Twice-cooked lobster on oil-whipped cannellini bean purée, grilled red chard and chamomile oil infusion

Method

• 1

  Clean the lobster, extract all the meat from the tail and claws, keeping the tail shell intact for serving. Place the lobster meat in a vacuum bag with salt and pepper.

• 2

  Seal carefully and immerse the bag in water at 55°C /131°F for 20 minutes for the meat to become tender and juicy. When cooked, cool it down in water and ice. Before plating, sear the meat and the shell in a pan over high heat for a few minutes so that the outside becomes slightly golden and crunchy.

• 3

  Soak the cannellini beans in cold water for at least 12 hours. Drain, rinse and cook them with sautéed onion and celery. Add water to cover and let them cook.

• 4

  After cooking, blend the beans until smooth adding some Olitalia ‘La Nostra Riserva’ Extra Virgin Olive Oil a little at a time to make it silky. Cut off the ends of the Swiss chard and wash thoroughly. Season the chard with Olitalia ‘La Nostra Riserva’ Extra Virgin Olive Oil and some salt, then grill the chard on a barbecue or sear it in a pan over very high heat.

For the chamomile oil:

• 1

  Pour some Olitalia ‘La Nostra Riserva’ Extra Virgin Olive Oil with some chamomile (flowers or powder) in a vacuum bag, then vacuum seal it. Cook in a water bath at 65°-70°C / 149°-158°F for at least 2 hours. Cool the oil down to +3°C /37.4°F using a blast chiller, then filter and pour it into a clean bottle. Store in the refrigerator at +4°C/39.2°F.

Garnishing and food plating

Spread a layer of warm cannellini bean purée on the bottom of the plate. Place the lobster and Swiss chard on top. Use the tail shell as a decoration, if possible. Finish with a few drops of chamomile oil infusion.