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Food

Lobster Chili Chow Mein Recipe

Combine the buttery decadence of lobster with the spice of Thai chilies and the simple comfort-food pleasure of chow mein.
Lobster Chili Chow Mein Recipe
Lobster chow mein. Photo courtesy of Alison Woo.

Servings: 4
Prep: 1 hour 30 minutes
Total: 1 hour 45 minutes

Ingredients

For the lobster:

4 lobsters
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

For the chittara egg noodles:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
9 large eggs (3 whole, 6 yolks)
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
touch of water of needed
pinch of kosher salt

For the lobster sauce:

4 lobster heads and shells
5 green cardamom pods, crushed and toasted
1/2 cup diced shallot
2 tablespoons garlic
1 1/2 tablespoons|60 grams minced ginger
3/4 cup Shao Hsing rice wine
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 1/4 cup tomatoes
1/2 cup lemongrass
1 teaspoon makrut lime leaves
1 tablespoon green onion
3 1/4 cup coconut milk
1 tablespoon palm sugar
5 grams deseeded red Thai chili

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Directions

1. First, cook the lobster. Before boiling, place the lobster in the freezer for 15 or 20 minutes to slow its metabolism and dull its senses, then flip it over and split the head of the animal in half with the swift stroke of a large kitchen knife. Remove tail from body and skewer it to make sure it doesn't curl. Blanch tail and claws in boiling water for 30 seconds, then shock in an ice bath.

2. Vacuum pack the lobster tails and claws with chunks of cold butter. Sous-Vide lobster tail for 15 minutes at 59.5° C/139.1° F. Remove and shock in ice bath.

3. Next, make the egg noodles. Combine all dry ingredients in a bowl and create a well in the middle.

4. Add eggs and oil into the well. Beat eggs and oil in the well, slowly incorporating the flour by pulling it in from the sides.

5. Knead the dough until smooth, approximately 10 minutes. Rest dough for an hour.

7. While the dough is resting, make the lobster sauce. Roast or sauté the lobster heads until caramelized and golden brown. Add shallots, garlic and ginger and sweat until translucent. Deglaze with Shao Hsing rice wine. Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil. Simmer for 1 hour.

6. While the sauce is reducing, roll out pasta dough to 5 mm thick and dust with semolina flour. Cut with a chittara pasta cutter. Boil until done, approximately 4 minutes.

9. Salt the lobster sauce to taste. Strain through a chinois. In a wok over medium heat, mix the noodles, sauce, and lobster together until incorporated. Serve immediately.

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