Lobster with Vanilla Sauce, Green Pea Mousse and Caviar

Method

1. Put the lobster in the freezer for 20–30 minutes so it is still and sluggish.
2. Lay it on a board and push the tip of the heavy knife firmly through the cross-shaped mark behind the head, then bring the blade down through the head.
3. Twist off the claws, then twist the tail away from the head.
4. Bring a large pot of water with the 2 tbsp of salt to a rolling boil.
5. Boil the claws for 7 minutes and the tail for 5 minutes, then plunge each into the iced water.
6. Cut along the underside of the tail with scissors and take out the meat in one piece; crack the claws and knuckles and take out their meat. Refrigerate the meat and keep all the shells.
7. Pull the small stomach sac out of the head, just behind the eyes, and discard it.
8. Chop the head and shells roughly with the heavy knife.
9. Heat the olive oil in the heavy saucepan over medium-high heat and fry the shells with the onion and carrot for 5–6 minutes, stirring, until the shells smell toasty.
10. Pour in the wine and let it bubble for 1 minute.
11. Add the water, bring to the boil and simmer for 45 minutes.
12. Strain the stock through the fine sieve, pressing on the shells; you should have about 400 ml.
13. Scrape the vanilla seeds into the stock, add the pod, a pinch of sugar and a little salt.
14. Boil the stock in the small wide saucepan until reduced to about 150 ml.
15. Add the thyme and cream and simmer for 5–8 minutes, until the sauce coats a spoon.
16. Remove the thyme and vanilla pod, taste for salt and keep the sauce warm.
17. Heat the oil in the small frying pan to about 150°C (300°F) and fry the ginger slices for 1–2 minutes, until golden.
18. Lift the ginger out onto paper towels; it crisps as it cools.
19. Boil the peas with the mint in salted water for 3 minutes.
20. Scoop out 50 g of the peas for the garnish and add the asparagus to the pot for 2–3 minutes, until just tender.
21. Drain, keeping a little of the cooking water.
22. Blend the remaining peas and mint with the butter and 2–3 tbsp of the cooking water until smooth.
23. Push the mousse through the sieve and season with salt.
24. Cut the tail meat into medallions and steam them with the claw meat for 3–4 minutes, until just opaque and hot.
25. Spoon the vanilla sauce and the pea mousse onto warm plates.
26. Arrange the lobster, asparagus and the whole peas on top.
27. Finish with the ginger chips, caviar, pea shoots and a few drops of the thinned jam.

1. How to prepare the a ginger chips:
2. Peel ginger and cut it into thin slices, then fry in deep fat.
3. After that lay it out on a napkin, after a while it will be dry and without oil.
4. Preparation of sause:
5. Fry armor with vegetables in oil, fill it with water and simmer for an hour, and then strain through a sieve.
6. The broth should be saturated, in a strained broth add the vanilla stick, cut it in half lengthwise and gather the grains of vanilla with knife, after this salt and sugar.
7. Evaporate it and throw a sprig of thyme and cream.
8. Again, evaporate all to the necessary consistence.
9. Preparation of pea mousse:
10. Cook green peas for 3 minutes in hot water with mint and then mix it with blender to the consistence of mousse.
11. How to prepare the lobster:
12. Boil lobster in salted water for 5 minutes.
13. Divide it into fillets.
14. How to serve the dish:
15. Vanilla sauce, pea mousse, asparagus, peas, ginger chips, fillet of lobster warmed on steam and caviar.
16. For the decor: greens, peas, berry sauce.

The dish in the photograph was cooked by the restaurant for this story. Photo: Oleksandr Slyadnyev.