72 Get your claws out
Simon Hopkinson offers up two luxurious lobster recipes from opposite sides of the globe
Simon Hopkinson offers up two luxurious lobster recipes from opposite sides of the globe
THERE have been many disaster dishes in my cooking life— several, even. However, one of the very worst was while staying with friends in Cap Ferret 20 years ago. It exists on the very southwest coast of France, about an hour’s drive south-west of Bordeaux. Viewed over a quiet oyster-perched bay on one side of le cap, one can clearly view the old town of Arcachon and on its versus rears up the wild sea of the true Atlantic. With bivalves on its tranquil doorstep and a staircase of waves on the other, it comes as no surprise that both shaggy-haired surfers and sybarites like it here. Essentially, c’est très chic ici.
One morning, my friend Tom had decided to purchase from the fish market the biggest lobster that, quite possibly, had ever been potted in the waters of Cap Ferret. Handsome it most surely was, as it pointlessly thrashed its rubber-band-tethered, huge claws, while writhing in the stone kitchen sink, but as it measured at least 2ft from tip of claw to fan of tail, there was no pot in the kitchen within which the beast could be accommodated. Boiling it whole seemed out of the question. There was, however, a stout cleaver hanging from a nail in the wall of the kitchen.
Once the beast had been dispatched in as humane a way as possible, the various joints were arranged in a deep tray and baked for a few minutes in a hot oven until only just cooked; essentially, stiffened from the heat so as to aid the extraction of the coral-coloured flesh from the carcase.
Once the heavily succulent meat was set aside, said carcase was then broken up, immersed in a flavoursome court-bouillon (an intense vegetable broth, in essence), together with tomatoes, saffron, white wine and Cognac, then simmered for about an hour, until fabulously fragrant. Using this intense brew, the crusty old leviathan was about to become lobster pilaf.
A good workman should never blame his tools (ingredients, in this case), but I miserably failed, simply because I purchased a packet of cheap basmati rice; where were you, my beloved Tilda, when I needed you most?
Actually, I’m going to blame the French here, as rice cooking has never been a big culinary deal for them. Let’s just say that it turned out as more of a lobster rice pudding than the fluffy and fragrant pilaf I had hoped for. Delicious savoury stodge, but stodge it most certainly was. Heigh ho.
Off to America and Russia, now, with head held high with regard to these two lobster recipes of note. And, furthermore, I think that Jason Lowe’s perfect pictures are just fabulous here.
Using this intense brew, the crusty old Leviathan was about to become lobster pilaf