Abacus Restaurant Lobster Shooters

For the Filling: In a medium sauté pan, sauté in sesame oil the garlic, shallots, lemongrass and ginger until slightly browned. Add the lobster meat, soy sauce, sambal and continue cooking for about one minute. Remove from heat and transfer to mixing bowl and cool. After mixture is cool add the scallions, mint, basil and cilantro. Mix until incorporated.

For the Dumplings: Lay out dumpling wrappers evenly on a flat surface, then brush a thin layer of egg on each wrapper. Place a small amount of the mixture in the center of the wrapper. Then fold the edges of the wrappers up around the mixture and squeeze the edges to seal the dumpling. Spread the corn starch on a cookie sheet and lay dumplings on the corn starch (this helps to keep them dry and crunchy) Deep fry dumplings in 350 degree peanut oil until golden brown.

For the Thai Red Curry-Coconut Sauce: In a small sauce pan, add sesame oil and lightly sauté the garlic, shallots, ginger and lemongrass until translucent (do not brown). Add kaffir lime leaves and cover with rice vinegar, mirin and sake and continue cooking until liquid is reduced by half. Stir in red curry paste, add coconut milk and bring to a boil. Thicken to sauce consistency with corn starch mixture, if needed. Steep cilantro, mint and thai basil for 10 minutes. Finish with lime juice and zest. Strain through a fine chinois.

For the Presentation: Once dumplings have drained, place one dumpling in 8 sake cups. Fill a small soy sauce pitcher with approximately 8 ounces of Thai Red Curry Coconut Sauce. When serving, pour approximately 1 ounce of sauce in each sake cup. Serve.