Grilled Thai Chile Lobster
Finger Hot is the commercial name for this asian-type pepper that is actually very similar to fresh cayenne and can be used in any recipe to add heat without changing the flavor. It is a good chile to chop and use in stir fry.
They are thin-walled and measure about 1/2″ wide and 5″ to 8″ long. These chiles also dry very nicely.
Ingredients:
4 cloves garlic
3 shallots
2 small fresh red chiles, red Fresnos
2 small fresh finger hot green chiles
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
two 2 pound uncooked lobsters
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
2 Tbsp. fish sauce
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
Instructions:
Finely slice the garlic and the shallots, then seed and finely slice the red and green chiles. Coarsely chop the cilantro.
Cooking the lobsters: Pour 3-4″ of water into a very large pot and bring to a boil. Add the live lobsters and let the water return to a boil. Cook for 2 minutes, then remove from the heat and carefully pour away all but 1″ of water. Return to the heat and place a lid to almost cover the pot. Steam the lobsters for 12 minutes, then remove the lobsters and allow them to cool long enough to handle.
Start a grill or broiler and get it up to a high heat. Cut the cooked lobsters down the center of the back. Remove the claws and crack them open, removing all the meat. Cut the meat into bit-sized pieces. Clean out the body cavity and discard the inedible bits. Remove the tail meat from the shell and carefully slice it, taking care to keep the tail shell together. Return the tail meat to the shell and place the cut up claw meat into the body cavity.
Heat the oil in a small pan and add the sliced garlic. Cook gently and take care not to burn it. As the garlic starts to brown, add the sliced shallots, chiles, the fish sauce, and the ground pepper. Stir and cook gently for a few seconds.
Spoon the chile mixture evenly over the 4 lobster halves. Place the lobsters on the preheated grill or under the boiler and cook for 3-4 minutes. Transfer the lobster to 4 dinner plates and sprinkle with the chopped cilantro.
Recipe from FAR EAST DOWN EAST by Bruce deMustchine.