2 onions, cut into wedges
6 garlic cloves
1 tbsp peppercorns
2 celery sticks
2 bay leaves
4 thyme sprigs
1 cup white wine
2l chicken stock
2l water
200g butter
3 tbsp sea salt
1kg baby potatoes, scrubbed
2 x 1kg green lobster
1kg green prawns
2kg vongole
paprika butter
180g butter
1 tbsp paprika
2 tbsp finely grated lemon zest
chilli THYME salt
2 dried chillies
4 tsp kosher salt
1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
TO SERVE: fresh lemon and crusty bread
1To make chilli thyme salt, place chilli, salt and thyme in a small bowl and rub with your fingers to release the flavours.
2To make paprika butter, place butter in a small saucepan over low heat until melted. Add paprika and lemon zest and whisk to combine. Set aside and keep warm.
3Place onions, garlic, peppercorns, celery, bay leaves, thyme, white wine, stock, water, butter and salt in a pot large enough to hold all seafood and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to a rolling boil.
4Add potatoes and cook for 7 minutes. Add lobster and cook for another 10 minutes before adding prawns. Continue to cook for another 5-10 minutes until potatoes are tender and lobster and prawns are cooked through. Add vongole and cook for 1-2 minutes or until they open.
5Strain seafood from broth, reserving some broth for lobster rolls recipe (page 100). Cut lobster in half and serve immediately with paprika butter, chilli thyme salt, fresh lemon and crusty bread.
A flavoursome white would be an obvious choice with poached seafood but the intensity of the lobster and vongole and spicy elements of the dish call for a bolder flavoured wine. A recent trip to Beaujolais reminded me just how flexible and food-friendly gamay is. This weighs in at the lighter end of the region’s spectrum with juicy wild strawberry flavours and mild-mannered tannins. Its refreshing, acid-etched finish swiftly mops up the might of the potatoes.