Owners of the Ninth Wave Restaurant on the Isle of Mull, Carla and John Lamont, have brought fine dining to one of the most beautiful islands in the Hebrides. Fans of Masterchef: The Professionals will recognise Carla’s creative use of seafood and foraged plants from her appearance in the most recent series. We are pleased to announce that her magnificent book The Ninth Wave: Love and Food on the Isle of Mull is newly available in a paperback edition. Packed with gorgeous photography and delicious recipes, it tells the story of her coming to Mull, meeting John and setting up the restaurant.

Mull Lobster with Garden Peas and Crowdie Ravioli from The Ninth Wave by Carla Lamont

Sweet fresh peas with succulent lobster is a divine summer dish, perfect for garden parties. The use of traditional Scottish crowdie cheese in the pasta makes for a tangy alternative to ricotta.

Serves 4

Pasta Dough
220g/8oz semolina
180g/6oz 00 flour
5 eggs
6 sorrel leaves, pureed
a good pinch of salt
Pasta Filling
1 shallot, diced
560g/1lb 4oz crowdie
½ tsp butter
4 drops white truffle oil
1 egg yolk
280g/9½oz shelled, cooked
peas
sea salt and black pepper

2 lobsters, about 750g
450g peas
1 tbsp butter
½ tsp lemon juice
1 tbsp double cream
sea salt and pepper to taste
a handful of pea shoots

First, make the dough. Pile the semolina and flour on the worktop and form a well in the middle. Break the eggs into the well and mix with a fork, slowly drawing in the flour from the sides. When it is all incorporated, knead for about 10-15 minutes until the dough is smooth and silky.* Cover the dough with plastic wrap and leave it to rest for 30 minutes. The dough can be rested overnight if necessary.

For the filling, fry the diced shallot in butter over low heat until translucent. Mash the crowdie with a fork until soft. Add to the rest of the ingredients with the shallots and mix well. Season to taste.

Dust a work surface moderately with 00 flour. Roll the dough quite thinly – 2-3mm, or use a pasta-rolling machine.† Cut the rolled dough into squares with a 5cm cookie cutter. Place a smooth, rounded teaspoon of filling in the middle of each. Using a pastry brush, moisten the edges with water and cover with another square of pasta. With your fingers, gently press the pasta together to seal, carefully removing any air pockets around the filling. The ravioli will not seal if there is any filling on the edges between the two pasta layers. Crimp edges of the pastry with fingers or fork to make sure they are sealed.

*When kneading, if you feel the dough is too dry, dampen hands with water and continue kneading.

†Cover extra dough not in use with a damp cloth to keep its moisture in.

Boil a large pot of salted water for the lobster.

Place a medium-sized pot of well-salted water on to boil for the peas.

Place the humanely killed lobsters in the large pot of boiling water and bring back to the boil. The lobsters will take 8 minutes to cook. After 4 minutes, add the fresh peas to the smaller pot of boiling water. Boil for 3-4 minutes until tender but still bright green. Remove the lobsters with tongs when the full 8 minutes have passed and place on a cutting board.

Place the ravioli gently in the lobster water and simmer for 3-4 minutes until the pasta is cooked to your taste.

Strain the peas and stir in the butter. Keep half of them warm, covered in the pot. Take the other half of the peas and whizz them up with the lemon using a hand blender. This should become a fine puree. Add the cream and blend again. Season to taste.

Remove the cooked ravioli from the water with a slotted spoon and place on an oiled plate. Cover with a pot lid to keep warm.

Place each lobster, belly-side up, on the cutting board. Holding the tail in place with one hand, take the point of a large, sharp knife and place it at right angles to the head so that the blade will slice down the length of the lobster. Plunge it into the centre of the lobster where the tail meets the body. Be careful to hold your fingers out of the knife’s path. Press down firmly. Cut in half lengthwise. Rotate the lobster and repeat the procedure to cut the head in half. Separate the halves. Discard the gills and the dark intestinal thread that runs along the back of the tail. Remove the tail meat. Remove the empty tail shells from the head. Crack claws with a heavy spoon, the back of a heavy knife or pestle.

To serve:
Place the head and claw half of the lobster on each plate.
Divide the peas among four plates.
Put ravioli on top of the peas.
Put a spoon of truffle dressing on the ravioli.
Place a half lobster tail on each ravioli.
Pipe or spoon the pea puree decoratively on the plate.
Garnish with pea shoots.