Butter poached lobster dish

Ingredients

• 600 g Live Lobster (Whole, fresh; keep chilled until ready to cook)
• to taste Salt (For boiling water and seasoning)
• 1 stalk Lemongrass (Finely chopped; adds citrus aroma to lobster butter)
• 310 g Unsalted Butter (250 g for lobster butter, 10 g for black twee, 50 g for hollandaise)
• 2 tbsp Vegetable Oil (For pan‑frying lobster head and black twee batter)
• 1.5 kg Butternut Squash (Roasted, skin removed, flesh used for cream)
• 2 Shallots (Halved and sliced; glazed before adding to squash)
• 200 ml Vegetable Broth (Used to deglaze pan for squash cream)
• 100 ml Heavy Cream (Adds richness to squash cream and hollandaise)
• 60 g Egg White (For black twee batter)
• 100 g Egg Yolk (Emulsifies the lobster hollandaise)
• 40 g Sugar (Sweetens black twee batter)
• 50 g All-Purpose Flour (Structure for black twee)
• 4 g Squid Ink (Gives black twee its color)
• 200 ml White Wine (Base for lobster hollandaise reduction)
• 200 ml Apple Cider (Combined with wine for reduction)
• 2 sprigs Fresh Thyme (Flavor for wine reduction)
• 5 Whole Peppercorns (Added to reduction for spice)
• 15 g Mayonnaise (Stabilizes the hollandaise)
• 2 Brick Dough Sheets (Puff‑pastry style sheets for lobster cones)
• 2 tbsp Pumpkin Seeds (Toasted, for garnish)
• 1 Lemon (Zest for seasoning lobster and garnish)
• 1 tbsp Pumpkin Seed Oil (Drizzle around sauce for flavor)
• to taste Flaky Sea Salt (Finishing salt for lobster)

Instructions

1. Prepare the Lobster

   Insert a chef's knife down the head to kill the lobster, twist off the tail, shake out any green hepatopancreas, and insert the back of a spoon between meat and shell to keep the tail from curling. Boil the tail and claws in heavily salted water for 1 minute per 100 g (≈6 minutes). Transfer to an ice‑water bath for 10 minutes, then remove and gently crack the shell, peeling it off without tearing the meat. Separate claws, knees and tail meat, keeping all trimmings for later use.

   Time: PT20M

2. Make Lobster Butter

   Chop the lobster head and any saved trimmings into small pieces. Heat a drizzle of vegetable oil in a pan over high heat, add the chopped head and fry until it begins to color (≈5 minutes). Add 250 g butter, reduce heat to low and add one stalk of finely chopped lemongrass. Let the mixture simmer on the lowest heat for at least 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pass through a fine mesh sieve lined with kitchen paper to clarify. Chill in the refrigerator.

   Time: PT45M

3. Prepare Butternut Squash Cream

   Cut the 1.5 kg butternut squash in half, remove seeds, and score the flesh in a cross pattern. Season the flat sides with salt and drizzle with oil. Place cut sides down on a silicone baking mat on a tray and roast at 200 °C for 1 hour. Let cool a few minutes, then scoop out the roasted flesh. Meanwhile, halve and slice two shallots, then glaze them in a hot pan with a drizzle of oil over medium heat. Add the roasted squash flesh, sauté for 2 minutes, then deglaze with 200 ml vegetable broth and 100 ml heavy cream. Reduce on low heat, stirring frequently, until the liquid thickens (≈10 minutes). Transfer to a blender, blend until smooth, add a pinch of salt and pepper, blend another minute, and chill.

   Time: PT80M

   Temperature: 200°C

4. Make Black Twee (Squid Ink Cake)

   Combine 60 g egg white, 40 g vegetable oil, 10 g butter, 40 g sugar, 3 g salt, 50 g flour and 4 g squid ink in a bowl and blend until smooth. Spread the batter into a twee mold (or a small baking dish). Bake at 160 °C for 20 minutes. Remove while hot, let cool, and keep dry for later use.

   Time: PT25M

   Temperature: 160°C

5. Prepare Lobster Hollandaise

   In a saucepan, combine 200 ml white wine, 200 ml apple cider, 2 sprigs thyme and 5 peppercorns. Reduce over medium heat until the volume reaches about 160 g. Transfer 140 g of the reduced liquid to a clean saucepan, add 4 g salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, whisk in 100 g egg yolk and cook on medium heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture reaches firm peaks (≈5 minutes). Remove from heat, whisk in 50 g cold lobster butter followed by 1 tbsp mayonnaise to stabilize. Blend briefly with an immersion blender (or hand whisk) to achieve a thick, glossy hollandaise. Chill until needed.

   Time: PT20M

6. Form Lobster Cones

   Lay two brick‑dough sheets on top of each other, place a round plate on the sheets and cut a circle. Halve the circle, then roll each half around a metal cone shaper, brushing generously with melted lobster butter and sprinkling with a pinch of salt. Place the cones on a metal tray, seam side down, and bake at 160 °C until golden brown (≈15 minutes). Remove promptly to avoid breaking.

