Homard aux Morilles et Vin Jaune (roasted lobster, morels, asparagus in a Jura wine sauce)

Directions

Vin Jaune Sauce

1. To clean the morels, dunk them in a bowl of cold water, drain, and repeat until the water runs clear. Strain and pat dry with a towel.
2. Melt the butter in a three-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallot and garlic and cook, stirring, for two minutes until softened but not browned. Add the morels and season with salt and pepper. Continue to cook, stirring, until the liquid has evaporated. Remove half of the morels from the pan, roughly chop them into pieces and reserve to mix in with the asparagus. 
3. Add the vin jaune and simmer until almost dry. Add the cream, and simmer until the liquid has reduced slightly. Blend until smooth using an immersion blender, or blender. Bring back to a simmer and thicken with cornstarch mixture if needed, adding small amounts while whisking constantly until the texture of the sauce coats the back of a spoon. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper and if you have one, transfer it into an ISI canister and charge it with a C0₂ canister and reserve it warm (this is an optional step). 

Lobster

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F.
2. In a large stockpot, bring two litres of heavily salted water to a boil and place a bowl of ice water on the side. Twist off the lobster arms and tails and discard the bodies. Boil the tails for four minutes; chill in the ice water.  Boil the claws and knuckles for six minutes; chill in the ice water. 
3. Remove the shells from the tails, claws and knuckles and extract the meat.  Slice the tails in half lengthwise and remove the veins. Pick and discard any cartilage from the claws and knuckles. 

Asparagus Garnish

1. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil and season it well with salt.  
2. Cut each asparagus into five-inch spears and reserve. Cut the bottoms into thin coins and combine in a sauté pan with one tablespoon of butter. Season with salt and pepper and cook over medium heat until tender with no colour. Add the chopped morels and remove from the heat. 
3. Drop the asparagus into the boiling water and cook until tender. Scoop out of the water, drizzle with some olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. 

Assembly

1. Place the lobster on a baking tray and brush each piece with some melted butter, or olive oil, to lightly coat them. Place in the oven until it the tails have warmed through. When they come out of the oven, season them with some lemon zest, salt and pepper and squeeze a few drops of lemon over the tray. 
2. Spoon a large spoonful of the asparagus and morel marmalade in the center of each warmed dinner plate. Top with a half lobster on each plate and arrange two spears of asparagus beside them. 
3. Squeeze some of the syphon of vin jaune sauce beside the lobster, or if you don’t have a syphon, spoon the sauce around the plate. Enjoy!