Global menus for change, Butter Poached Ballantrae Lobster with Fennel and Pink Grapefruit

Global menus for change, Butter Poached Ballantrae Lobster with Fennel and Pink Grapefruit

International hotel group Relais & Châteaux have announced ‘Menus for Change’ globally including six of their British hotel’s as part of Slow Food’s Food for Change campaign.

Taking place from 4th – 7th October 2018 in 100 of Relais & Châteaux’s properties worldwide, chefs will prepare Slow Food validated menus for guests to experience in their restaurants. Through Menus for Change, Relais & Châteaux hopes to inspire people around the world to be more mindful about our food system, which is responsible for 30% of greenhouse gas emissions.

Dishes will showcase sustainable ingredients that will help combat climate change and protect biodiversity, highlighting the association’s commitment to preserving local heritage and the environment.

The Food for Change campaign aims to create awareness of Slow Food’s mission to inspire change for good, clean and fair food for all. Six properties in the UK and Ireland are taking part: The Idle Rocks, Cornwall – Palé Hall, North Wales – Sheen Falls Lodge, Ireland – Summer Lodge, Dorset – Chewton Glen, Hampshire – Glenapp Castle, Scotland.

One of the recipes is featured below.

Ingredients

Serves 2

• 1 1.5 lb lobster
• 8oz unsalted butter
• 2oz samphire
• 1 fennel bulb
• Dill
• 2 Pink grapefruit
• Half glass of white wine

Method

1. To prepare the lobster, place the live lobster in freezer for 30 minutes. Remove and split head with a sharp knife along longitudinal midline on its underside. Place in boiling water for 15 seconds, remove and place in cold water. Split the head from tail and claws and place the claws back in the boiling water and cook for 5 minutes. Turn off water. Cool and reserve for another time!
2. Remove the tail meat from shell by cutting away the back of the tail with scissors. Cut in half lengthways and remove digestive tract.
3. For the butter poach, place 2 oz of water in pan and bring to a simmer and whisk in 6oz of unsalted butter to make a poach bath for lobster. Season with salt, pepper and lime juice and poach the lobster meat over a low heat for 12 minutes.
4. To make the sauce, segment one pink grapefruit and juice the second grapefruit. In a pan, reduce the wine and grapefruit juice by half and whisk in 2oz of butter and seasoning.
5. For the garnish, wash the samphire in water and season with pepper. Finely slice the fennel wafer thin and place in iced water for 10 minutes to crisp up. Dry and season with lemon, olive oil, pepper and salt.

To Serve:

Warm pink grapefruit segments through the sauce and place on a plate. Add the samphire and poached lobster. Finish sauce with chopped dill and pour over dish with the crisp fennel.