Lobster, Tomato, and Basil | Dario Picchiotti

Ingredients for 4 people

• 2 lobsters, approximately 500 grams each
• 5 ripe red tomatoes
• 40 cherry tomatoes
• 2 green tomatoes
• 300 gr of basil
• 300 ml of extra virgin olive oil
• 1 bunch of thyme
• Sugar to taste

Method

For the lobster 

Blanch the lobsters in salted water for 3 minutes, then transfer them to ice water to lower the temperature. Carefully remove the flesh from the lobsters.

For the tomato water 

Blend the red tomatoes, add salt, put the mixture in a cloth, and place it in a strainer over a bowl. Move everything to the fridge and wait for it to drain enough water.

For the sun-dried tomato

Cut the cherry tomatoes in half and sprinkle them with powdered sugar, salt, and thyme. Dry them at 40 degrees Celsius for 4/5 hours.

For the green tomato

Slice the tomatoes, sprinkle them with salt, season with vinegar to taste, and let them rest in the fridge for 4/5 hours.

For the basil

Clean the basil, blanch it, cool it in ice water. Blend the finely squeezed basil leaves with extra virgin olive oil in a blender, then let it drain in the fridge in the same way as the tomato for 5/6 hours. Add the blended basil to a slightly acidic mayonnaise (following your grandmother's slightly more acidic recipe).

Plating

Place dollops of mayonnaise randomly on a deep plate, add some green and sun-dried tomatoes, pour a bit of tomato water, and plate the lobster cut into pieces after cooking, preferably vacuum-sealed. Finish the dish by drizzling everything with basil oil and Cervia's salt.