper. Using a ring mold, place a layer of the lobster meat in the bottom of the ring mold (on the plate on which you are going to serve this dish) and press firmly to keep in place. Place some of the caviar on top of the lobster, and then add another layer of lobster mix. Note that you do not want to go too high but also you need to go high enough to see the layers of lobster mix and caviar. Gently remove the ring mold and set aside. Remove your potato cake from the oven and cut into 4 pieces. Place the pan back on the stove and add the white wine, lobster roe, cream and butter. Reduce this mixture until thick, season with salt and pepper, and spoon gently onto the plate with the lobster tower. Place your potato pancakes around the tower. Serve.

LOBSTER AND CAVIAR SALAD WITH GREEN PEPPERCORN DRESSING

Steps:

• Steam or boil lobster (cook it!) for 15 minutes.
• Cut lobster in half; place on a serving platter with caviar, arugula and red lettuce leaves.
• Bruise dressing ingredients, ideally with a mortar. Drizzle onto salad.

WARM LOBSTER & POTATO SALAD WITH TRUFFLED MAYONNAISE

Steps:

• To make the mayonnaise, whisk the egg yolks with the mustard and some salt and pepper together in a large bowl. Trickle in a few drops of oil, whisking vigorously.
• Continue to whisk in the oil, little by little at first, then slowly increasing the amount to a steady stream. Make sure each addition is well incorporated before you add any more. Finally, add a few drops of the truffle oil, if using, then finish with the lemon juice. Keep in the fridge until needed.
• Prepare the lobster and remove the meat from the claws and tail. Trim the frayed bit of meat from the tails and flake the claw meat into large chunks, discarding the membrane. Set aside. Cut the tails into 6 slices each and set aside.
• Trim the ends off the beans and cut the beans in half. Tip into a bowl with the shallots and 3 tbsp of the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Mix in the lobster claw meat and squeeze over a lemon half, then set aside.
• Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a non-stick frying pan. Fry the potato slices over a medium heat for 5 mins on each side until crisp and golden. Use a fish slice to transfer them to a plate lined with kitchen paper.
• Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in the same pan and lower the heat, add the slices of tail meat to the pan, then heat through in the oil for a few moments on each side. Turn off the heat, season lightly with salt and pepper and squeeze over the lemon. Moments before you are ready to plate up, toss the salad leaves with the balsamic vinegar and remaining olive oil. You are now ready to plate up.
• Spoon a quarter of the green bean salad into the centre of the plate. Shape using a 10cm ring or cutter, if you have one, then press down lightly and remove the ring. Place 1 tsp of mayonnaise on the four opposite sides of the outside of the plate and sit a piece of lobster on top of each spoonful of mayonnaise.
• Put a fried potato slice in between each pile of lobster so you have alternate pieces of lobster, then potato. Toss the leaves in the dressing and carefully tower a small handful on top of the green beans and serve straight away.

LOBSTER MUFFINS WITH POACHED EGG, CAVIAR, SPINACH & HOLLANDAISE

Steps:

• First make the muffins. Mix together the flour, yeast and 3/4 tsp salt in a food mixer with the dough hook, or in a large bowl if making by hand. Add the milk and egg, and mix to a dough. Leave the mixture in the machine with the motor running and knead the mix for 5-6 mins until it becomes elastic and smooth, or for 10-15 mins by hand. Place the dough in a bowl, cover with cling film and place in a warm spot to prove.
• When it has doubled in size, punch the dough down with your hand and turn out. Dust your work surface and a baking tray with the polenta or semolina. Roll out the dough until 2.5cm thick and cut out muffins using a 9cm straight-edged cutter - you should have about 4 muffins. Transfer them to the tray, cover with cling film and leave to prove for 20-25 mins or until doubled in size.
• Put a piece of baking parchment in a non-stick frying pan and put the pan on a low heat. Gently transfer the muffins to the pan and cook them in batches for 5-6 mins each side until they are toasted and brown. Remove from the pan and leave to cool on a wire rack. When cool, these freeze very well in freezer bags - then simply toast them from frozen. Keep 2 out for your lobster.
• To make the hollandaise, put the wine, vinegar, shallot, tarragon and peppercorns in a small pan and bring to the boil. Simmer for 8-10 mins or until the mix is reduced to one-third of its original volume. Remove from the heat and leave to cool. Meanwhile, fill a pan one-third with water, bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer. Strain the infused vinegar mixture into a mixing bowl, add the egg yolk and a large splash of water. Place the bowl over the top of the pan of simmering water (but not touching the water) and whisk. The sauce will lighten in colour and fluff up - this is called a sabayon. Do not overcook or it will look like scrambled eggs. When it is fluffy but firm, add the splash of double cream, then slowly pour in the melted butter - not too quickly - imagine you are making mayonnaise, drizzling in a small amount at a time. When all the butter has been incorporated, season with salt, cayenne and lemon juice. Pass the hollandaise through a fine sieve into a bowl. Cover with cling film and keep warm until needed.
• Prepare the lobster. Twist the claws and pull the tail off the lobster, then bash the claws with a rolling pin to crack the shell and reveal the meat. Remove the shell from the tail, then cut the tail in half lengthways and remove the intestine. You should now have half a tail and a claw per person. Remove the meat from the shell. To reheat the meat, melt the butter with 2 tbsp water in a medium saucepan. Add the lobster meat and warm over a gentle heat.
• To poach the eggs, bring a small pan of water to the boil and add a splash of white wine vinegar. Spin the water around with a slotted spoon and crack in the eggs - they must be very fresh. Turn off the heat and leave them to poach for 2-3 mins until set but still soft.
• Meanwhile, melt the knob of butter in a pan. Add the spinach and stir until it starts to wilt. Season and grate over a little nutmeg. Remove from the heat and drain the spinach on kitchen paper. To serve, halve 1 muffin and lightly toast to warm through. Put half a muffin on each plate and top with the spinach, then add the portioned warm lobster. Place a poached egg on top, then spoon over the hollandaise and a dollop of caviar.