| 1 | *note: the lobster should be good and lively. |
| 2 | A "cripple" - that is, one with only one claw for which you should pay less - will do fine for this dish. |
| 3 | ** leave out one of the egg whites, it is not needed for this recipe. |
| 4 | make the pastry first. |
| 5 | Sieve the flour with the salt into a roomy bowl. |
| 6 | Chop the lard and butter into the flour with a sharp knife. |
| 7 | Finish rubbing in the fat to flour with the tips of your fingers. |
| 8 | Work in enough ice-cold water to give you a ball of soft (but not sticky) dough. |
| 9 | Cover with cling-film and leave the dough to rest in a cool place for half an hour or so. |
| 10 | Bring a panful of salted water to the boil - enough to swim the lobster. |
| 11 | Kill the lobster (or have you fishmonger do so) with a knife slipped in behind its head. |
| 12 | Or plunge the creature in the boiling water and hold it under with a wooden spoon (lobsters do drown). |
| 13 | cook the lobster for 3-4 minutes - just long enough to turn the shell scarlet and make the lobster easier to skin. |
| 14 | Drain it, sever the head and cut in half, taking care to save the greenish black brain (rather like liquid seaweed). |
| 15 | This will turn anything into which it is stirred wonderful sunny scarlet as it cooks. |
| 16 | Reserve the brain for making lobster butter. |
| 17 | Otherwise it can go into the tart filling. |
| 18 | remove the lobster meat from the body, claws and head (leave out the dark intestine which runs right down the body - and the stomach at the top of the head). |
| 19 | Slice the body meat into medallions. |
| 20 | Leave the claw meat whole. |
| 21 | bake the tart-case blind (lined with foil weighted with dried beans instead of filling) in a medium oven, 375°F (190 c) gas mark 5, for 10 minutes. |
| 22 | beat the milk, cream and eggs together and season. |
| 23 | Pour the mixture into the cooled tart tin. |
| 24 | Arrange the lobster pieces over all. |
| 25 | Bake at 400°F (200 c) gas mark 6 for 30 minutes, until the egg-filling is set. |
