Ingredients
For the vinaigrette
125ml/4fl oz spring water
2 tbsp chardonnay wine vinegar
salt and freshly ground black pepper
200ml/7fl oz olive oil
1 bay leaf
½ bunch tarragon
1 small garlic clove, crushed
pinch caster sugar
For the lobsters
1 onion, halved
1 carrot, halved
head garlic, halved crossways
10 white peppercorns
handful salt
4 live lobsters, each 400g/14oz
dash olive oil
For the summer vegetables
12 baby carrots
12 asparagus tips
100g/4oz freshly shelled broad beans
12 baby leeks
50g/2oz samphire
To serve
50g/2oz wood sorrel (or use watercress)
50g/2oz pennywort (or use mustard cress or rocket)

Method
1. To make the vinaigrette, combine the spring water and vinegar in a bowl and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Whisk in the olive oil. When mixed and the seasoning is right, add the bay leaf, tarragon, garlic and sugar. Cover and leave at room temperature for 24 hours. After this, strain the vinaigrette and discard the herbs and garlic. Pour half the vinaigrette into a large bowl.
2. To cook the lobsters, three-quarters fill a heavy-bottomed pan with water and add the onion, carrot, garlic and white peppercorns. Bring to the boil and boil for 4-5 minutes. Season with a good handful of salt. Drop the lobsters into the boiling water and cook for six minutes.
3. Lift out the lobsters and place in a bowl of iced water. Remove the claws, then put the lobsters back into the boiling water to cook for a further two minutes. Lift out into iced water again. When the lobsters are cold, crack the body and tail shells and remove the meat in one piece. Crack the claws and remove the meat. Set all the lobster meat aside.
4. To prepare the summer vegetables, blanch all the vegetables, including the samphire, in boiling salted water for 2-3 minutes. Drain. Slip the broad beans out of their skins, then add all the vegetables to the vinaigrette in the bowl. Leave to cool. As they are cooling the vegetables will absorb the flavours of the vinaigrette.
5. When ready to serve, cut the lobster meat into bite-sized pieces, season with salt and pepper, and pan-fry in a little olive oil to warm through. Drain the summer vegetables (discard the vinaigrette) and add to the frying pan to warm through. Remove from the heat and add the remaining vinaigrette just to warm it.
6. Spoon the warm lobster and vegetables onto four plates, scatter over the sorrel and pennywort, and drizzle with the warm vinaigrette. Serve immediately.