Truffle Cream Penne Pasta with Lobster
An Italian-style main course of Penne pasta tossed in truffle sauce, served with poached Norwegian lobster, small vegetable spheres, and a light broth.
Ingredients
Penne pasta (cooked al dente)
to taste
Butter (cubed)
to taste
Heavy cream (fresh cream)
to taste
Truffle (chopped)
half
Rosemary (fresh)
to taste
Cracked pepper (mignonnette)
to taste
Scallions (chopped)
to taste
Parmesan cheese (shaved)
to taste
Norway lobster (in shell)
to taste
Carrot (scooped into balls)
to taste
Cucumber (scooped into balls)
to taste
Mushroom (scooped into balls)
to taste
Small peas
to taste
Spring onions (sliced)
to taste
Lemon zest (grated)
to taste
Broth/stock (strained)
50 cl
Lemon juice (fresh)
to taste
Instructions
1
Preparing the broth
Add water to a pot with butter and salt, then add onion, carrot, celery, garlic, ginger, bouquet garni, fennel seeds, peppercorns, and star anise. Bring to a boil, reduce to low heat, and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the white wine, vinegar, and orange peel, then simmer for another 5 minutes.
2
Preparing vegetable balls
Use a melon baller to scoop the carrots and cucumbers into 5 mm balls, scoop the mushrooms into slightly larger balls, and slice the peas and spring onions. Set aside.
3
Blanching the vegetables
Blanch the carrots, cucumbers, mushrooms, peas, and spring onions separately in salted boiling water until just tender, then drain and cool.
4
Sautéing the vegetable balls
Melt butter in a small saucepan, add the vegetable balls and peas, sauté briefly, and finish with a squeeze of lemon juice.
5
Cooking the lobster
Poach the lobster in the prepared broth for 5 minutes, then turn off the heat and let the lobster soak in the hot liquid for 30 minutes.
6
Preparing the lobster
Cut the lobster in half lengthwise, neaten the head shell, and remove the sand sac (stomach).
7
Preparing the sauce
Strain 50 cl of the broth, bring it to a simmer, then add the heavy cream and lemon juice. Use an immersion blender to emulsify in the butter cubes, season to taste, and strain again.
8
Preparing the nage
Pour the nage over the vegetables and finish with lemon zest strips and julienned ginger.
9
Cooking the pasta
Drain the cooked penne, toss with butter, add the heavy cream and half of the chopped truffle, then season to taste.
10
Plating
Arrange the pasta in a half-moon shape along the edge of the plate, place the lobster meat and head shell in the center, drizzle with the nage sauce, sprinkle with the remaining chopped truffle and Parmesan shavings, and garnish with tarragon, sweet woodruff, and chives.
