Description
A sophisticated seafood dish featuring tender poached lobster tails served over caramelised cauliflower slices and smooth cauliflower purée, all enhanced by a rich lobster butter sauce made from homemade lobster stock and cream. This elegant recipe combines refined techniques and fresh ingredients for a luxurious dining experience.
Ingredients
Scale
Lobster and Stock
- 400 grams native lobster (x 4 pieces)
- 1 large onion (sliced)
- 4 carrots (chopped)
- 3 sticks celery (chopped)
- 1 small leek (chopped)
- 4 cloves garlic (crushed)
- 6 sprigs thyme
- 6 sprigs tarragon
- Olive oil (for sweating vegetables)
- 5 tablespoons brandy
- 2 tablespoons tomato puree
Cauliflower
- 1 large cauliflower
- Butter (for caramelising cauliflower slices)
- Salt (to taste and for blanching water)
- Water (for boiling and blanching)
- Double cream (for cauliflower purée)
Lobster Butter Sauce
- 100ml (3.4oz) lobster stock per portion
- 10g (0.35oz) unsalted butter per portion
- 1 dessert spoon of cream per portion
Instructions
- Prepare Lobsters: Place lobsters in the freezer for half an hour to render them insensate before cooking.
- Blanch Lobsters: Bring a large pan of water to boil for blanching lobsters and prepare a large bowl of ice water to cool them immediately after.
- Sweat Vegetables: In a separate pan, sweat sliced onions, chopped carrots, celery, leek, and crushed garlic in olive oil until soft. Add tomato puree and cook for a few more minutes, then set aside.
- Stun and Separate Lobster: Remove lobsters from the freezer, place on a chopping board, and with a sharp knife pierce the lobster’s head downward quickly within 10 seconds. Remove tails and claws.
- Poach Lobster Tails: Boil the lobster tails for 20-30 seconds until shells turn red and tails curl upward. Immediately plunge them into iced water to stop cooking.
- Cook Claws: Put claws into boiling water, re-boil, then allow them to cool down in the liquid for later use.
- Remove Tail Meat: Extract tail meat from shells and refrigerate.
- Make Lobster Stock: Crush lobster shells, return pan with sweated vegetables to heat, add shells and cook until proteins begin to set. Add brandy and reduce, then add water to cover shells and thyme, bring to boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Add tarragon, cook 3 more minutes, then remove from heat and let stand briefly.
- Strain Stock: Pass lobster stock through fine chinois into a small pan, bring back to boil, then set aside.
- Remove Claws Meat: Take claws out of water, extract meat, refrigerate for optional use such as salad.
- Prepare Lobster Butter Sauce: For each portion, use 100ml lobster stock and 10g butter. Quickly reduce until slightly thickened. Whisk in one dessert spoon of cream per portion, then set aside.
- Poach Lobster Tails in Stock: Bring remaining lobster stock to boil, immerse tails and remove pan from heat. Let tails poach gently for 4 minutes.
- Rest and Slice Lobster Tails: Remove tails from stock, let rest for a couple of minutes, then slice in half lengthwise.
- Prepare Caramelised Cauliflower: Section cauliflower into florets, cut into 2-3mm slices separating quality florets for caramelising. Blanch slices in boiling salted water until half cooked, refresh in iced water, drain, then caramelise in butter just before serving.
- Make Cauliflower Purée: Chop remaining florets and trimmings finely, simmer in salted water until most water evaporates. Add double cream, cook until slightly thickened while stirring continuously to avoid burning. Purée in a blender and pass through a fine sieve for smoothness.
- Plate the Dish: Arrange caramelised cauliflower slices in a circle on the plate, spoon cauliflower purée into the center, top with sliced poached lobster tail, drizzle with lobster butter sauce, and serve immediately.
Notes
- Freezing lobsters before cooking is a humane method to render them unconscious.
- Do not overcook lobster tails to keep them tender and juicy.
- Keep the cauliflower purée moving while cooking to prevent burning.
- The lobster claws meat can be saved for a salad or appetizer.
- Use unsalted butter for better control of seasoning in sauces.
- The lobster stock adds intense flavor to the sauce; do not discard shells.
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Poaching, Blanching, Sweating, Reducing
- Cuisine: French
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 lobster tail with cauliflower and sauce (approx. 280g)
- Calories: 410 kcal
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 180 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 12 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 14 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 35 g
- Cholesterol: 150 mg
Keywords: lobster tail, poached lobster, cauliflower purée, lobster butter sauce, caramelised cauliflower, seafood recipe, elegant dinner, French cuisine
