COMFORT AND JOY!
Take your festive toastie up a notch with chunky chopped lobster in a silky, oozy four-cheese sauce
Four-cheese lobster toastie
Four-cheese lobster toastie 45 MINUTES + PICKLING | SERVES 4 | EASY
This decadent recipe was inspired by the lobster cheese toastie served at The Fish Bar in Harrods’ new dining hall. Best served, either way, with a cold glass of champagne.
lobster tails 4 (see cook’s notes) salted butter 50g plain flour 2 tbsp whole milk 300ml mature cheddar 50g, grated parmesan 50g, grated gruyère 50g, grated grated mozzarella 50g nutmeg a good grating bloomer 8 thick slices mayonnaise 6 tbsp PICKLED CUCUMBER white wine vinegar 100ml caster sugar 50ml cucumber Ω, thinly sliced dill a small bunch, picked • To make the pickled cucumber, put the vinegar and sugar into a small pan with 50ml of water and heat until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat and leave to cool completely. Once cool, add the cucumber and chill for at least 2 hours. • Cook the lobster tails following pack instructions and cut into chunky pieces.
• Melt the butter in a pan and, once foaming, add the flour and cook for a few minutes until smelling a little nutty. Gradually add the milk, a little at a time, until a smooth sauce forms. Bubble for 5 minutes until thickened, stirring regularly. Add all four cheeses, a good grating of nutmeg and plenty of seasoning, and stir over a very low heat until fully melted. Gently fold in the lobster meat, and cook for a few minutes to reheat. Cool slightly.
• Put the bloomer slices onto a chopping board and spread each with mayonnaise on one side. Turn 4 of the slices over and divide the lobster and cheesy sauce between them. Put on the lids, with the mayonnaise facing outwards.
• Heat the oven to 160C/fan 140C/gas 3. Heat a large non-stick frying pan over a medium heat and fry the sandwiches for 2-3 minutes on each side, in batches if necessary, until deep golden brown. Transfer to a baking tray and put into the oven for 5-10 minutes or until the filling is piping hot. • Drain the cucumber and stir in the dill.
• To serve, cut the sandwiches in half and serve with a pile of the cucumbers.
COOK’S NOTES Fishmongers and large supermarkets (Tesco, Morrisons, Iceland, Sainsbury’s and Waitrose) all sell raw frozen lobster tails, or use cooked lobster meat, large cooked prawns or crayfish. You’ll need around 200g.
PER SERVING 1,039 KCALS | FAT 68.1G SATURATES 21.1G | CARBS 59.2G | SUGARS 10.1G FIBRE 3.2G | PROTEIN 45.6G | SALT 2.8G