Ingredients

• 4 live lobsters
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 150g/5oz desiccated coconut
• 4 dried bird’s-eye red chillies
• 1 tbsp coriander seeds
• 1 tbsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp black peppercorns
• 4 cloves
• 2 onions
• sliced
• 1 green chilli
• finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove
• finely grated
• 5cm/2in piece ginger
• finely grated
• ¼ tsp ground turmeric
• 50ml/2fl oz tamarind pulp
• 300ml/11fl oz coconut milk
• 2 tbsp finely chopped coriander leaves
• 4 large chipping potatoes
• peeled and cut into 1cm/½in thick chips
• vegetable oil
• for frying
• sea salt
• to taste

Directions

• For the lobster
• put the lobsters in the freezer for two hours until almost frozen - this will render them unconscious.
• Add them to a large pan of boiling salted water and simmer for two minutes. Remove the lobsters from the pan
• immerse them in chilled water and then drain.
• Remove all the meat from the shells
• keeping them whole - discard the black intestinal vein that runs down the tail flesh and the stomach sac and gills from the head. The meat will just be blanched
• not completely cooked at this stage.
• In a teaspoon of oil
• lightly fry the coconut in a deep frying pan with the dried chillies
• coriander seeds
• cumin seeds
• peppercorns and cloves for about two minutes
• or until lightly coloured. Remove and set aside to cool slightly
• then transfer to a food processor and blend until the coconut and spices are finely ground.
• Heat the remaining vegetable oil in a wok
• add the onions and fry for 5-7 minutes
• or until light and brown.
• Stir in the garlic
• ginger and green chilli and fry for 2-3 minutes. Add the coconut spice mixture and cook
• stirring
• for two minutes.
• Add the turmeric and tamarind pulp and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Stir in the coconut milk
• a little at a time
• stirring to combine.
• Stir in the lobster pieces and simmer for two minutes
• or until just warmed through. Sprinkle in the chopped coriander and set aside until ready to serve.
• For the chips
• bring a pan of salted water to the boil
• add the chips and simmer for five minutes
• or until just tender.
• Drain carefully and then pat dry. (You can freeze them at this point if you want to prepare in advance. Place the chips on a parchment lined tray in the freezer until frozen. They can be transferred
• once frozen
• into a plastic bag to store in the freezer. Defrost them before frying.)
• To finish the chips
• heat the oil in a deep fat fryer to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
• Add the chips and fry for 4-5 minutes
• or until golden-brown and cooked through.
• Drain
• place on a plate lined with kitchen paper and sprinkle with sea salt.
• To serve
• spoon the lobster onto four plates
• pour over the sauce and then pile the chips alongside.