Make Maenam’s Lobster Clay Pot For Lunar New Year

This recipe by chef Angus An, from the Maenam: A Fresh Approach to Thai Cooking cookbook, features noodles and seafood—both lucky foods to eat during Lunar New Year. —Vita Daily

Lobster Clay Pot

• SERVES 4
• PREP TIME: 20 MINUTES
• COOK TIME: 20 MINUTES

Ingredients

• 1 cup double chicken stock
• 12 cups chicken stock reduced by half)
• 1 lobster, about 172-2 pounds
• 1 cup coriander roots or stems
• ¼ cup garlic cloves
• 2 Tbsp roughly chopped ginger
• ½ pound pork jowl
• ¼ cup canola oil
• 2 Tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 Tbsp fish sauce
• 1 tsp dark soy sauce
• 1 tsp white pepper
• 2 cups presoaked vermicelli noodles (according to manufacturer’s instructions)
• ¼ cup fresh coriander leaves (divided)
• ¼ cup sliced green onions (divided)
• 1 Tbsp Fried Garlic

Method

1. If using an oven, preheat to 400°F.
2. In a 4-quart pot, add the double chicken stock and simmer over medium heat to reduce by half.
3. Remove the lobster’s body meat, and cut the tail. Split the head in half, crack the claws and knuckles for ease of eating, and cut the tail into medallions instead of butterflying them. A 1½- to 2-pound lobster will give you four meaty 2-inch tail medallions-avoid slicing them any thinner than 2 inches or they’ll overcook easily.
4. Using a mortar and pestle, pound the coriander, garlic, and ginger into a fine paste.
5. Using a sharp boning or paring knife, clean the pork jowl, ensuring it’s free of glands and/or any extra stringy fat. Slice the pork jowl against the grain into thin bite-size pieces.
6. Preheat a clay pot on the stove over medium heat, then add the oil. When the oil is hot, cook the pork jowl for about 5 to 7 minutes, until the fat renders and the meat becomes crispy. Add the paste and toss until it becomes fragrant and light golden. Add the lobster pieces to sear and colour them.
7. Deglaze the clay pot with the stock. Add the oyster sauce, fish sauce, dark soy sauce, and white pepper. Check that the stock is strongly seasoned before you add the vermicelli. Toss the vermicelli with the lobster to evenly mix through, place the head and claws on top for presentation, and sprinkle half of the coriander leaves and half of the green onions over the dish. Turn the heat up to high and ensure that the stock reaches a boil before covering with the lid. Bake in the oven for 8 minutes. If cooking on the stove, turn the heat to medium and cook with the lid on for 10 minutes.
8. Remove the clay pot from the oven, carefully removing the lid and making sure the stock is well absorbed. Gently toss the vermicelli one last time, taking care not to dislodge the head and claws too much, and finish on the stove for 1 minute over high heat to dry the base and make the vermicelli crispy. Finish with the remaining coriander leaves and green onions, and the fried garlic.