Lobster is the ultimate show-stopping centrepiece for the holidays. Served with a classic beurre blanc, the key lies in its simplicity.
Ingredients
Beurre blanc
Method
1.Place lobster on its back, belly-side up, on a flat, non-slip surface. Using a sharp knife, halve lobster lengthways, remove coral from head; refrigerate until ready to use.
2.For beurre blanc, place peppercorns, shallot, orange and lemon juice with wine in a saucepan over medium heat and bring to a simmer; reduce by half (4 minutes). Stir in cream and reduce by half (3 minutes). Reduce heat to low and gradually whisk in cold butter, 2 cubes at a time until all combined. Add 1-2 tbsp hot water if necessary, until desired consistency. Add cayenne pepper, season to taste and stir to combine. Keep warm until ready to use.
3.Preheat a lightly greased barbecue or char-grill pan to high heat. Brush cut sides of lobster with melted butter and season to taste. Barbecue lobster, cut-side down, until lightly charred (6 minutes). Turn lobsters over and cook, basting occasionally with melted butter, until meat is just cooked through (6-8 minutes).
4.To serve, place lobsters on serving plates and spoon over beurre blanc. Scatter with chives, mixed baby herbs and extra cayenne pepper and serve with charred lime halves on the side.
Note: RSPCA Australia’s advice for killing lobsters humanely is to render them insensible by chilling them in the freezer (under 4°C) for half an hour. Then the lobster must be killed quickly by cutting through the centreline of the head, thorax and abdomen with a large, sharp knife. Cutting must occur along the longitudinal midline to destroy the nerve centres.
Notes
