Home cooking: Lobster baked with yellow wine

Prized for its hard shell and meaty qualities, Canadian lobster is the country’s most valuable export. In fact, China is becoming a preferred destination for Canadian crustaceans as demand skyrockets. Caught in the wild and sustainable, with a high meat yield that is low in fat, contains 90 percent protein and no carbohydrates, folks here in the Middle Kingdom love them.

The main draw, however, is that they resemble dragons, making them an auspicious and sought-after ingredient. This indigenous recipe, although somewhat complex, will amaze your guests and make for a delightful (and slightly drunken) summer blowout.

Ingredients
(makes three servings):

1 Canadian lobster

50g scallions

100g spring onions

75g leeks

25g coriander

25g red peppers, sliced

To make the seasoning:

20ml soy sauce

10ml golden oyster sauce

25g crab roe sauce

10ml yellow wine (huang jiu)

10g salt

10g white sugar

5g cracked pepper

Starch

Method:

1) Put the lobster in hot boiling water. Remove when it turns pink.

2) Dice the lobster into pieces, then salt and starch.

3) In a hot pan with oil, fry the diced lobster pieces until they become solid but smooth.

4) In a hot pan on high heat, fry the leeks quickly, then add the scallions, spring onions and red pepper slices.

5) Add the soy sauce, golden oyster sauce, crab-roe sauce, cracked pepper, sugar and yellow wine. Throw in the lobster and stir-fry it quickly.

6) Ladle onto a plate and put some coriander on top to decorate. Serve immediately.

// Recipe courtesy of Rocky Xu, Chinese Executive Chef of Toh Lee Restaurant at Hotel Nikko Guangzhou, 1961 Huaguan Lu, Tianhe District 天河区华观路1961号 (6631 8888, www.nikkogz.com)