Lasagne of Morston lobster

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Serves 4

Preparation time
over 2 hours

Cooking time
30 mins to 1 hour








Ingredients

2 live lobsters, each 700g/1lb 9oz1 onion, choppedlarge bouquet soft herbs (tarragon, parsley, chervil, dill)1 lemon, quartered1 tsp saltFor the lobster saucea little olive oil and butter, plus extra for greasing1 large leek, roughly chopped4 large shallots, roughly chopped bunch parsley stalkslemon juice, to taste250g/9oz baby plum tomatoes1.2 litres/2 pints fish stock or white chicken stock100ml/3½fl oz double creamsalt and freshly ground black pepperbunch chives, snippedFor the pasta100g/3½oz ' 00' pasta flour or strong plain flour, sieved, plus extra for dustinggood pinch salt6 free-range egg yolks1 tsp truffle oil or olive oil, plus extra for drizzlingsalt and freshly ground black pepperFor the Gruyère cream sauce1 shallot, sliced1 tbsp olive oil1 strip lemon peel25ml/1fl oz vermouth225ml/8fl oz whipping cream50g/2oz Gruyère cheese, grated

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 150C/300F/Gas 2. 2. First cook the lobsters. Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil with the onion, bouquet garni, lemon and salt. Once boiling, lower in the lobsters and when the water boils again, cook for 6 minutes. Take the lobsters out and immediately plunge into iced water.3. Twist off the large claws and the body and head section from the tail. Using a pair of sturdy scissors carefully snip along the length of the tail shell, then ease the meat away from the shell. Gently break the shell of the claws, then extract the meat. Repeat the procedure with the other lobster. Set all the meat aside.4. Keep the tail shells and body and head sections (not the claw shells) for the lobster sauce. If the lobsters have any dark green jelly in their bodies, keep this as it is wonderful added to sauces for colour and flavour.5. Next make the lobster sauce. Place the lobster shells in a roasting tin and roast for about 20 minutes to allow the shells to dry out a little.6. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil and butter in a saucepan and sweat the leek and shallots with the parsley stalks. Add the roasted lobster shells together with the lemon juice, tomatoes and enough stock to cover. Bring slowly to the boil and simmer gently for 1 hour. 7. Remove from the heat and blitz the whole lot (heads included) in a food processor, then pass the mixture through a fine sieve into a clean saucepan. 8. Bring to the boil and simmer to reduce by about half, skimming off any scum. When the sauce has reached the desired consistency and flavour, whisk in the cream. Season to taste with salt (if necessary) and freshly ground black pepper. Set aside.9. To make the pasta, sift the flour and salt into a food processor. Beat all the egg yolks with the truffle oil in a jug. With the motor running, quickly pour in the egg and oil mixture. As soon as the ingredients come together as a crumbly textured dough, remove from the machine and knead into a ball. Wrap in cling film and leave to rest in the fridge for an hour.10. Cut the pasta dough into two pieces. On a lightly floured surface, flatten each piece with your hands. On the widest setting, roll the dough through the pasta machine. Fold in half and roll it through the machine again. Do this seven times in all. Set the machine on setting 2 and roll through once. Repeat on setting 3 and continue the process up to setting 6. Lay the resulting long strip of pasta on your work surface. Using a 7.5cm/3in round cutter, cut out 12 discs. Repeat with the other piece of pasta dough. Allow the pasta discs to dry out while you make the Gruyère cream sauce.11. To make the Gruyère cream sauce, fry the shallot in the olive oil until soft, then add the lemon peel and vermouth and bring to the boil. Simmer to reduce the liquid by half. 12. Add the cream, bring back to the boil and simmer again to reduce and thicken. Pass through a sieve into another pan. Set aside. 12. Reduce the oven to 140C/275F/Gas 1. 13. Divide the lobster meat into 8 portions on a buttered baking tray, giving each one a little claw meat as well as tail meat. Cover each portion with 3 tablespoons of the lobster sauce, then cover the tray with cling film. Place in the oven to warm through while you cook the pasta.14. Drop the pasta discs into a pan of gently boiling salted water. Cook for about 3 minutes, then lift them out with a slotted spoon. Quickly season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and give them a splash of olive oil. 15. To serve, stir the snipped chives into the remaining lobster sauce and stir the cheese into the cream sauce. Place a pasta disc in the centre of each warm plate. Place a portion of lobster on top, then cover with another pasta disc. Repeat the lobster and pasta layers, then spoon over the lobster sauce and, finally, the Gruyère cream sauce.