Grilled lobster with Thai herbs, peas and blackened citrus mayonnaise
Marinated in Thai flavours and served with homemade lime mayonnaise, fresh peas and spinach, this aromatic chargrilled lobster is the perfect special meal for two.
Ingredients
- 1 lobster (approx. 450g/1lb)
For the marinade
- 1 lemongrass stalk, smashed
- 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 tsp ginger, peeled and finely chopped
- 6 tbsp coconut milk
- 1 bunch coriander stalks, roughly chopped
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp caster sugar
- 2 tbsp Thai fish sauce
For the garnish
- 150g/5½oz fresh peas
- 100g/3½oz baby spinach
- 1 bunch coriander, roughly chopped
- 1 bunch Thai basil, roughly chopped
- 1 bunch mint, roughly chopped
- 1 red chilli, thinly sliced
- 1 shallot, thinly sliced
- 1 lime, juice only
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the blackened citrus mayonnaise
- 2 limes
- 2 medium free-range egg yolks
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 100–150ml/3½–5fl oz olive oil, for blending
Method
Boil the lobster for 4–5 minutes, then drain immediately and plunge into ice water to stop it cooking. When the lobster has cooled, peel away the shell.
To make the marinade, blitz all the ingredients together in a blender until smooth. Cover the lobster in the paste and leave in the fridge for 2 hours to marinate. You can cook it straight away but 2 hours in the marinade is ideal.
To make the garnish, blanch the peas in a pan of boiling water, then drain. Wilt the spinach with the warm peas, then mix the peas and spinach with the remaining ingredients and 100ml/3½fl oz of water. Season and set aside.
To make the mayonnaise, heat a chargrill pan over a high heat. When hot, cook the limes until blackened all over. Blend the egg yolk and mustard in a food processor. Gradually add the oil until you have a mayonnaise consistency, then squeeze in the juice from the blackened limes. Season, then set aside.
Return the chargrill pan to the heat. When hot, cook the marinated lobster for a 2–3 minutes until blistered all over. If you're dealing with a larger lobster it might need a bit more time chargrilling!
To serve, spread the mayonnaise on the base of a serving dish, then scatter over the herby peas and top with the lobster.