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maltatoday, SUNDAY, 19 JULY 2015 Food 35 Fine food of the week CRACKING into that hard outer shell to tuck into the succulent sweet meat makes eating a lob- ster ever so sweet. The prestige attached to lobster only makes the experience more and more desirable. However, lobsters were not al- ways the pricey dish they are to- day, and when the United States was getting its first European settlers, the succulent crustacean was deemed a poor man's dish due to the an abundance that washed up on the beaches in piles of up to two feet high. As they were cheap to harvest they became a staple diet for the poor man living in the coastal villages. By the mid 1800s the disdain for the lobster waned and fishermen in Maine began to export lobsters as far as they could travel. Over- fishing reduced the lobster bed so severely that strict conservation measures pushed the price of the lobster to those we know today. Though lobsters are best eaten whole, boiled, steamed or grilled, the meat can be stretched in bisques, sauces, spreads and cas- seroles to make the most of the rich flavour. They should be served whole if boiling or steam- ing and halved when placed on the grill. Being served with a whole lob- ster for the first time may be in- timidating, though with a little bit of practice it makes the dining experience all the more exciting. You will need a specialised lob- ster cracker and a lobster pick to get through the hard shell and ex- tract the tender, juicy meat. Lobsters come in two varieties – the spiny lobster, or the rock lob- ster found in the warmer waters of the Mediterranean, Caribbean, Australia, New Zealand and other Pacific island waters, and clawed lobsters found in Europe, includ- ing the Mediterranean, and in North America. The spiny version is very dif- ferent from their clawed coun- terparts, with very long antennae which they use to protect them- selves from predators. The clawed lobsters are generally known to have more white meat and large claws, though spiny lobsters pack more meat in their tails. Live lobsters should be cooked the same day they are purchased, though they can be stored for a short while in the fridge. Lobsters should be kept as cold as possible in an open container, such as a cardboard box packed with news- paper or seaweed to keep them moist. Never store them on ice or in tap water as the fresh water will kill them. Cracking into a lobster Ingredients For the paste 10 long red chillies, seeds removed, • finely chopped 2 shallots, finely chopped • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped • 2cm piece galangal, chopped (alter- • natively use root ginger) 1 lemongrass stalk, finely chopped • 2 tbsp coriander roots • For the lobster Thai curry • 2 kaffir lime leaves • ¼ tsp shrimp paste • ½ tsp ground cumin • ½ tsp ground coriander • ½ tsp paprika • 200ml coconut milk • 1 tbsp fish sauce • 1 tbsp tamarind paste • 1 lime, juice only • 1 tsp palm sugar • 2 cooked lobsters, meat removed • 2 tbsp coriander cress • For the butter basmati rice 2 tbsp unsalted butter • 2 cloves • 1 cinnamon stick, broken in two • 250g basmati rice • Method For the paste, place all the ingredi- 1. ents into a small food processor and blend until smooth. For the lobster Thai curry, heat a 2. wok, then add the paste and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the lime leaves, shrimp paste, 3. cumin, coriander and paprika. Cook for one minute. Add the coconut milk, fish sauce, 4. tamarind, lime juice and palm sug- ar. Meanwhile remove the meat from 5. the lobster and chop the meat, leav- ing the claw intact. Add the lobster to the wok and cook 6. until the lobster is hot. Reduce the heat and let the curry simmer gently until ready to serve. Meanwhile for the butter basmati 7. rice, heat a medium saucepan and add one tablespoon of butter. Once the butter has melted, add 8. the cloves and cinnamon and cook for one minute. Add the rice and enough water to cover. Cover with a lid and turn the heat 9. down to the lowest setting and cook for 20 minutes. Turn off the heat and leave the lid on until ready to serve. Just before serving stir the remain- 10. ing butter through the rice. To serve, serve the rice in a serving 11. bowl along with the lobster curry, topped with coriander cress. Recipe of the week Lobster Thai curry with butter basmati rice and coriander cress Spiny lobsters pack more meat in the tails