Prep 40 minutes • Cook 1 hour and 20 minutes • Serves 2
INGREDIENTS
2 New Zealand Springvale Grass Fed Tenderloin Steak
¼ cup white wine vinegar
¼ cup dry
white wine
1 large
shallot, finely chopped
4
tablespoons fresh tarragon, chopped, divided
½ cup unsalted
butter, cubed
3 large egg
yolks
2
tablespoons canola oil
1 fresh
live lobster, approximately1 pound
½ tablespoon
fresh chervil, to garnish
kosher salt,
to taste
freshly
ground black pepper, to taste
METHOD
Remove the steaks from the refrigerator and let them sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. In the meantime, prepare the sauce.
Combine the vinegar, white wine, shallot, half the tarragon, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a saucepan.
Bring to the boil over a moderate heat and let reduce until you have 4 tablespoons of liquid. Set aside to cool. Strain into a heatproof bowl.
Melt the butter in a large saucepan set over a low-moderate heat until the fat is clear and the white solids separate away, 20 to 25 minutes usually. Carefully pour the clarified butter into a jug, leaving the solids behind in the saucepan.
Bring a half-filled saucepan of water to a simmer. Add the egg yolks to the prepared reduction and beat together with a whisk, holding the bowl over the simmering water, whisking continuously until frothy and thickened, 3 to 4 minutes.
Slowly whisk in the clarified butter, removing the bowl from the heat, if needed, to help control the temperature; try to prevent the bowl getting too hot or the sauce will separate.
Continue to whisk the butter into the sauce until fully incorporated and thickened. Stir in the remaining tarragon and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Preheat a cast-iron skillet over a moderate heat until it just starts to smoke.
Rub the filets with the oil and season all over with plenty of salt and pepper. Add the filets to the skillet and sear until a crust forms underneath, about 3 minutes. Flip and sear the other side for 2 minutes before searing the ends for 1 minute.
Transfer the skillet to the oven, cooking until the thickest part of the filets register 140°F for medium-rare, about 4 to 7 minutes depending on thickness; use an instant-read thermometer for best results.
Remove from the oven and transfer to a plate, resting under aluminum foil as you prepare the lobster.
Fill a large pot with 3 inches of cold water. Bring to a rolling boil and add the lobster, head first.
Cover with a tight-fitting lid and steam until bright red and cooked through, about 8 minutes. Remove the lobster to a large bowl of iced water using kitchen tongs.
Let cool in the water for 5 minutes and then transfer to a cutting board and pat dry with paper towels. Remove the tail and cut in half, removing the meat. Crack the claws and pick out the meat in large chunks, if possible.
Place the filets on a plate and top with the lobster meat. Spoon the sauce over them and around the plate. Garnish with some chervil before serving.