Lobster is often the star attraction in seafood extravaganzas partaken on Christmas Eve in Southern Italy, thanks to its Roman Catholic tradition of abstaining from meat on holy days.
As France’s culinary high point, its time-honored Réveillon on the commemorative night before Jesus’ birth has grown more opulent and luxurious over the years, making serving this king of crustaceans the perfect given delight.
In recent years, residents in the United Kingdom are increasingly opting for seafood over traditional roast turkey or goose as the indulgent focus in their Christmas feast; with nearly 90 percent of the British grocery market featuring frozen lobster in the range of extravagant produce specific to this yuletide season.
All absolutely comprehensible as regardless of where you hail from originally during this festive occasion in Stockholm, making family and friends feel utterly extra special is best served by joyfully and lovingly dishing up the decadent lobster at Xmas celebrations!
Ingredients:
2 x 600g live lobsters*, put to sleep overnight in freezer
4½ l boiling water
4 tsp salt
100g mature cheddar cheese, coarsely grated
1½ tsp fine breadcrumbs
1 tbsp fresh basil, finely chopped**
For the side of greens:
100g fresh asparagus***, fibrous portions snapped off
1 tbsp butter, softened
1½ tbsp orange juice
Salt
Crack black pepper
For the herb & peppercorn butter:
2/3 tsp green peppercorns****, brine drained and pounded to a paste
4 cloves fresh garlic, peeled and pounded to a paste
2 tbsp fresh coriander, finely chopped
1 tsp fresh chives, finely chopped
150g butter, softened
Salt
Notes:
* Can be substituted with crayfish of similar weight.
** To keep the basil fresh, chop only when you are ready to plate up the lobsters.
*** Buy slender asparagus spears, as they are tenderer yet retaining crunch when cooked.
**** Reduce the quantity if you prefer the dish to be less peppery.
Instructions:
- Add the lobsters into a stockpot of salted boiling water, and boil covered for 3 to 5 minutes till their shells are completely red.
- Set aside the boiled lobsters to cool.
- Meanwhile, make the herb & peppercorn butter by thoroughly mixing together all the ingredients, seasoning with salt.
- Pre-heat the oven grill on high while cutting the cooled lobsters into halves from head to tail, detaching and cracking open the claws.
- Remove lobster meat from tails and claws; chopping into bite sizes.
- Thoroughly mix chopped meat with herb & peppercorn butter.
- For each halved lobster shell, thoroughly clean out the inside of its head and tail, making sure to keep both portions connectedly intact.
- Completely fill each cleaned halved lobster shell with ¼ of butter lobster mixture.
- Mix together cheese and breadcrumbs; sprinkling ¼ of this mixture over each filled halved lobster shell.
- Grill all 4 halved lobster shells till breadcrumb cheesy topping has melted and slightly browned.
- Meanwhile cook the side of greens by first melting butter in a frying pan over a medium flame, adding orange juice and seasoning.
- As the flavored melted butter heats up, sauté asparagus for 1 to 2 minutes till they turn a deeper vibrant green.
- To serve while piping hot, line ½ the cooked asparagus across each dinner plate; arranging 2 grilled halved lobster shells on top, garnishing with ½ the basil.
Serves 2
