There are times when only the very finest South Australian produce – cooked to the pinnacle of perfection – will do. Tonight could perhaps be the time to bring the exquisite tastes of Magill Estate Restaurant into your home.

Recipes Scott Huggins, Magill Estate Restaurant | Styling Natalie Homan Photographs Brendan Homan

Lobster medallion with almond & caviar bearnaise sauce
serves 4

1kg whole lobster or 350g lobster tail

Use glad wrap to tightly roll the lobster tail, creating a cylinder shape. Make a knot in one end of glad wrap and roll it even tighter, making sure there is no air trapped inside. (If there is, poke a few holes where the air is trapped and wrap it in another layer of glad wrap.) Make another simple knot in the other side. The result should be a cylinder.

Add water into a stock pot and bring it to the boil. Drop lobster tail in and cook for approximately 10 minutes, until it reaches a temperature of 56C in the centre – this will vary depending on the size of the lobster. Submerge it in an iced water bath for 10 minutes.

Remove plastic from tail and use a knife to portion it into 4 or 5 medallions of desired size.

almond & caviar bearnaise sauce
180g clarified butter
3 egg yolks
10g Dijon mustard
5ml white wine vinegar
5ml lemon juice
3g flake salt or to taste
40g warm water
5g finger lime pearls
35g roasted almonds, chopped
15g chives, sliced
fresh ground black pepper to taste
100g trout roe

Add 1L of water into a pot and bring it to a simmer. In the meantime, melt butter until completely liquid, it should feel hot to the touch. Choose a medium-sized stainless-steel bowl that fits on top of the pot with water, without touching the water. With the bowl still on the bench, add egg yolks, Dijon, vinegar, lemon juice and salt. Whisk it until well incorporated and light in colour. Now place your bowl on top, trapping the steam from the simmering water. Whisk continuously, making sure all the mixture is being mixed, until it starts to thicken slightly.

Remove it from the heat and, in a warm spot, start to slowly add the melted butter while whisking continuously. Add the 40ml of water halfway through adding the butter. Once all butter and water are emulsified, add remaining ingredients and mix well. Check seasoning and adjust salt if desired.

fried leeks
Cut off the green part of a leek (save to make a vegetable stock, if desired). Cut the white part in half and wash through under running water to remove any dirt. Place 3 layers of leek on top of each other, then use a knife to slice it sideways as thinly as possible. Fry in oil at 130C until golden in colour. Remove from oil and season with icing sugar and salt.

pickled daikon tissues
100g sugar
200g apple cider vinegar
300g water
1 daikon

Bring everything to the boil, reserve. Peel and thinly slice daikon, using a mandolin if possible. Submerge tissues in pickling liquid for at least two days before consuming.

To serve, preheat oven to 120C, place lobster medallions on a tray and sprinkle with olive oil and salt. Place in the oven just until warm, approximately 5 minutes. Transfer to plate, add bearnaise sauce and leek on top.

 

This article first appeared in the September 2022 issue of SALIFE magazine.