Lobster mornay

1.Place lobsters in the freezer to render them insensible (30 minutes), then kill humanely. Meanwhile, bring a very large saucepan of salted water to the boil. Boil lobsters until half-cooked (4 minutes). Drain, then using a sharp knife and kitchen scissors, split lobsters in half. Remove meat from tails and legs (leave head and tail shell intact), coarsely chop tail meat and transfer to a bowl. Set shells and meat aside separately until required.

2.Meanwhile, preheat oven to 220C. For mornay sauce, heat butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat until foaming (2-3 minutes), add flour and stir continuously until flour begins to turn sand-coloured (2-3 minutes). Gradually add milk, stirring well between each addition, until incorporated and sauce is smooth, then stir in cheese, season well to taste and stir in thyme (see note).

3.Arrange lobster shells on a crumpled piece of foil in a roasting tray (this helps to keep them upright). Combine half the mornay sauce with the lobster meat and stir to combine, then spoon mixture into shells, spoon extra sauce over to cover well, then roast until mornay turns golden and bubbly (20-30 minutes). Season to taste and serve hot with lemon wedges and a leaf salad.