Wood-grilled lobster with tomalley butter and grilled lemon

Using wood from grape vines, Adam Liaw grills his lobster on an outdoor wood-fire grill. In this recipe, he makes a butter to complement the seafood using the tomalley from the inside of the lobster with a beautiful, rich seafood flavour.

• serves

  2

• prep

  45 minutes

• cook

  15 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 1 southern rock lobster
• 150 g good quality unsalted butter
• 1 red chilli, sliced
• 2 lemons (1 juiced, 1 for garnish)
• very good-quality sea salt

Drink match Domaine A 'Lady A’ Sauvignon Blanc 2008, Coal River Valley, Tas

"Always trust the locals! When they match their regional produce with a nearby wine, just thank your lucky stars and tuck in. This is the root of most famous wine matches around the world, and you know they’ve been practising! This is such a luxurious lobster dish that it deserves a white with a bit of creamy texture, as well as some fresh citrus. It needs a lick of acidity, too, to clean up the palate, so Peter’s long-lived, complex, barrel-aged sauvignon blanc does the trick perfectly." Dan Coward

 

Chilling time 30 minutes

Instructions

Chill the lobster in a large bowl of ice water or in the freezer for about 30 minutes until asleep. Spike quickly between the eyes to kill.

Place the lobster in a large pot of boiling water or nage and boil for about 5 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl full of ice to arrest the cooking. The lobster will be partially cooked.

Split the lobster in half and scoop out the tomalley. Heat the butter in a saucepan and add the chilli. When the butter is melted, press the tomalley through a sieve and scrape into the butter. Whisk through and add in a squeeze of lemon.

Brush the lobster with the butter and grill over a wood-fired barbecue for 5–10 minutes until cooked through. You can cover the lobster to encourage a smokier taste. While the lobster is grilling, also grill some lemon cheeks, flesh down.

Season well with salt and serve the lobster with a little more of the tomalley butter and the grilled lemon cheeks.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.