Potato, Comté and lobster gratin
This gorgeous, creamy gratin is a great way to enjoy cooked lobster – finishing it under the grill gives that all-important crispy top.
Ingredients
For the potato, Comté and lobster gratin
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 30g/1oz salted butter
- 2 shallots, finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tbsp vermouth
- 3 Maris Piper potatoes, peeled and diced
- 1 tbsp roughly chopped tarragon
- 1 tsp roughly chopped thyme
- 200ml/7fl oz double cream
- 200ml/7fl oz full-fat milk
- 1 bay leaf
- 150g/5½oz Comté, grated
- 150g/5½oz Parmesan, grated
- 1 cooked lobster, meat cut into 3cm/1in, shells reserved and cut in half lengthways
- handful stale breadcrumbs
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the salad
Method
Heat a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the olive oil and butter and fry the shallots and garlic for about 10 minutes, until softened but without any colour. Add the vermouth and reduce to almost nothing, then add the potatoes, tarragon and thyme and cook for another 5 minutes, without any of the ingredients taking on any colour. Add the cream, milk and bay leaf and simmer for 3–4 minutes. Stir in the cheeses, reserving 50g/1¾oz of Parmesan for later. Taste and season.
Preheat the grill to high.
Stir in the cooked lobster meat and allow the gratin mixture to cool a little before piling it back into the lobster shells. Top with the rest of the Parmesan and the breadcrumbs. Grill until golden and crisp, taking care not to burn the top.
To make the salad, mix all the herbs in a bowl. Mix together the oil, vinegar and mustard in another bowl, and season with salt and pepper.
Dress the salad with the dressing and serve alongside the gratin.
