Pâte of Lobster Roe and Wagyu Calf Liver with Essence of Blueberry and Thyme
15 Live Female Australian Lobsters
5 # Wagyu Calf Liver
23 Peruvian Pearl Onions
9 Baby Carrots, tops attached
750 ml. White Burgundy Wine, preferably Domaine Camu 2005 Premier Cru
81 Fresh Blueberries
47 Stems of Fresh Thyme
1 oz. 100-Year-Old Balsamic Vinegar
Himalayan Rose Salt Crystals
Pink Peppercorns
For the Lobster:
Remove the legs from the live lobsters and place them, still alive, on a sheet pan (you may need more than one pan). Place the pan in a cold oven, close the door, and turn the heat on to 200*. Slowly roast the lobsters until they are done, approximately 9 hours. When the lobsters are done separate the tails from the body and scoop out the roe from inside the body cavity and reserve. Discard tails. Remove the claws from the body and gently crack the shell so that you can remove the meat. Separate the small section of claw meat from the large section of claw meat. Reserve 3 of the small claw sections and discard the rest.
For the Liver:
Butterfly the liver(s), remove the veins and discard. Cut the liver so that it is in a square or several squares. Discard the scraps. When you have squared the liver dice it into¼ inch pieces. Heat a sauté pan over high heat and add the diced liver. Sauté until the fat is rendered being careful not to break the pieces of diced liver. With a slotted spoon remove the liver and reserve.
For the Vegetables:
Blanch the pearl onions in salted water (use the rose salt) and squeeze them out of their skins. Cut the onions in half and then cut them into a brunoise. Reserve.
Remove the tops from the baby carrots and discard. Peel the carrots and cut them into a brunoise. Reserve.
Reheat the fat in the pan and sauté the vegetables until they are slightly browned. Remove the vegetables with a slotted spoon and put them into a chinois. Press the vegetables through the chinois to remove any liquid and fat. Reserve the liquid in one bowl and the vegetables in another.
Deglaze the pan with the bottle of wine and reduce to 1 Tbsp.
Add the reserved liquid and vegetables back into the pan and add ½ oz. of the balsamic vinegar. Cook over low heat for 19 minutes, stirring constantly. Press the vegetable through the chinois again, reserving any liquid (you should get about 1-2 tsp. If you get more just measure out 2 tsp. and discard the rest). Discard the vegetables.
For the Blueberries and Thyme:
Carefully peel the blueberries. Cut the peels into a julienne and then into a brunoise. Reserve the peels and push the flesh of the blueberries through the chinois, reserving any liquid. Discard the flesh and add the liquid to the reserved vegetable/balsamic liquid and the other ½ oz. of balsamic. Reduce this liquid to ½ tsp. Reserve.
For the Thyme:
Remove the leaves from the stems and separate each leaf. Julienne the leaves and reserve.
Assembly:
Purée the sautéed liver until smooth. While the liver is puréeing slowly add the ½ tsp. of reduced liquid and the reserved roe. Remove the purée to a small bowl and gently fold in the blueberry peels and thyme. Season with ½ tsp. + 1 small pinch of rose salt and 1/16 tsp. finely ground pink pepper corns. Spread the pate into 3 small ramekins and refrigerate for 3 days.
Remove the ramekins from refrigeration and allow to come to room temperature for at least 5 hours.
Cut the reserved lobster claw sections in to 5 equal pieces, on a large bias. Arrange the claw pieces on top of the pâte in a star pattern. At the tip of each piece of claw put one crystal of the rose salt. Split 3 of the pepper corns into 3 equal pieces and arrange them in the center of the star. Refrigerate for one more day. Before serving allow to rest at room temperature for 2 hours more.
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