Grilling lobster on a beach with a Piton in hand is quintessential St. Lucia. Spiny lobsters are local, abundant, and just plain delicious. Sweet potatoes are prominent in the island diet; here, the puree acts as a kind of sauce for the meat. Spiny lobsters can be hard to track down, so feel free to substitute Maine lobster. Regardless of what kind you prepare, be careful to cook the meat sparingly, or it will be tough, dry, and disappointing. Here is how to prepare Grilled Spiny Lobster with Chervil Butter and Sweet-Potato Puree.
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients
4 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
2 tablespoons chervil, minced
Zest of one lemon
2 spiny lobsters
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 large sweet potatoes
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 tablespoons whole milk
Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
Directions
Add butter, chervil, and lemon zest in a small bowl—season with pepper. Using a rubber spatula, mix ingredients until evenly distributed. Place butter on a sheet of parchment paper and roll it into a thin, even tube. Twist the edges of the parchment tightly on both sides and refrigerate.
Preheat grill to 375˚F and brush with oil.
To kill the lobsters, point the edge of a chef’s knife to the center of its head behind the eyes. In a quick motion, slice down and bring your knife entirely through the head. Slice the lobster in half lengthwise and remove the tomalley, the green portion of the cavity containing the liver. Season with salt and pepper and place them shell-side down on the grill. Grill until just cooked through, about 8 minutes, depending on the lobster size. Cut thin slices of chervil butter and place them on lobster meat.
Preheat oven to 400˚F. Pierce sweet potatoes with a knife several times and place in the oven. Bake until soft and cooked through, about 45 minutes depending on its size.
Scoop the meat out of the skin and place it in a food processor or blender. Add butter and allow it to melt. Add milk, season with salt, and puree until smooth.
