Grilled Indian Lobster Roll

preparation 15 minutes
cook time 50 minutes
Serves 4

Perhaps not a burger to make every day, but this epic recipe is so worth the effort when you want something a bit special. Perfectly fresh grilled lobster smothered in a spicy, coconut-rich sauce - what could be better?

Extracted from The Burger Book by DJ BBQ (Quadrille, £12.99) Photography © David Loftus

Ingredients Method

2 live medium-sized lobsters, killed humanely and halved lengthways
4 white poppyseed rolls
Handful of fresh coriander, chopped
Sauce for the lobster:
Vegetable oil, for frying
1 red onion, finely chopped
1 red chilli, deseeded and chopped
2 tsps garlic paste
2 tsps ginger paste
2 tsps ground coriander
1 tsp black pepper
½ tsp ground turmeric
Pinch of chilli flakes (crushed chili pepper)
Pinch of ground cloves
2 tbsps toasted desiccated coconut
100ml passata
200ml coconut milk
For the yogurt sauce:
200g thick natural yoghurt
Zest of 2 limes
Few sprigs of mint

If you’re cooking outdoors, get your grill rocking. Indoors, get the grill on your oven nice and hot. Then make the sauce for the lobster. Heat up a frying pan – either over direct heat on the grill or over a low to medium heat on the hob. Add some oil and slowly fry off the onion and chilli, for 10 minutes until golden. Add in the garlic, ginger and spices, and cook gently for another 5 minutes.

Add in the coconut, passata and coconut milk, and cook for another 15–20 minutes until rich and thick. Add a little water if it starts to catch. Next make the yogurt sauce. Mix the yogurt with the lime and mint, and set aside.

Cook your lobster, shell side facing the heat (either indoors or outdoors), for just 2 minutes. Turn the lobster and cook for another minute on the other side. Rest on a tray. Then carefully remove the half-cooked meat out of the shell and set aside – try to keep it intact. Heat up your lobster sauce and add the lobster meat. Keep stirring for 2–3 minutes, until the lobster is cooked through.

Toast your rolls and lay them out for this most spicy of builds. Pile the bottom bun with the sliced lobster, spoon the yogurt sauce over the top and finish with some coriander and the bun lid. Get a pint of lager ready – you’re gonna need it!

Ingredients

2 live medium-sized lobsters, killed humanely and halved lengthways

4 white poppyseed rolls

Handful of fresh coriander, chopped

Sauce for the lobster:

Vegetable oil, for frying

1 red onion, finely chopped

1 red chilli, deseeded and chopped

2 tsps garlic paste

2 tsps ginger paste

2 tsps ground coriander

1 tsp black pepper