Name: Barbecued lobster tails with lemon drawn butter and corn-radish salad
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 8
Ingredients: 4 live rock lobsters (about 1kg each); 4 corn cobs; 6 radishes, thinly sliced on a mandoline; 3 heirloom tomatoes, cut into chunks; ¼ spanish onion, thinly sliced; 50 ml olive oil, plus extra for drizzling; 1 tbsp red wine vinegar; Lemon drawn butter; 250 gm chilled butter, diced; 1 garlic clove, finely grated; 1 bunch of chives, finely chopped; ¼ cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

Barbecued lobster tails with lemon drawn butter and corn-radish salad

Keep things simple with a lemon and garlic butter that allows the sweet lobster to shine through.

Serves 8

Prep

20M

Cook

25M

Total

45M

Lobster is utter luxury, making it an ideal centrepiece for a festive table. And there’s no need to dress it up – keep it simple with a lemon and garlic butter to allow the sweet lobster to shine through.

Ingredients

4 live rock lobsters (about 1kg each)

4 corn cobs

6 radishes, thinly sliced on a mandoline

3 heirloom tomatoes, cut into chunks

¼ spanish onion, thinly sliced

50 ml olive oil, plus extra for drizzling

1 tbsp red wine vinegar

Lemon drawn butter

250 gm chilled butter, diced

1 garlic clove, finely grated

1 bunch of chives, finely chopped

¼ cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

Method

1.Kill lobsters humanely (see note). Remove heads by twisting and pulling the tail and head in opposite directions, then cut the tail in half. Cover and refrigerate until required.

2.Cook corn in a saucepan of boiling salted water until tender (6-8 minutes), then drain and when cool enough to handle, trim kernels from cobs, trying to keep the kernels in clusters. Transfer to a bowl, add radish, tomato and onion, cover and refrigerate until required. Just before serving, add oil, vinegar and lemon juice, season to taste and toss to combine.

3.For lemon drawn butter, melt butter in a saucepan over low-medium heat until it clarifies (8-10 minutes), then pour into a jug and stand until milk solids settle to the bottom (5-10 minutes). Skim any foam from the surface, then carefully strain clear yellow liquid through a fine sieve into a clean saucepan, discarding the milky solids in the base of the jug. Return butter to medium heat, stir in garlic and lemon rind, season to taste and keep warm.

4.Heat a barbecue or char-grill pan to medium-high. Brush cut sides of lobster with a little lemon drawn butter and season to taste. Place lobsters cut-side down on the barbecue and grill until shells begin to change colour (3-4 minutes), then turn and brush with a little extra drawn butter. Grill until flesh turns opaque (3-4 minutes). Scatter lobster and corn-radish salad with parsley cress and serve with lemon wedges and remaining lemon drawn butter.

The RSPCA’s advice for killing crustaceans humanely are to render the animals insensible by placing them in the freezer (under 4C) until the tail or outer mouth parts can be moved without resistance; crustaceans must then be killed quickly by cutting through the centreline of the head and thorax.
Drink Suggestion: The best chardonnay you can afford.
Drink suggestion by Max Allen.
Notes