Sashimi of Australian Southern Rocklobster Tail with Pomegranate

Serves 5

Pomegranate jelly

200g fresh pomegranate juice
10g Grenadine
10g white wine vinegar
3g agar agar

Sashimi portion

10 x 25g green Rocklobster tail meat

Other ingredients

S&B prepared wasabi
5 sheets edible pure silver
pomegranate seeds
dill sprigs
EV olive oil
balsamic vinegar
limes, peeled and sliced vertically, done to order

For the pomegranate jelly

Weigh the juice, Grenadine and balsamic into a sauteuse and bring to the boil. Whisk in the agar agar and boil whisking for 2-3 minutes until the drips will hold firm on the whisk when it is lifted above the pot. Tip onto a 30cm/12" x 45cm/18" tray and tilt it backwards and forward to spread the jelly evenly. Allow to set. Then working from one end of the tray as economically as possible cut out 15 x 8cm/3" disks. Roll up the trim and then slice it finely.

For the sashimi

Put the weighed portion in the centre of a sheet of "in-between" plastic , place the 8cm/3" cutter/ring on top, cover with another sheet and using a stamp or flat bottomed mould, flatten the Rocklobster to the edges of the cutter/ring. Refrigerate in a food service box with a lid well away from the chiller fan.

Service

Using a crank handle spatula lift a disk of jelly into the centre of a plate. Take a sashimi portion, carefully peel back the top sheet of plastic and press the meat against the jelly, smoothing the edges to ensure they are stuck to the jelly then peel back the second sheet of plastic. Put a small dab of wasabi on the rocklobster and spread it evenly. Repeat the process and then cover the lobster with a final disk of jelly. Decorate the top jelly with some silver. Put three or four paper-thin lime slices around the jelly, and then a very small amount of the fine jelly strings. Put three dots of wasabi and scatter some pomegranate seeds and small dill sprigs. Drizzle some EV olive oil over the garnish and then add 2-3 drops of balsamic immediately before sending the dish.

TIPS

The stacks of jelly and lobster sashimi will hold for up to an hour, meaning it can be a fabulous show-off function dish.

Just incase you are wondering why the pomegranate seeds don't have a deep ripe colour. We are cursed with possums that adore pomegranates and as a consequence growers who will not net their trees, pick them green and whilst they ripen slightly and the flavour is quite good they never develop the colour we want. With 48 different cultures and cuisines in our local market we have been able to negotiate with our Lebanese market to net their trees, but the pic was taken just short of them being perfect. We freeze the seeds on open trays and bag them loose, using them whenever we need them.