Ingredients
1 lobster (600g–1kg), live
250ml olive oil
2 noras (dried bell peppers)
400 large king prawns, unpeeled
2 ripe tomatoes, peeled, chopped
2 litres water or chicken stock
3 garlic heads, peeled, smashed separately
200g monk fish or flathead, cleaned
400g Spanish rice
Ajo
1 small boiled potato
1 egg yolk
Sea salt and black cracked pepper to season
Method
1. Place lobster in a plastic bag and leave in the freezer for one hour to go to sleep. Remove head.
2. Heat oil in a heavy based saucepan over high heat until smoking. Fry noras for 1 minute, set aside. Add prawn heads, fry until pink, and set aside. Add tomatoes, cook for 5 min, stirring occasionally and add water or chicken stock. Reduce heat to a simmer.
3. Smash fried noras in a mortar and pestle, add one head garlic, smash to combine. Add to saucepan, increase heat to high and cook for a further 5 minutes.
4. Add lobster, cook for 7 minutes. Add fish and prawns for the last 2 minutes. Set aside. Reserve 1 cup of stock.
5. Reduce heat to low, add rice to remaining stock, season and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
6. Add second head of garlic and mix well with the reserved cup of stock (this can be done in a food processor). Pour stock over the fish, prawns and lobster.
7. For ajo: Combine remaining garlic and potato in the mortar pestle, add the egg yolk and beat well until you get a smooth cream. Keep beating, adding the rest of the olive oil, until it has a mayonnaise texture.
8. To serve: remove meat from lobster shell, clean. Fill shell with rice and serve with seafood.
Wine match: Rosé
Food prep: Julie Ballard