Recipe: Roasted Lobster, Triple-Cooked Chips & Béarnaise Sauce
Shaun Rankin shares his classic roasted lobster recipe.
By Felicity Carter
Michelin star chef, Shaun Rankin has built up a first-class reputation within the industry and is known for using locally grown and sourced ingredients. He’s worked in Jersey and then London, and now you’ll find him cheffing at his fine dining restaurant within Grantley Hall, Yorkshire. It comes to no surprise then, with his gourmet background, that he has his very own deluxe take on fish and chips. The most luxurious fish and chips in the form of sweet roasted lobster that’s accompanied with a tangy, buttery béarnaise sauce, and of course, topped off with triple-cooked chips that are the perfect dipping accouterment. Shaun has shared his recipe so you can try it at home.
Recipe: Roasted Lobster, Triple-Cooked Chips & Béarnaise Sauce
Serves 2
Ingredients
- 1 live lobster
- About 500ml vegetable oil for deep fat frying
- 4 large Marfona potatoes, peeled and cut into chunky chips
- 50g unsalted butter
- Juice of ½ lime
- 3 tbsp tarragon vinegar
- 100ml white wine
- 4 black peppercorns
- 2 shallots, peeled and sliced
- 4 sprigs of tarragon
- 1 bay leaf
- 3 egg yolks
- 250g warm, clarified butter
- Juice of ¼ lemon
- Sea salt and cracked black pepper
Method for the Lobster & Chips
- Keep the lobster in the fridge for 1 hour before cooking.
- Cook the lobster in a pan of salted boiling water for 6 minutes per 450g. Remove from the water and allow to cool.
- To prepare the lobster, pull the claws away from the body, Grip the head and straighten the tail out. On the back of the head, there is a small cross. Using a sharp chopping knife, push the tip of the blade into the head until it cuts right through, then cut downwards towards the tail, splitting the body in two. Clean out the lobster head but leave the shell intact. Remove the inside of the tail and clean out the back tube that runs through the meat.
- To prepare the claws, use the back of a knife to break open the shells and carefully remove the claw and knuckle meat. Set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 100°C. Heat the deep fat fryer to 50°C. Alternatively, half fill a deep saucepan with the vegetable oil and using a cooking thermometer heat to 50°C.
- Wash the chips in cold water and dry well in a clean towel.
- Blanch the chips in the deep fat fryer for 5 minutes. Spoon out onto a tray lined with greaseproof paper.
- Put the chips in the oven and cook for 20 – 30 minutes until cooked. Check by pushing the tip of a knife through them, they should be soft but still have no colour.
- Increase the heat on the deep fat fryer or saucepan to 180°C.
- Add the butter to a warm frying pan and wait until it starts to foam. Add the lobster and then the lime juice. Take off the heat and leave the lobster meat in the pan to finish cooking through.
- Place the chips back in the deep fat fryer or saucepan and cook for 4 – 8 minutes until they are golden brown and crispy. Remove from the oil and drain on kitchen paper.
- To finish, slice the lobster meat and put into the shells. Season the chips with salt and serve with Bearnaise sauce.
Method for the Béarnaise Sauce
- Place the vinegar, white wine, crushed peppercorns, shallots, tarragon stalks (reserve the leaves) and bay leaf into a saucepan.
- Reduce until you have around 2 tbsp of liquid left, remove from the stove and allow to cool before straining
- Half fill a saucepan with water and bring to the boil.
- Put the egg yolks and vinegar reduction into a mixing bowl, place it on top of the boiling water and start to whisk the eggs.
- Remove the bowl every 10 seconds to prevent the eggs from scrambling. Continue to whisk the yolks until they have doubled in volume and become very light.
- Pour the warm clarified butter into the sauce little by little; if you add it to fast, the sauce will split. If you think the mix is getting too thick, add 1 tsp of hot water. Let it cool down and then carry on whisking the butter until it is all incorporated.
- Chop the tarragon leaves. Season the sauce with salt and pepper, then add the chopped tarragon leaves and lemon juice.
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