Sawasdee-Kat

Spicy Thai Lobster with Somtum

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This is quite an extravagant dish as lobster is quite expensive. This recipe contains 3 elements, the lobster, the seafood sauce and a Somtum salad to go with it.

Please watch my YouTube video to see how this is done https://youtu.be/c_9nmVH32f0

 

1 whole Lobster

 

Ingredients for seafood sauce

•             10-20 Thai bird chilies (small)

•             15 cloves of peeled garlic

•             5 or more tablespoons lime juice

•             3 tbsp water

•             2 tbsp fish sauce (or salt if you don’t like the fishy flavour).

•             ½ tsp salt

•             1 tbsp table sugar or palm sugar

•             1 bunch of fresh coriander (preferably with roots)

 

Ingredients for Somtum Carrot & Green apple salad

•             1-2 Carrot(s)

•             2 Granny Smith apples

•             1 bunch fresh coriander leaves

•             200g Cherry tomatoes

•             100g Green beans

•             4-6 Red chillies

•             2 Lime (Juice)

•             2 Garlic cloves

•             2 tbsp Palm sugar

•             1 tbsp Fish sauce

•             50g Peanuts

•             Cashew Nuts

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Method - How to prepare lobster

1. The kindest way to dispatch a live lobster is to use a sturdy, sharp knife and push the tip firmly and quickly through the centre of the cross on its head, – this should kill it instantly.

2. Place in boiling water for a few minutes or until the lobster turns orange colour. Don’t leave it longer or it will overcook!

3. Remove and place it to rest until cool

4. Remove claws, legs and tail as shown in the video.

5. Put aside

 

Method - Thai Seafood Sauce

1. Blend chilies, garlic and coriander leaves in a blender.

2. Start adding the lime juice, water, fish sauce (or salt), and sugar and blend thoroughly and taste as you go to get your happy balance.

 

Method - Somtum

1. Peel the carrot and grate on a mandolin fitted with a julienne blade. Cut the apples into julienne cut, but leave the skin on.

2. Top and tail the green beans and cut into small pieces, cook in boiling water for 2 minutes then refresh under cold running water.

3. Cut the cherry tomatoes in half.

4. Peel and roughly chop the garlic cloves. Roughly chop the chillies.

5. In a pestle and mortar, Add the garlic, green bean and peanuts then pound. Add the tomato and chilli and pound a couple of times. Add the fish sauce, palm sugar and lime juice and mix well. You should have a coarse paste. Taste the dressing and adjust to your liking

6. Mix the grated carrot and apples into the dressing. Mix well

7. Serve in the serving plate with a sprinkle of peanuts/cashew nuts and the chopped coriander leaves.

 

Method – Plating

1. Plate Somtum in the centre of the plate.

2. Arrange lobster claws and legs meat into a lobster shape.

3. Pour seafood sauce over lobster meat

4. Place head onto the top to form a finished lobster and garnish