Lobster Florentine

Ingredients

• 4 X 1.25 lbs Clearwater Live Lobsters
• 8 cups Baby Spinach, washed
• 1 cup Light chicken broth
• 1 cup Heavy Cream, 35%
• ¼ cup Dry white wine
• 2 Tbsp Shallots, finely minced
• 10 Fennel seeds
• 2 Bay Leaf
• 2 cups Olive oil
• 1 bulb Whole Garlic
• 12 Cherry tomatoes, vine ripened
• 1 bunch Sweet Basil
• 1 Lemons, juice and zest
• pinch Cracked Black Pepper
• pinch Sea salt
• As required Additional sea salt for cooking

Directions

1. Bring olive oil and garlic to a simmer and immediately reduce heat to low (approximately 50oC, not too hot to touch)
2. Wash tomatoes and place in warm oil for at least 30 minutes until tender
3. In a pot of salted water, quickly blanch spinach and cool in ice water. Remove excess moisture by gently squeezing. Reserve
4. Bring a large (15 litres) pot of salted water to a boil and cook Lobsters for 9-10 minutes. Cool at once by plunging briefly in ice water.
5. Remove meat from the shells and reserve warm.
6. In a heavy bottom pot, add half of the olive oil and gently cook shallots, fennel seeds and bay leaf until aromatic but not coloured.
7. Add white wine and chicken stock and bring to a simmer.
8. Pick 12 nice small basil leaves and reserve for frying.
9. Add cream, spinach and any remaining basil leaves to the chicken stock and immediately purée until smooth.
10. Adjust seasoning of spinach purée with salt and pepper
11. Deep fry basil leaves until crispy in hot oil.

Plating

1. Divide spinach purée evenly between 4 plates
2. Top purée with Lobster in an artistic fashion
3. Garnish with 3 olive oil poached cherry tomatoes and 3 crispy basil leaves
4. Serve with a side salad or seasonal vegetable