ROCK LOBSTER WITH FINE ASPARAGUS, WILD GREENS AND CITRUS

Recipe by Chef Mark McNamara – Food Luddite

While chardonnay and lobster is a match made in heaven, a zesty Eden Valley riesling will cut through the creaminess of the butter sauce and complement the flavours of the asparagus, finger lime and capers.

Ingredients
2 small green lobster tails – approx 300g each
1 teaspoon Agrumato olive oil (Cornucopia brand)
1 bunch fine asparagus – trimmed to 6cm tips only
1 tablespoon butter
2 teaspoons lobster oil (Ferguson brand)
Pinch of caper seasoning (Kolophon brand)
Butter sauce (see recipe below)
1 finger lime – grains separated
1 teaspoon baby salted capers – rinsed (Kolophon brand)
Selection of wild greens (see below)
Selection of herb flowers (see below)

Method
1. Remove green tails from shells and place in a zip lock or vacuum bag. Add Agrumato oil and seal bag expelling as much air as possible (using a vacuum bag will ensure tail doesn’t curl and keeps shape). Refrigerate until required – no more than 12 hours.
2. Make sauce as below and keep warm (no hotter than 40°C) and wash greens and pat or spin dry in a salad dryer.
3. Steam lobster tails over boiling water in a colander or bamboo steamer for approximately 5 minutes or until the tail just sets. Remove from the heat and allow to cool at room temperature.
4. Place half the butter in a frying pan with ½ teaspoon lobster oil and sauté asparagus gently until just cooked. Add a teaspoon of lemon juice and sprinkle with caper salt. Remove asparagus from the pan and keep warm.
5. Wipe pan, add remaining butter and another ½ teaspoon lobster oil. Slice lobster into 1 ½ cm slices and cook gently for a couple of minutes to warm tail slices through without them becoming tough.
6. To serve arrange salad leaves on base of plates/bowls. Place a couple of lobster slices on each salad, top with asparagus spears and drizzle lightly with sauce.
7. Scatter with grains of finger limes, herb flowers and capers and finally place a few drops of lobster oil on each plate. Serve immediately while still warm.

Wild herbs – mix should include one example from each category:
– baby nasturtium leaves or watercress
– samphire, purslane or young pigface leaves
– roquette, baby dandelion or similar bitter greens
– chervil, young dill or parsley

Herb flowers – at least 3 of the following ensuring a good mix of colors:
– roquette, kale or cabbage, borage, lemon thyme and pigface

Butter Sauce
1 shallot – very finely chopped
60ml white wine
75ml fish stock
½ lemon – juice of
1 tablespoon Henschke Prue’s Verjus
40 ml cream
½ lime – zest only
60 g butter – small cubes

Method
1. Place shallot, white wine, fish stock, verjus and citrus juice into a saucepan and reduce to a syrup.
2. Stir well and add the cream. Bring back to a simmer, add lime zest, remove from heat and whisk in butter, a little at a time until completely emulsified.
3. Strain and keep warm.

Specialist Suppliers
Ferguson Australia
Kolophon Capers
Cornucopia Farming

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