Lobster

You can’t beat the wow factor when serving a whole cooked lobster to the customer’s table. Native Lobsters are from coastal waters around the UK and are often considered the best, but are usually all sold locally or exported. Canadian and American Lobsters are caught off the East Coast of Canada and down as far as Maine, and provide a readily available year-round alternative.

There is much debate as to the most humane method for cooking live Lobsters. The Royal Society For The Prevention of Cruelty To Animals (RSPCA) recommend you first place them in a freezer for two hours, which renders them unconscious. Then before boiling, drive a sharp pointed knife through the cross on the head (death is instantaneous). This prevents the meat becoming tougher.

You can then plunge them into heavily salted (40g per litre) boiling water and simmer for 15 minutes for 500g adding 2 minutes per additional 100g. Alternatively you can halve the Lobster and grill, or remove the claws and body meat and steam or stir-fry.