Baked lobster with celeriac cream and vanilla butter
Mixed vegetables and herbs for making stock, e.g. 2 celery sticks, 2 carrots, 1 leek and some fresh parsley
1 tbsp caraway seeds
100 ml white wine vinegar
1 bay leaf
1 tbsp black peppercorns
1 lobster (700–800 g)
For the butter:
10 basil leaves
80 g soft butter Pulp from 1/2 vanilla pod
Coarse sea salt
Chilli powder
For the cream:
250 g celeriac
1 tsp butter
150 ml double cream
Salt • Ground pepper
Freshly grated nutmeg
Type of dish
Mains
Occasion, extravagance & level of difficulty
Luxury
Type of ingredient
Seafood
PreparationWash, peel and chop the vegetables and herbs. Place in a pan with 3 litres water, and bring to the boil with the caraway seeds, vinegar, bay leaf and peppercorns. Simmer for 20 minutes.
Hold the lobster head down for 2 to 3 minutes to numb it. Plunge it into the boiling water. Simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, then plunge into cold water. Cut in half lengthways with a large knife. Remove the claws and break open. Remove the meat from the tail. Rinse and dry the two halves of the shell.
To make the butter, wash and dry the basil. Purée the butter with the vanilla pulp and basil using a handheld blender. Stir in 2 pinches of sea salt and 1 pinch of chilli powder. Scoop the butter onto a piece of cling film and form into a log, 3 to 4 cm thick, and place in the fridge.
To make the cream, peel the celeriac and chop into 1/2 cm cubes. Heat the butter in a saucepan and gently fry the celeriac. Pour in the cream, cover and simmer over a low heat for 15 to 20 minutes until soft. Purée the celeriac with salt, pepper and nutmeg.
Fill the lobster shells with the celeriac cream. Cut the lobster meat into bite sized pieces and place on top of the cream. Put the lobster shells on a rack and cook in the oven at 200°C (Full grill) on the third shelf for 5 minutes.
Cut the vanilla butter into 1/2 cm thick slices, place on top of the lobster and grill for 2 to 3 minutes until the butter has melted.
Hold the lobster head down for 2 to 3 minutes to numb it. Plunge it into the boiling water. Simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, then plunge into cold water. Cut in half lengthways with a large knife. Remove the claws and break open. Remove the meat from the tail. Rinse and dry the two halves of the shell.
To make the butter, wash and dry the basil. Purée the butter with the vanilla pulp and basil using a handheld blender. Stir in 2 pinches of sea salt and 1 pinch of chilli powder. Scoop the butter onto a piece of cling film and form into a log, 3 to 4 cm thick, and place in the fridge.
To make the cream, peel the celeriac and chop into 1/2 cm cubes. Heat the butter in a saucepan and gently fry the celeriac. Pour in the cream, cover and simmer over a low heat for 15 to 20 minutes until soft. Purée the celeriac with salt, pepper and nutmeg.
Fill the lobster shells with the celeriac cream. Cut the lobster meat into bite sized pieces and place on top of the cream. Put the lobster shells on a rack and cook in the oven at 200°C (Full grill) on the third shelf for 5 minutes.
Cut the vanilla butter into 1/2 cm thick slices, place on top of the lobster and grill for 2 to 3 minutes until the butter has melted.
TipsServe with fettucine. For 2 people, cook 250 g to 300 g fresh fettucine in plenty of salted water until al dente. Heat some olive oil and toss the pasta in the oil. Sprinkle with sea salt