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Susan Jung

Fresh lobster is a versatile foodstuff. When cooked with black truffles or served with rich butter sauce, the dish is worthy of the most lavish celebration, but when mixed with a little mayonnaise and stuffed into a soft roll it's prosaic enough to take on a casual picnic. However you cook the lobster, the other ingredients should enhance its succulent, sweet flavour - not overwhelm it.
Lobster and fettucine with roasted tomato sauce (pictured)
Fresh pasta has a silkier texture than dried, and it's worth seeking out for this dish. The lobster can be the type with claws or without, but make sure it's  very fresh. The lobster head and body contain some delicious parts (such as the  tomalley) that not everyone likes. You can add the head and body to the sauce or reserve it to make lobster stock.
1 fresh lobster, about 750 grams
150-200 grams fresh fettucine
20ml olive oil
3 large garlic cloves, unpeeled
500 grams ripe, sweet cherry tomatoes
1/4 tsp fresh or dried oregano leaves
20ml cooking oil
2 shallots, diced
1/2 tsp dried chilli flakes, or to taste
60ml dry white wine
A sprinkling of white sugar, if needed
Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Finely chopped parsley
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius. Place the tomatoes and unpeeled garlic cloves on a baking dish, drizzle with the olive oil and sprinkle with the oregano leaves and  a little sea salt. Roast in the oven at 200 degrees until the tomatoes are slightly shrivelled but not dry (about 20 minutes). Peel the garlic cloves. Use a food processor to roughly chop the tomatoes and garlic.
Bring a large pot of water to the boil and add enough salt so it tastes like  sea water. Prepare a large bowl of cold water and add lots of ice cubes. Place the lobster on a  board and use a sharp, heavy chef's knife to pierce the top of its head, cutting down  between the eyes to kill it. Place the lobster into the boiling water, and cook, uncovered, for three minutes. Remove the lobster from the  pot and plunge it into the iced water. When the lobster is cool, chop off the claws (if it has any) and crack them with a meat mallet or the back of the cleaver (don't crack them  too much). Pull the head and body from the tail - this should pull out the long, thick vein running through the tail. Cut the tail and the head and body in half lengthwise and remove and discard the stomach and other inedible parts. If you're not adding the head and body to the dish, wrap it in cling film and freeze until needed.
Bring a pot of salted water to the boil so it's ready to cook the pasta. Heat the cooking oil in a skillet, add the  shallot and cook over  a low flame until soft. Stir in the chilli flakes and cook for about 30 seconds. Add the white wine and simmer over a low heat for about three minutes. Add the tomato and garlic puree, season with salt and pepper and bring to the simmer. Taste the sauce and adjust seasonings if necessary - it should taste mildly spicy. If it tastes too acidic (from the wine and tomatoes), sprinkle in a little sugar.
Place the lobster pieces in the skillet, cover with the lid and simmer gently for five to 10 minutes, or until the lobster is just cooked through. When the lobster is almost ready, boil the pasta until it's al dente then drain. When the lobster is cooked,  transfer the pieces to a plate. Add the drained pasta and the chopped parsley to the skillet and stir to coat lightly with the sauce. Divide the pasta between two plates and top with the lobster pieces. Serve immediately.
Lobster with bacon, mascarpone and polenta
I love topping simple, hearty polenta with a rich, indulgent sauce. If you serve this as a main course (to feed two), it should be preceded by something light. This amount will also serve four as a starter.
1 fresh lobster (preferably a male), about  750 grams
50 grams polenta (don't use the instant type)
300ml water
45 grams butter, divided
2 good quality bacon rashers, cut into  1cm pieces
1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
1 large, fat leek
60ml dry white wine
80 grams mascarpone, or more, if needed
A few drops of Tabasco
Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Mix the polenta with the water and  half a teaspoon of salt in a pan. Bring to a simmer then reduce the heat to very low, cover the pan with the lid and cook for at least 45 minutes, stirring frequently. If it gets too thick, stir in a little more water (it should be slightly runny). When the polenta is ready, stir in 25 grams of butter.
While the polenta cooks, prepare the lobster and sauce. Bring a large pot of water to the boil and add enough salt so it tastes like sea water. Kill the lobster  as described  in the previous recipe. Boil  it for 10 minutes then plunge it into a bowl of iced water. Chop off the claws (if there are any) then pull the head and body from the tail,  removing the thick vein at the same time. Cut the tail and the head and body in half lengthwise and discard the inedible bits. Scoop the dark tomalley from the body and force it through  a sieve. Remove the meat from the tail and claws and cut it into bite-size chunks.
Cut the leek in half lengthwise and rinse thoroughly to remove any dirt hiding between the leaves. Cut the leek on the diagonal into 1cm pieces.
Heat a skillet, add the bacon and cook until crisp. Drain the bacon and pour most  of the fat from the skillet. Add 20 grams of butter to the skillet then stir in the garlic  and leek. Cook over low heat until soft.  Add the wine and simmer for a few minutes. Stir in the bacon, lobster, sieved tomalley, mascarpone and salt and pepper to taste. If  it seems dry, add a little more mascarpone. Simmer for a few minutes then stir in a few drops of Tabasco. Ladle the polenta into shallow bowls and top with the lobster mixture. Serve immediately.
Styling Corner Kitchen Cooking School



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