Guangdong Province — the Cantonese treatment of live lobster is considered the world's most refined approach to this luxury ingredient
Cantonese lobster preparations: live lobster dispatched and prepared in multiple styles — ginger-scallion stir-fry (jiang cong chao long xia), steamed with garlic and vermicelli (suan rong fen si zheng long xia), lobster congee from the shells (long xia zhou). The ginger-scallion wok preparation is the Cantonese standard — the lobster cut live into pieces and stir-fried at maximum heat.
Sweet live lobster, fragrant ginger-scallion wok-breath, rich coral — luxury Cantonese seafood technique
{"Dispatch humanely immediately before cooking — never cook a distressed lobster","Split and cut into pieces on the board before wok entry — never whole lobster in a wok","Wok temperature maximum for the stir-fry — any lower and the lobster steams rather than sears","Ginger and spring onion added at the end — they should be bright green and fragrant, not wilted"}
{"Dust the cut surfaces of the lobster with cornstarch before wok entry — this creates a light crispy coating and helps the sauce adhere","The coral and tomalley from the lobster head are a delicacy — do not discard them; add to the sauce","Lobster congee: after the main course, simmer the shells in water for 45 minutes, strain, and use as the congee base"}
{"Overcooking — lobster toughens very quickly; 3–4 minutes total wok time for pieces","Not splitting the claws — they don't cook through at the same rate as the tail if left whole","Adding aromatics too early — they burn at the high heat required for lobster"}
Land of Fish and Rice — Fuchsia Dunlop