Steamed Whole Lobster With Dried Tangerine Peel

By á-170456

Ingredients

• 1 bundle dried bean thread noodles - (2 oz)
• 2 pieces dried tangerine peel - (abt 1 1/2" square) (or 1 tbspn grated lemon zest)
• 1/3 cup chicken stock (or canned chicken broth)
• 3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon oyster-flavoured sauce
• 1 teaspoon salted black beans rinsed, drained, and coarsely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1 live lobster - (2 lbs) (or two 8-oz lobster tails)

Details

Servings 4

Preparation

Step 1

Pour enough warm water over the bean thread noodles and tangerine peel in separate bowls to cover them completely. Soak until softened, about 10 minutes. Drain the noodles, lay them out on a cutting board and cut them in half crosswise. Spread the noodles out on a large heatproof steaming dish. Drain the tangerine peel and mince.

Prepare the seasonings: Stir the stock, cilantro, garlic, oil, oyster-flavored sauce, black beans, salt, sugar and tangerine peel together in a medium bowl until the sugar is dissolved.

If using a live lobster, cut off the claws and legs with kitchen scissors or knife. Give each claw a swift whack with the back of a heavy cleaver to crack the shell. (Be careful not to damage the shape of the claw; just crack the shell so the meat will be easy to remove after steaming.) Discard the legs, and pull the tail off of the body with a sharp downward quarter-turn.

Butterfly the tails: Place the tail, shell-side up, on a cutting board. Using a large, sturdy knife and starting from the thick end of the tail, cut through the top shell and into the meat. Don’t cut all the way through to the bottom, thinner shell. (If using the lobster tails in place of the whole lobster, follow the instructions for butterflying the tails.)

Reassemble the lobster parts over the noodles and spread the seasonings over the tail meat and claws. (If using the lobster tails, arrange them side by side over the noodles.)

Prepare a wok for steaming. Set the plate into the steamer basket, cover the wok and steam until the lobster is cooked through, about 8 minutes. Serve directly from the steaming plate.

This recipe yields 4 servings.