Lobster crumpets

Method

1. To make the yogurt, put all the ingredients in a blender and whizz until smooth. Keep in the fridge until needed.
2. To make the crumpets, whisk the warm water, milk and yeast in a mixing bowl using a balloon whisk. Ensure the water and milk don’t exceed 40°C (check with a thermometer) otherwise the heat could kill the yeast. Set aside in a warm place for 45 minutes to activate the yeast.
3. In another bowl, mix the sugar, salt and bicarb into the flour, then whisk this into the milk mixture. Whisk well until the batter is thick and falls off the whisk in ribbons that slowly sink into the surface. Cover and set aside for 2 hours at room temperature to prove – you’ll see the bubbles forming.
4. Meanwhile, cook the lobster. Add all the chopped veg to a large pan of water and bring to 90°C (a bare simmer). Set up the iced water alongside. If the lobster is live, use a large heavy knife to cut through its head, using the crease between the lobster’s eyes to guide you. This will instantly kill the lobster. (The legs may move a little after it’s been dispatched).
5. Twist off the claws and set aside, then do the same with the tail (you may need to use a knife to gently separate the tail from the body).
6. Push a teaspoon handle into the top of the tail, between the shell and the flesh, to keep it straight when it cooks. Using the initial cut you made in the head to guide you, cut through the rest of the body lengthways to halve it. Discard the antennae, gills and entrails. The feathery gills are at the sides, above the legs, and the entrails are near the head – they’re clearly different from the meat. You now have the tail, claws, legs and body/head pieces. Set the body/head and legs aside in the fridge to make the butter.
7. Put the tail and claws in the simmering water. Lift the tail out after 6 minutes and the claws after 12-14 minutes (depending on their size), putting both in the iced water immediately. Once fully cooled, remove the lobster meat from the shells. Do this carefully; you want to keep the claws and tail in whole pieces. Use kitchen scissors or a small sharp knife to cut along the underside of the tail shell, then pull the meat out – remove and discard any tube-like pieces. Using scissors or a nutcracker, crack the claws to remove the meat. Keep the shells and transfer the meat, covered, to the fridge.
8. For the lobster butter: put all the reserved shells in a blender or food processor and pulse a few times to break them up a little (or wrap in a clean tea towel and bash with a rolling pin). Add half the butter to a large pan over a medium heat; once melted, add the shells. Cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes until the shells are evenly roasted, then add the remaining butter, oil, spices and Worcestershire sauce. Simmer for 10 minutes, then cover and set aside, off the heat, to infuse for 1 hour.
9. Strain the lobster butter through a fine sieve into a bowl. Ideally, strain it again through a muslin cloth to get it really clear. Discard the shells and put the butter in the fridge.
10. By now your crumpet batter should be ready. Put a large, heavy (ideally cast iron) skillet or frying pan over a medium heat and coat the base with oil. Add an oiled crumpet ring, then ladle in enough of the batter to come up about halfway up the sides of the ring. Leave to cook, undisturbed, for about 5 minutes or until the top of the crumpet looks dry and has lots of little holes.
11. Remove the ring, flip the crumpet and cook for 30 seconds, then set aside. Repeat to make 4 crumpets.
12. To make the salad, put the vinegar and lemon juice in a small (ideally round bottomed) bowl, then gradually stream in the oil while whisking constantly. Season with the salt and sugar, then add the apple and fennel and lightly toss.
13. Now it’s time to assemble the crumpets. Put two thirds of the lobster butter in a medium saucepan and gently warm through. You can reheat the lobster meat however you like – at our restaurant, Roe, we warm it on the barbecue, then drench it in the melted butter, but you can warm it in the melted butter on the hob.
14. Put a crumpet on each serving plate and spoon over some lobster butter. Slice the lobster meat and arrange it on top, then pile on the apple and fennel salad. Add little dollops of the lime pickle yogurt, then spoon over even  more lobster butter. Finish with the herb garnish.