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Lobster and sprue asparagus salad

Lawrence Keogh from Market Kitchen
Reach giddy culinary heights with Lawrence Keogh's luxurious salad dressed with homemade lobster oil

Lobster and sprue asparagus salad

Method

1. For the lobster oil: put the lobster shell in the oven on its lowest setting for 1-2 hours so that the shell is crisp and dry of moisture.

2. Crush the shells using a pestle and mortar, and put them in a kilner jar. Cover with the sunflower oil, star anise, peppercorns, bay leaf, thyme and garlic. Close the lid and put the jar in a pan of hot, not boiling, water for an hour.

3. Leave the jar to cool on a shelf in your kitchen and turn once a day for five days to infuse with the flavour of the lobster. Pass through a muslin and use in the mayonnaise. (It can also be used in dressings or to cook fish in.)

4. For the lobster mayonnaise: Whisk together the egg yolks and white wine vinegar until light and fluffy. Whisk in the cayenne pepper. Gradually pour in 450ml of the lobster oil, drop by drop at first, then in a thin and steady stream whisking all the time until it emulsifies. Add a squeeze of lemon juice and the zest.

5. For the salad: serve the chard leaves on a plate with a drizzle of lobster oil. Next to this lay the blanched asparagus and top with half the lobster meat. Place a dollop of the lobster mayonnaise on the side and drizzle over a little more lobster oil around the plate. Season to taste with salt and white pepper.