Lobster with Russian Salad

Guy Grossi

Cook Time 2 hours

Servings 2

Ingredients

1 rock lobster
1 small beetroot, peeled and diced
2 tbs. white wine vinegar
2 tbs. caster sugar
Extra virgin olive oil

Russian Salad
2 large potatoes
½ small carrot, peeled and diced
¼ cup baby peas (fresh or frozen)
2 ½ tbs. good quality mayonnaise
½ tsp. freshly grated horseradish
Salt and pepper
¼ cup watercress sprigs, to serve
1 soft boil eggs, to serve

Method

For the lobster, place live lobster in freezer for 1 hour, where it will ‘go to sleep’. This is the most humane way to handle them. Bring a large pot of boiling water to the boil and cook the lobsters for 10 minutes.

Drain the lobster, place under cold running water until the lobster has cooled completely. Twist the head and tail of the lobster in opposite directions. Remove the tail fins and, using scissors cut down each side of the belly being careful not to tear any of the flesh. Remove tail meat from the shell. You may also, pick the meat out of the joint and legs. Slice the lobster tail into 5mm medallions.

For the Russian salad, put the potatoes in a pot of cold water. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and cook until the potatoes are almost tender. Add the carrots and peas about 5 minutes before the potatoes are ready. Drain and cool slightly, and then peel the potatoes. Cut the potatoes into small dice about the same size as the carrot. Mix with carrot, peas, mayonnaise, horseradish and extra meat from the joints of the lobster together and season to taste.

Put the beetroot in a small pot with the vinegar and sugar and cook until tender. Drain beetroot, reserving liquid.

To serve, spoon some Russian salad into the centre of each plate. On top of this arrange a few slices of the tail meat and finish with ½ a soft boil egg. Drizzle beetroot reduction around plate, scatter over a few watercress sprigs and drizzle with a little oil.