   Time: PT20M

   Temperature: 160°C

7. Assemble Lobster Salad

   Divide the lobster tail meat into three portions; each claw is a portion as well. Slice the knees and fingers into fine strips. In a bowl, combine the lobster pieces with a spoonful of the chilled pumpkin cream, a pinch of lemon zest and salt. Mix gently.

   Time: PT5M

8. Heat Components for Plating

   Warm the hollandaise gently in a water bath set to 50 °C (or use a sous‑vide). In a separate pan, heat the remaining lobster butter over low heat and briefly warm the lobster tail pieces (≈5 minutes).

   Time: PT7M

   Temperature: 50°C

9. Plate the Dish

   Place a lobster cone on the plate and fill with the lobster‑cream salad. Pipe a small dot of warm pumpkin‑squash cream on top and sprinkle toasted pumpkin seeds. Remove the lobster tail from butter, season with flaky sea salt and lemon zest, and set beside the cone. Pipe a larger dot of warm hollandaise in the center of the plate, position the lobster tail on the sauce, drizzle with pumpkin seed oil, and finish with the black twee placed on top.

   Time: PT10M

Nutrition Facts

Calories

620

Protein

35 g

Carbohydrates

12 g

Fat

45 g

Fiber

3 g

Ingredient Substitutions

• Instead of Salt: Kosher salt, Sea salt
• Instead of Lemongrass: Lemon zest, Lime zest
• Instead of Unsalted Butter: Clarified butter
• Instead of Vegetable Oil: Canola oil, Sunflower oil
• Instead of Butternut Squash: Acorn squash, Hokkaido pumpkin
• Instead of Shallots: Red onion, yellow onion
• Instead of Vegetable Broth: Chicken broth, Water with bouillon
• Instead of Heavy Cream: Half‑and‑half, Coconut cream (for dairy‑free)
• Instead of Egg White: Aquafaba (for vegan)
• Instead of Egg Yolk: Pasteurized egg yolk
• Instead of Sugar: Honey, Maple syrup (reduced amount)
• Instead of All-Purpose Flour: Gluten‑free flour blend
• Instead of Squid Ink: Black food coloring
• Instead of White Wine: Dry sherry, Apple juice with a splash of vinegar
• Instead of Apple Cider: Apple juice
• Instead of Fresh Thyme: Dried thyme (½ tsp)
• Instead of Whole Peppercorns: Cracked black pepper
• Instead of Mayonnaise: Greek yogurt (for lighter version)
• Instead of Brick Dough Sheets: Phyllo dough
• Instead of Pumpkin Seeds: Sunflower seeds
• Instead of Lemon: Lime zest
• Instead of Pumpkin Seed Oil: Olive oil
• Instead of Flaky Sea Salt: Kosher salt

Equipment Needed

• Chef's Knife
• Large Pot
• Ice Bath Bowl
• Kitchen Shears
• Tweezers (optional)
• Spoon (back of spoon)
• Pan (stainless steel)
• Fine Mesh Sieve
• Baking Tray
• Silicone Baking Mat
• Oven
• Blender
• Whisk
• Saucepan
• Metal Cone Shaper (optional)
• Piping Bag (optional)
• Sous‑Vide or Water Bath (optional)

Critical Steps — Do Not Skip

• Killing and cleaning the live lobster without damaging the meat
• Infusing and clarifying the lobster butter for maximum flavor
• Reducing the wine‑cider mixture to the correct weight for the hollandaise
• Stabilizing the hollandaise with mayonnaise to prevent splitting
• Forming and baking the lobster cones without breaking

Chef Tips from the Video

• Use a fine mesh sieve lined with paper to achieve a crystal‑clear lobster butter.
• A splash of lemon juice in the final seasoning brightens the lobster flavor.
• Toast pumpkin seeds in a dry pan for 2 minutes to enhance their nutty aroma.
• If fresh squid ink is unavailable, a few drops of black food coloring can be used, though flavor will differ.

Troubleshooting

Storage

Refrigerator: Lobster butter, pumpkin cream, and hollandaise keep up to 2 days; assembled cones can be stored for 1 day, covered.

Freezer: Lobster butter freezes well for up to 1 month; thaw before use. Cones can be frozen for up to 2 weeks.

Room temperature: Do not store assembled dish at room temperature for more than 2 hours.

Make-Ahead Tips

• Lobster butter can be prepared up to 3 days ahead and stored chilled.
• Pumpkin‑squash cream freezes well; thaw and re‑heat gently before use.
• Hollandaise stabilised with mayonnaise can be made a day ahead and reheated in a water bath.
• Bake the lobster cones a few hours ahead; re‑heat briefly before plating.

Frequently Asked Questions