If you have seen our video introducing you to Johnshaven and our current development there, The Beaches, you’ll have seen that we were joined by Chef Scott Smith.
Scott is owner and chef at Fhior in Edinburgh, where he serves an ever-evolving menu dictated by the seasonal Scottish produce from their own Fhior garden and local producers, and we were delighted to welcome him to Johnshaven and introduce him to some of it’s amazing local produce.
He created a dish especially for us based around using the very best of produce available from local producers, including The Lobster Shop, Sillyflatt Farm Shop and Mearns Chilli Farm, and we’re excited to be able to share it with you!
Johnshaven Lobster with Creamed Barley, Seaweed Butter, Tomato and Chilli (serves 4)
Make in advance:
Tomato and Chilli Water
Cherry tomatoes – 450g
Red chilli – 50g
Fennel – 200g
Cider vinegar – 100g
Sugar – 5g
Sea salt – 15g
- Add all ingredients in a food processor and pulse 5 to 8 times to break everything up, but do not puree
- Line a sieve with muslin (cheese) cloth. Place this over a container and then pour all the ingredients from the food processor into the cloth and allow to slowly strain for at least 4 hours
- Keep the resulting liquid and store in the fridge
Wild Garlic Oil
Wild garlic leaves – 200g
Rapeseed oil – 250g
- Blend in a liquidiser on full power for about 1 minute
- Strain the oil through a coffee filter and chill the oil immediately
On the day:
Creamed Barley
Pearl barley – 200g
Tomato & chilli water – 180g
Double cream – 200g
Wild garlic oil – 80g
Salt – to season
- Wash the barley in advance with plenty cold water and then lay in out evenly on a steamer tray
- Steam until swollen and well-cooked for about 40 minutes
- Add the barley to a pan and add the tomato & chilli water and the cream and bring this to the boil
- Allow the liquid to reduce until the mixture has become thick, creamy, and resembles a risotto
- Turn the heat to the lowest setting and slowly add the oil while continuously stirring until it is all added
- Season with a little salt and keep warm
Lobster
Lobster – 2x 800g whole cooked lobster (ask The Lobster Shop for advice if not sure!)
Dried pepper dulse seaweed – 1 tsp
Butter – 150g
Salt – to season
- Remove the meat from the lobster tails, claws and knuckles and set aside
- Place all the shells and heads into a roasting tray and bake in the oven at 210C for about 20 minutes until roasted and brittle
- Transfer the shells and heads into a large saucepan – use some water to scrape and release any bits from the tray
- Add enough water to the saucepan to just cover the shells and then bring to the boil
- Once to the boil, skim any scum off the top and then lower to a simmer for 2 hours
- Now strain the water to remove all the shells and reduce the water on a high heat until you are left with about 150ml – it should taste strongly of lobster at this stage!
- Now remove from the heat and whisk in the butter, a little bit at a time to emulsify
- Add the seaweed and season if needed
- Now, heat a frying pan to a medium high heat and add a little oil. Once hot, add the lobster meat and cook for 1-2 minutes
- Add 200ml of the lobster and seaweed butter sauce and baste the meat with this until it is glazed
- Remove the meat after 3 minutes and allow it to rest. Reserve the remaining, warm butter sauce for plating up
To plate up
Creamed barley – as recipe
Lobster – as recipe
Seaweed butter sauce – in pan from lobster
Nasturtium flowers – 4 flowers, picked down
Nasturtium leaves – 12
Sea sandwort – 20 small pieces
Puffed barley – 1 tbsp
Wild garlic oil – 50ml
- Divide the barley between four plates
- Slice the lobster into bite size pieces and then place these on top of the creamed barley
- Spoon over a little of the seaweed butter
- Garnish the top of the dishes with the nasturtium flowers, leaves, sea sandwort, and the puffed barley
- Finish with some wild garlic oil around the outside
Serve!
We’d love to hear if you try this dish out – let us know!