Cook the Book: Lobster Cantonese
In the 1940s and 50s, many Chinese restaurants in America served a dish known as Lobster Cantonese. Composed of a deep-fried lobster drowning in goopy sauce, it was hardly authentic.
In the 1980s, Michel Tong reintroduced Lobster Cantonese at his restaurant, Shun Lee, in New York. In his version, the traditional Cantonese flavors of fresh ginger, sesame, and fermented black beans shine through, and the lobster is fried only lightly in order to preserve its delicate sweetness.
For this recipe you will need to cut a lobster into 12 pieces, which is easier to do than it sounds. With a heavy cleaver, simply whack the body into four pieces, the tail into two, and the claws into three pieces each. Crack each piece, cover, and store in the fridge until ready to use, no more than a few hours. (Of course, if the thought of doing all that chopping gives you the willies you can have your fishmonger do it for you.)
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