Lobster Betel Leaf - Chef Recipe by Oak Kunnalok

Ingredients

Chilli palm caramel sauce:

2 Tbs garlic
2 Tbs ginger
4 Tbs chopped red chilli
1 Tbs kaffir lime zest
1 Tbs turmeric
2 Tbs coriander root
1 Tbs roasted shrimp paste
200g palm sugar
50mL fish sauce
40mL tamarind liquid
100mL vegetable oil

To cook lobster:

1 lobster tail
300mL coconut cream
30mL fish sauce
15mL palm sugar
1 stalk lemongrass
3 kaffir lime leaves
1/2 knob galangal

Mixture:

1 Tbs shallot
1 Tbs ginger
1 Tbs kaffir lime leaf
1 Tbs coriander leaf
1 tsp Vietnamese mint
1 tsp roasted peanuts
1 tsp roasted dessicated coconut
1 tsp dried shrimp
Poached lobster meat
2 Tbs chilli palm caramel sauce
1 red chilli
1 finger lime
Betel leaves to serve

Method

Chilli palm caramel sauce:

Pound all the ingredients together with a mortar and pestle until they become a fine paste, except palm sugar, fish sauce and tamarind liquid.

Heat oil in a pot until moderate heat, then start to fry the paste until fragrant and dark in colour.

Start seasoning with palm sugar, fish sauce and tamarind. Cook until it has all melted and reduce until a syrup consistency.

Check the seasoning, it should be a balanced sweet, salty and sour flavour.

Lobster:

Prepare the coconut broth for the lobster by pounding lemongrass, kaffir lime leaf and galangal together with a mortar and pestle.

Heat up the coconut cream and lemongrass mixture in a pot, season with fish sauce and palm sugar.

Simmer for 20 minutes, then let it cool down to infuse, preferably overnight in the fridge.

De-shell the lobster tail and cut in half.

Prepare a vacuum bag with coconut mixture and lobster. Seal the bag and cook sous vide at 65 C for 20 minutes.

Put it in an ice bath to cool down then dice lobster to 1cm x 1cm pieces.

To assemble:

Dice shallot and ginger to 1mm x 1mm pieces. Julienne kaffir lime leaf, coriander and Vietnamese mint as finely as possible.

Blitz dried shrimp with spice grinder until it’s nice and fluffy.

Mix shallot, ginger, kaffir lime leaf, coriander, Vietnamese mint, roasted coconut, roasted peanuts, dried shrimp and lobster meat together. Add chilli palm caramel and mix through.

Scoop 1 tablespoon of mixture onto top of each betel leaf. Garnish with finger lime and sliced red chilli on top.

Recipe provided by Kekou