Pot-roast Scrabster lobster, girolle and herbs, by Chris and Jeff Galvin

INGREDIENTS (Serves four)

 

For the girolle sauce 20g unsalted butter
40g finely sliced shallots
1/4 clove of garlic
1 sprig of thyme
100g girolle trimmings
50ml Noilly Prat
200ml fish stock
40ml double cream
Salt
1/2 lemon

 

For the mushroom duxelles 30g unsalted butter
100g finely diced shallots
1/4 clove finely chopped garlic
400g finely diced button mushrooms
350g finely diced field mushrooms
50ml Madeira
150ml double cream

 

For the court bouillon 2 large onions
3 sticks celery
2 large leeks
2 medium carrots
10 litres water
500ml white wine
250ml white wine vinegar
4 whole black peppercorns
1/2 star anise
4tbs salt
1 sprig of thyme
6 parsley stalks

 

For the pommes purée 900g Desiree potatoes,
peeled and diced
75ml double cream
75g milk
225g unsalted butter

 

For the lobster 4 x 500-550g Scottish lobsters
1 litre of court bouillon

 

To finish 1 blanched lobster
100g mushroom duxelles
Court bouillon
50g clean girolles
10g butter
1tbs chopped mixed herbs
100ml girolle sauce
5 chervil sprigs

 

METHOD In a heavy bottomed pan, melt the butter and add the shallots, garlic and thyme. Sweat without any colour until the shallots are soft. Add the girolle trimmings and continue to sweat for a couple of minutes before deglazing with the Noilly Prat. Reduce until nearly dry.
Pour in the fish stock, bring to the boil then simmer for five minutes before adding the cream. Bring back to the boil and simmer for a further five minutes. Remove from the heat, blitz in a liquidiser and pass through a fine chinois, then through a muslin cloth, then season with salt and a small squeeze of lemon.

 

Mushroom duxelles In a pan, gently melt the butter, add the shallots and garlic, season and sweat without colour. Add the button mushrooms and field mushrooms and cook until dry. Deglaze with the Madeira until dry and add the double cream. Cook until almost dry, check the seasoning and reserve.

 

Court bouillon Roughly chop the peeled and washed vegetables into 2cm pieces and place in a large saucepan. Add the other ingredients and bring to the boil then simmer for 15 minutes. Pass through a strainer into a similar-sized saucepan.

 

Pommes purée Place the potatoes in a pan of salted cold water. Bring to the boil and simmer until tender. When cooked, pass them through a potato ricer and then through a drum sieve and place into a clean pan. Gently warm the milk and cream. Beat the cold butter into the dry mash and gradually add the warm milk and cream. Check the seasoning and serve.

 

Cooking the lobster Warm the court bouillon up to 80°C. Remove the elastic bands from the claws of the lobster and blanch for three minutes in the bouillon. Remove the lobster and return the claws for a further three minutes' cooking. When the claws are cooked, crack and reserve. Cut the lobster in half lengthways, remove the brains and discard. Carefully remove the tail.

 

To finish In the empty lobster shell, pipe a generous amount of mushroom duxelles. Place the tail meat back in on top and one claw and one shelled knuckle into the head. Place in a suitably sized, shallow saucepan with a small ladle of boiling court bouillon and place in an oven at 160°C for six minutes with a tight-fitting lid.
In a separate pan, gently sauté the girolles in butter for two minutes then add the chopped herbs and season. Remove the lobster from the oven, ensuring the flesh is cooked, and drain on a piece of kitchen towel, then place on a plate and garnish with the sautéd girolles.

 

Spoon over the warm girolle sauce and garnish with the chervil sprigs. Serve with a herb salad and pomme purée on the side.