Bellavista style lobster

Preparation:

Preparation: For the success of a lobster-based recipe it is important that the crustacean is purchased and cooked alive; only in this way can we be sure that it is fresh and that its meat is tender. However, you must be very careful when handling the lobster because it can easily scratch you with its claws. First of all, get yourself a wooden slat and some white thread; the lath will serve to keep the crustacean straight during cooking. With the utmost care (and possibly with your hands protected by a pair of gloves), place the lobster on the board and, starting from the tail, tie it with the thread; then fold the claws and antennae over the tail and tie these too. Prepare the court-bouillon by bringing to the boil, in a large pot, three or four liters of water with a handful of coarse salt, a few grains of pepper, the aromatic bunch and the onions and carrots cut into slices. Boil the liquid for about 10 minutes, then immerse the lobster which, after a few minutes of cooking, will take on a beautiful bright red colour. Cook for 30 minutes, then turn off the heat and let the lobster cool in the broth. Meanwhile, melt the gelatin, following the instructions attached to the package, and let it cool so that it becomes slightly oily. Drain the lobster, place it on the chopping board with the belly facing upwards and with scissors make two longitudinal cuts along the soft membrane that covers the belly. Lift the membrane and detach it, cutting it at head height; then gently introduce the tip of the knife between the meat and the shell and, very delicately, extract the pulp, trying to keep both the meat and the shell perfectly intact. Place the pulp on the chopping board and cut it into medallions. Remove the crust from the sandwich bread and cut it diagonally lengthwise, so as to obtain a triangle that will serve as a support for the shell of the crustacean. Then place the bread on the serving plate and place the lobster shell on top. Line up the meat medallions on a cake rack and brush them with a little gelatine; place a slice of truffle on each medallion and cover with more jelly, which you will leave to consolidate. If you like, surround the lobster with lettuce leaves, then spread small pieces of butter all over the shell and arrange the medallions on top. Finally, decorate everything by surrounding the lobster with hard-boiled eggs, cut in half and covered with a dollop of cocktail sauce (prepared by mixing a cup of mayonnaise with two spoons of tomato ketchup and a splash of Worcester). Of course you can also choose other decorations to your taste, such as small tomatoes filled with Russian salad, pickles, etc. As you can see, it is a somewhat complex and extremely refined preparation, very suitable for an important lunch.