Lobster medallions with an oyster tempura

• By Mark Camilleri

Three live lobsters, 18 oysters, three whole lemons, oil for frying, 500g of mangetout, 60ml of olive oil, 50g of butter, 500g of new potatoes (cut into small cubes), two tablespoonfuls of chopped chives, the zest of a lemon.

For the tempura mix: an egg, 240ml of iced fizzy water, 230g of flour, 10g of baking-powder.

To cook the live lobsters, tie their claws then place them in a pot of boiling salted water for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the shell is bright red. Let them cool in the liquid. Twist off the head and use kitchen scissors to cut away the thin underside of the tail shell. Gently pull the meat out, taking care to keep it in one piece. Cut the head in half and remove the dark vein, discarding it. Break off the claws and remove the meat from them, trying to keep it intact for later use. Keep the tail end whole and refrigerated until you need it. Open the oysters, removing the flesh from the shells and refrigerating it. Now make the tempura, by beating the egg in a bowl and adding the iced fizzy water. Sift the flour and baking-powder, and gently fold them into the egg and water mix.

Cut the potatoes into small cubes, boil them until they are soft but still slightly firm, and drain them. Melt the butter and to it add the lemon zest and chopped chives. Heat up the grill, brush some butter on the tail-meat and grill them for five minutes or until they are golden all over. Slice them up thickly. Heat a pan with olive oil and sauté the potatoes until they are nicely brown and crisp. In another pan, fry the mangetout. Heat up a pot of oil for deep-frying, pat the oyster pieces dry, dip them into the tempura mix, and deep-fry them briefly so that they are golden. On each plate, place mangetout, potatoes, slices of lobster, and tempura oysters, garnished with a lobster claw, half a lemon and chives.