Smoked Tom Yum Lobster with Mango Salad

Serves: 2

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 25 minutes

Difficulty: Medium

Ingredients

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2 large lobsters (about 600g each)

Salt

1 cup seafood stock (or vegetable)

1 piece of charcoal, heated until exterior is white/grey

3 tbsp ghee

Tom Yum Sauce

2 tbsp tom yum paste

2 tbsp fish sauce

2 tbsp lime juice

2 tbsp vegetable oil

2 tbsp caster sugar

2 tbsp lime leaves, chopped

2 tbsp garlic cloves, minced

Mango Salad

1 mango, diced or shredded

¼ cup mint leaves

¼ cup thai basil leaves

¼ cup coriander leaves

¼ cup peanuts

2 tbsp fried shallot

Mango Salad Dressing

2 tbsp lime juice

1-2 tbsp fish sauce

2 tbsp warm water

1 tsp caster sugar

1 garlic cloves, minced

1 chilli, diced finely, seeds removed

Lime wedges, to serve

Method

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1.       Prepare an ice-bath for the lobster. Bring a large pot of water to the boil, salt heavily. Add the lobster for 1-2 minutes, to release the meat from the shell and then remove, transferring to the ice bath. Remove the meat from the tail, through cutting along the length of the tail (underside), and then carefully remove the meat. Keep the tail for serving.

2.       To prepare the sauce, mix the ingredients for the tom yum sauce together. Cut each lobster tail into 1 inch cubes and coat in the tom yum sauce. Let it sit and marinate for 30 minutes.

3.       Add some oil to a frypan and then heat to medium-high. Add in the lobster and cook for a few minutes, then add the seafood stock. Let the sauce reduce for a few minutes until the lobster is mostly cooked through then remove the pan from the stove.

4.       Place a small metal bowl into the centre of sauce. Add in the ghee, and then place the hot charcoal into the metal bowl in the butter. Cover with a lid and let the dish smoke for 5-10 minutes.

5.       Whilst the lobster is smoking, prepare the mango salad. For the dressing, whisk together all ingredients until the sugar has dissolved. Shred the mango and then mix together with the other ingredients. Mix together all salad ingredients prior to serving, loading up with the peanuts and shallots on top.

6.       After the lobster has finished smoking, remove the lobster and the bowl, and return the sauce to the stove to reduce. Reduce by half and then pour over the removed lobster.

7.       To serve, spoon out the lobster into the tail and then cover with some more of the sauce. Serve with the mango salad on the side.