XO PASTA WITH LOBSTER IN ITS OWN BUTTER AND PICKLED TURNIPS
Serves 3
Prep time 1 hour + 24 hours pickling Cook time 20 minutes
pickled baby turnips
50ml water
4 coriander seeds
15g sugar
50ml apple cider vinegar
20 baby turnips, peeled and thinly sliced
1.1 Bring water to boil in a saucepan and add coriander seeds.
1.2 Turn off the heat and add sugar. Stir to dissolve. 1.3 Allow solution to cool, then add apple cider vinegar.
1.4 Pour pickling liquid over the sliced baby turnips and soak for 24 hours.
XO sauce
80g dried scallops 120g dried shrimps hot water
70g Chinese ham 100g shallots
3 stalks of lemongrass 4 cloves of garlic, peeled 15ml fish sauce 20ml dark soya sauce 15ml sesame oil 100ml chicken stock 10g chilli flakes sugar, to taste salt, to taste
2.1 Soak dried scallops and shrimps in hot water for 20 minutes, ensuring that the ingredients are completely submerged by the liquid.
2.2 Blend soaked scallops, shrimps and Chinese ham into a coarse paste.
2.3 Blend shallots, lemongrass and garlic into a coarse paste.
2.4 In a pan, sauté scallops, shrimps and Chinese ham paste for 20 minutes over medium heat.
2.5 In another pan, sauté shallots, lemongrass and garlic paste for 20 minutes over medium heat.
2.6 Combine all ingredients in another pan and sauté until a deep brown shade develops and liquid is fully evaporated. Season with sugar and salt.
lobster boiling water
4 live Boston lobsters (450-550g each) ice cold water
750g unsalted butter
3 sprigs of thyme
3.1 Blanch lobsters in boiling water for 4 minutes.
3.2 Immediately transfer blanched lobsters into a bowl of ice cold water, to stop the cooking.
3.3 Remove shells with scissors and gently pull the flesh out. Chill flesh. Reserve shells and head.
3.4 Place reserved shells and heads with unsalted butter, together in an oven-proof container.
3.5 Cover container with aluminium foil and bake at 140°C for 2 hours. Stir mixture every 30 minutes.
3.6 Set mixture aside for two hours, then strain.
3.7 Transfer lobster butter to a saucepan and bring it up to 65°C.
3.8 Add lobster flesh and cook for 6 minutes.
XO pasta
300g dried pasta of your choice 4 cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced 90ml water
1 chilli padi, sliced
250g XO sauce salt, to taste pepper, to taste
40g unsalted butter
1 tbsp fresh Italian parsley, chopped 4.1 Blanch pasta in salted boiling water for 6 minutes.
4.2 In a pan, sauté garlic with olive oil until fragrant, then add water, chilli padi and XO sauce. Bring to a boil.
4.3 Strain pasta and add to pan. Season with salt and pepper. Allow pasta to braise in the mixture.
4.4 Reduce mixture to half its volume and turn off heat. Then, stir in unsalted butter and chopped parsley. assembly microgreens, to garnish
5.1 Coil pasta on a plate, with a fork.
5.2 Place lobster on top of the pasta.
5.3 Lift 5 slices of baby turnips and a pinch of microgreens and arrange them around the pasta.
5.4 Serve immediately.
“Only sauté the (XO) sauce to the point where it achieves a beautiful deep brown shade, and then take it off the stove immediately, as the colour will continue to deepen with the residual heat.”