Langouste à la vanille

Step 1: Lay each 4 raw spiny lobster tails tail shell-side up and cut it in half lengthways with a heavy knife or kitchen scissors. Pull out the dark vein that runs down the middle and pat the flesh dry. Season the flesh with ½ tsp salt.

Step 2: Melt half of ½ oz butter in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat until it foams. Lay the tails flesh-side down and cook until lightly golden.

Step 3: Turn them shell-side down and cook until the shells turn bright red and the flesh is mostly opaque, with a little translucence left in the very centre. Lift onto a plate; they finish cooking in the sauce. If using cooked lobster, skip this step and the one before.

Step 4: Lower the heat to medium and add the rest of ½ oz butter to the same pan. Fry 2 shallots and 1 garlic clove, stirring, until soft and translucent but not brown.

Step 5: Scrape the seeds from 1 vanilla pod into the pan and add the pod too. Stir for 30 seconds, until it smells fragrant.

Step 6: Pour in ¾ cup fish stock, scraping up the brown bits from the bottom, and bubble until reduced by half.

Step 7: Add 1 cup double cream, ¼ tsp ground white pepper and 1 pinch chilli flakes and simmer gently, stirring now and then, until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

Step 8: Fish out the vanilla pod and stir in ½ lime. Taste: it should be rich, rounded and only gently vanilla-scented, with enough salt to stop it tasting like a dessert.

Step 9: Return the lobster and any juices to the pan, flesh-side down, and spoon the sauce over. Simmer gently until the flesh is opaque and white all the way through, about 145°F in the thickest part; cooked lobster only needs warming until piping hot.

Step 10: Serve at once, two halves per person with the sauce poured over, scattered with 1 tbsp chives.