I love being invited to events around the country to share my passion for food, sometimes these can be local or occasionally further afield. Last weekend I was invited to Mark Hix’s Food Rocks event in Lyme Regis, this is a great event, full of local food and drink producers in a fabulous seaside setting.
The drive along the coast from Lympstone Manor to Lyme Regis is spectacular, with a few routes to pick from. I of course took the scenic route past Sidmouth and beyond, taking in the outstretched sea and coastal scenery; views like this never get boring!
With the seaside in mind I chose to showcase my lobster fricassee for the demonstration. This dish has pan-roasted lobster served with its own bisque and paired with seasonal vegetables. Sourcing produce locally has been an ethos I have strived to uphold and now at Lympstone we work with two great suppliers just a stones-throw away; Darts Farm and Greendale farm shop. Greendale have their own boats to fish straight from the bay of Lyme which enables our kitchen to work straight from boat to plate. Watch the boat to plate story with Greendale here.
Lobster is available from June through to November, the lobster I used was fished off the coast of England, renowned for its full flavour developed by the colder waters. The best way to buy lobster is alive, look for the ones most lively and if in doubt straighten their tails, they should then promptly curve it back under their bodies. I know buying a whole live lobster isn’t for everyone, I would recommend buying as fresh as you can and picking the ones with a brightly coloured shell. Lobster has firm white meat which has a unique sweet flavour, with once cooked a distinctive red colour shell, perfect for my dish.
I had a great time with Mark, at his event and can’t wait to see what he has planned for 2019’s event.
Find the full details for this dish on my recipe page.