This is a rich and complex dish I recommend you approach as three separate recipes.
Preparing and cooking the lobsters comes first - then you can store them in the fridge. The next step is the fish cream sauce followed by the hollandaise. After this not inconsiderable amount of work has been completed it's a matter of pulling the dish together, finishing it off and enjoying the flavours. Don't be deterred by the workload - this is as rewarding a dish to make as any.
Whole lobster with gratin of spinach, espelette pepper and grain mustard
Serves 2
Preparing the lobsters
2 live lobsters (450-550g each)
In a large pan bring two litres of salted water to 90C (use a temperature probe or thermometer).
Place the lobsters on a work surface then insert the tip of a large knife into the head of each lobster and, holding the knife vertically, push down. This will kill the lobster instantly. Remove the tails, claws, head and flippers (the last two will be used as decoration) and place the body aside - it can be used to make stock.
Drop the claws into the water and remove the pan from the stove. When the water temperature drops to 80C add the tails and leave for 6 minutes, then remove both the claws and tails and discard the water.
Crack the claws and tails then carefully remove the meat and discard the shells. Refrigerate the meat until ready to serve.
Fish cream
2 shallots
50g unsalted butter
100ml white wine
250ml fish stock
150ml double cream
Peel and slice the shallots finely. Melt the butter in a saucepan and gently cook the shallots for 1 minute without colouring, then add the wine and reduce it over a high heat to a glaze (2-3tbsp liquid).
Add the fish stock and reduce it by half. Lastly, add the cream and bring the sauce to the boil for 1 minute. Strain the sauce through a fine sieve and season it with a little salt.
Hollandaise sauce
30ml white wine vinegar
1 small shallot, peeled and sliced
1 sprig of thyme
10 white peppercorns
4 egg yolks
200ml clarified butter at 32-40C
Put the vinegar, shallot, thyme and peppercorns into a pan and bring it to the boil. Reduce the liquid by two-thirds then strain it through a fine sieve and set aside.
Put the yolks in a large, round, stainless-steel bowl with 1tbsp of the vinegar reduction and 1tbsp cold water. Place the bowl over a pan of boiling water and whisk vigorously until the mixture has doubled in volume. This will take 2-3 minutes. When done, remove the bowl from the heat.
Using a small ladle, gradually add the clarified butter to the yolks, whisking all the time. When all the butter has been added, season with a little salt and lemon juice and cover with clingfilm. Store the sauce between 22C and 26C and use it within 2-3 hours.
Final preparation and serving
2 plum tomatoes
150ml fish cream
A pinch of ground espelette pepper
1tsp grain mustard
1tbsp finely chopped parsley
4tbsp hollandaise sauce
100g baby spinach leaves, cooked
150g new potatoes, cooked
Cut each tomato into quarters, remove the seeds and use a 3cm round cutter to cut a disc from each quarter.
In a saucepan, gently warm the fish cream - don't allow it to boil - then remove the pan from the heat. Add the espelette pepper, mustard, parsley and hollandaise to the cream and whisk together until the hollandaise is fully incorporated.
Place a portion of the spinach in the centre of a heatproof serving plate. Slice each lobster tail into 6-8 pieces and place it on top of the spinach, then place 4 tomato discs on top of the lobster tail. Use scissors to trim the shells from the head and flippers of the lobster. Place the shell from the head at the top of the tail and the flippers at the end of the tail, then spoon a generous amount of the sauce over the lobster meat.
Take four of the cooked potatoes and cut each one into 3 even slices then arrange the pieces either side of the tail. Place the plate under a hot grill for 2-3 minutes or until the sauce has glazed to a light golden brown then serve immediately with the remaining new potatoes.
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