POACHED LOBSTER WITH SMOKED EEL FOIE GRAS
BY CHEF ALEXIS COUQUELET
Serves 2 | prep/cooking time 30 mins
INGREDIENTS |
• 2 lobsters (500g each)
• 1 bunch white asparagus
• 1 pack Shimeji mushrooms
• 50g butter, unsalted
• 1 slice toasted rye bread
Smoked Eel Foie Gras
• 300g foie gras (Ferme de St Jaques)
• 1 pack roasted smoked eel
• 50 ml Porto blanc
• 1 tbsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
Dashi Sauce
• 100 ml water
• 50 ml cream
• 20g Kombu (dried seaweed)
• 25g Bonito flakes (dried & thinly
shaved bonito fish)
PREPARATION |
1. For the roasted eel foie gras devein the room temperature foie gras and season. Marinate with wine and seasoning for 3 hours. Place foie gras in a terrine halfway.
2. Place eel in the middle of the terrine keeping edges sealed. Finish with the remaining foie gras.
3. Cook in a bain marie for 8-10 minutes at 100°C. Remove and place directly in refrigerator and
let it rest for 6 hours.
4. Boil lobster in salted water. After 5 minutes remove. Crack and remove shell while hot. Place the lobster in broth and set aside.
5. Peel asparagus from bottom to ¾ to the top. Bunch up and tie with butcher’s string. Boil in salted water for 5-6 minutes depending on size.
6. Wash and cut Shimeji mushrooms in half, length wise. Sauté lightly in a brown butter. (Optional: pinch of fresh garlic in the mixture).
7. For the Dashi cream sauce, combine water, seaweed and flakes. Bring to a boil. Then simmer for 5 minutes. Pass through a fine filter back into a pan. Reduce for 5 minutes and add cream. Reduce and taste to fix seasoning. (Careful, no salt is needed).
8. Once seasoning is perfected, take a hand mixer and blend. Emulsify the mixture and top your dish with the emulsified sauce only.
9. Cut three to four whole asparagus in half. Heat in butter and add salt and pepper if needed. Place in the middle of a plate. Heat slowly for 2-3 minutes with the cooked lobster. The tail should be cut lengthwise or in medallions.
10. During the last minute of heating up, add the knuckle and claws. Place around the white asparagus. Emulsify the sauce, top lobster with it.
11. Sautee the mushrooms in butter and seasoning, no more than one minute. Add over the whole dish. Garnish with baby beetroot leaves.
12. Finish with a slice of eel foie gras, placed on a slice of crispy toasted rye bread.