Fresh Lobster, Cucumber & Apple juice and Languostine crème

Serves 8 as part of a menu, or 4 as a main course

We served this delicious, delicate dish as a cold starter – but you could easily serve this as a wonderful summer meal – and if you love your seafood, double the amount of lobster to make a larger serving. You could also add a nice chunk of bread to soak up the lovely juice.

Lovage Sorbet

• 125 g Sugar
• 375 g Water
• 1 Lemon
• 25 g Lovage

Bring sugar and water to a boil in a saucepan. Add the juice from the lemon, stir. Strain the liquid and cool. Add the lovage before running the liquid in an ice cream machine.

Fresh lobster

• 1 large Lobster

Fill a large saucepan with well salted water, bring to a boil. Place the lobster in the water and cook for 1 minute per 100 g. Remove lobster, loosen the claws and let them boil for another 2 minutes. Cook the lobster  + claws in iced water. Remove the lobster meat from the shells and cut into smaller chunks. Mix gently with olive oil, salt and pepper just prior to plating.

Langoustine Crème

• 5 Langoustine
• 100 g Double cream
• 4 g Salt

Shell the langoustines, put the heads and claws to the side. Using a food processor; blitz the tails with the salt for about 15 seconds. Add the cream and run the food processor until you get a smooth crème (approximately 45 seconds). Fill in a piping bag and put aside until plating.

Smoked Dill oil

• 50 g Dill
• 200 ml Cooking oil

Dip the dill in salted boiling water for 2 seconds. Mix with oil in blender until the liquid is smooth and green.

Put oil in a container with a tight fitting lid. Smoke 3 times using a domestic smoke gun. If you don’t have a smoke gun, just omit this step.

Peppery Cucumber juice

• 300 g Cucumber
• 150 g Apple juice
• 60 g Celery
• 25 g Horseradish
• ½ Lemon

Make small balls from the cucumber using a melon baller, place in a bowl until it’s time to plate up. Dice the rest of the cucumber along with the remaining vegetables and run in a blender to a smooth juice. Season with salt, pepper and lemon. Strain and refrigerate.

Garnish

• 2 stalks Celery
• ½ Granny Smith Apple
• 50 ml Smoked dill oil*
• ½ punnet Danish cress
• ¼ Lemon
• 10 sprigs Lovage

Shave one of the celery stalks thinly with a potato peeler and place the shavings in cold water. Slice the other celery stalk very, very thinly. Cut the cress and place in ice cold water. Shave the apple thinly on a mandolin, cut out circles with a scone/pastry cutter and place in cold water. If you don’t have a pastry cutter, simply cut by hand with a knife. When it’s time to serve; mix the cucumber balls and sliced celery with the dill oil. Season with salt pepper and lemon.

Plating up

Arrange all components beautifully on a plate (see picture, we recommend a semi-deep dish), adding the Lovage Sorbet at the very end to keep it from melting before service. We recommend you serve the dish with a fork and a spoon so guests are able to enjoy the lovely juice. You could even serve the juice in a small pitcher on the side, allowing guests to pour it over the dish at the table.