LOBSTER WITH FRESHLY SQUEEZED ORANGE SODA
Serves 6
There’s got to be a big idea somewhere in a dish. Maybe it’s only one out of every ten dishes, or maybe all ten dishes, or maybe all twenty dishes on a menu have a big idea.
I love the idea of lobsters with butter and oranges. We know they go together. But there’s a bigger idea here: Imagine that you’ve carbonated your oranges so that when you squeeze them over the lobster you’re actually squeezing out fresh orange soda that dances on your tongue. Then instead of drawn butter, you’ve got a savory, lobster-infused brown butter ice cream that mixes with the sparkling orange juice to create an ice cream soda in your mouth. It’s like nothing you’ve ever eaten before.
LOBSTER:
One 680-gram (1.5 lb) lobster
LOBSTER STOCK:
Reserved lobster body and shells
1500 grams water
50 grams onion
25 grams leeks
20 grams carrot
CARBONATED ORANGES:
3 navel oranges
BROWN BUTTER ICE CREAM:
75 grams butter, room temperature
165 grams brown sugar
3 grams salt
120 grams egg yolks
250 grams half-and-half
50 grams lobster stock
BEURRE MONTÉ:
20 grams water
100 grams cold unsalted butter, cubed
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT:
Whipped cream canister
CO2 Charges
Pacojet or ice cream maker
LOBSTER:
Prepare an ice bath.
Put the lobster in a saucepot or stockpot deep enough to hold it comfortably. Bring another large pot of water to a boil and season generously with salt. Pour the boiling water over the lobster and allow it to cook for 4 minutes. Use tongs to remove the lobster from the hot water. Put it on a cutting board, pull off the tail, and put it in the ice bath. Return the lobster body to the hot water for 3 more minutes. Use the tongs to pull the body out and put it on the cutting board. Pull off the arms, leaving the claws attached, and put them in the ice bath. Let the body cool and reserve for stock. Once completely cool, remove the claw and tail meat from the shells, reserving the shells for stock, and store the meat in paper towels in a covered container in the refrigerator until ready to serve, up to 2 days.
LOBSTER STOCK:
Preheat the oven to 300°F.
Remove and discard the innards from the body of the lobster. Rinse the body under cold water. Put the shells on a sheet pan and roast for 20 minutes. Remove the shells from the oven and transfer to a medium stockpot. Add the water, onion, leek, and carrot. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to maintain a simmer. Simmer for 2 hours, skimming occasionally.
Strain the stock though a fine-mesh sieve and transfer to a clean pot. Set over high heat and bring to a simmer, adjust the heat to maintain a steady simmer, and reduce the lobster stock by half, about 20 minutes.
Prepare an ice bath. Strain the stock into a stainless-steel container and place the container in the ice bath, stirring occasionally to speed up the process, about 20 minutes. Refresh the ice as needed. The Lobster Stock may be kept in a covered container in the refrigerator until ready to use, up to 3 days.
CARBONATED ORANGES:
Cut the oranges into quarters and put them in the whipped cream canister. Charge with 1 cartridge of CO2. Put the canister with the fruit in the refrigerator for 24 hours before serving so the fruit can absorb the CO2.
BROWN BUTTER ICE CREAM:
Dice the butter, put it in a small sauté pan, and set over medium-low heat. Melt the butter, stirring constantly, and continue to cook, stirring, until the milk solids turn golden brown and the butter gives off a rich, nutty aroma. Be careful not to overcook the butter, as the milk solids will eventually burn. Immediately remove from the heat and set aside to cool to room temperature, at least 10 minutes.
Prepare an ice bath.
Put the sugar, salt, and egg yolks in a medium saucepot and whisk to blend. Add the half-and-half and whisk until just incorporated. Add the Lobster Stock and whisk to blend. Set over medium heat and bring to 160°F, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and whisk in the brown butter. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a stainless-steel container. Place the container in the ice bath, stirring occasionally. Transfer the mixture to a Pacojet canister and freeze overnight. The next day, run a full cycle in the Pacojet to churn the ice cream. Hold in the freezer until ready to serve. Alternatively, freeze the Brown Butter Ice Cream in an ice cream machine according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Store in a covered container in the freezer until ready to serve, up to 4 weeks.
BEURRE MONTE:
Put the water in a small saucepot set over medium-high heat. Bring to a simmer and reduce the heat to medium-low. Whisk in the butter one cube at a time, waiting until each cube has been absorbed into the water before adding the next. Reserve in a warm place until ready to serve.
TO FINISH:
Portion the lobster into 30-gram servings. Put the lobster in the Beurre Monté to warm for at least 5 minutes and up to 10 minutes, until fully cooked, before serving.
Release the gas from the whipped cream canister: Stand it upright on a counter, and hold a cup loosely over the nozzle tip to keep the cold gas from blowing in your face. Pulse the lever until all the gas has been expelled. Remove the orange sections.
Put 1 portion of lobster on each serving plate. Put 1 small (about a tablespoon) scoop of Brown Butter Ice Cream beside each portion of lobster. Put 1 wedge of Carbonated Orange on the other side of the lobster. Serve immediately.
