DEAR JACKIE’s LOBSTER LINGUINE

We spent the day in the kitchen at Dear Jackie with Chef Luca, watching how one of the dishes everyone seems to be ordering actually comes together. At first glance, it seems like a classic. In practice, it’s a series of small decisions, each done properly.

The base is a lobster bisque, cooked slowly to draw out depth and natural sweetness. From there, tomatoes, onions and carrots are added, creating a sauce that is rich, rounded and full of flavour. A touch of brandy is added and flambéed, allowing the alcohol to burn off while leaving behind a deeper, more layered richness.

The lobster is treated with care. Gently steamed to keep its texture, then rested in warm lobster infused butter so it takes on more flavour without losing its delicacy.

The linguine is made fresh each day and finished in the sauce, so it absorbs all of that richness while keeping its bite.

The lobster is served alongside, simply plated, exactly as it should be.

It’s not a dish that belongs to one single recipe. You’ll find versions of it along the Italian coastline, particularly in the south, where lobster is paired with long pasta and a light tomato base. It’s the kind of cooking that relies more on what’s available that day than on strict rules. Simple, direct and led by the quality of the ingredients.

Spending time in the kitchen, you realise there’s no single trick to it. Just time, attention and a refusal to cut corners. Which, more often than not, is exactly the point.