Baked Jersey Royals with lobster

Serves 18-20 as a snack or canapé

You can make a lot of nibbles for pre-dinner drinks from just one lobster (Jason Lowe)

These canapés might seem extravagant but you can make a lot of nibbles for pre-dinner drinks from just one lobster – and what's more you can get several bowls of lobster bisque from the carcass, so what may appear a luxurious purchase could turn out to be an economical buy.

1 lobster (500-600g), cooked
18-20 medium-sized Jersey Royals, washed
80g butter
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1tbsp finely chopped chives

Pre-heat the oven to 180C/gas mark 5. Place the Jersey Royals on a baking tray and bake for about 30 minutes or so or until cooked. Remove from the oven and leave until cool enough to handle.

Cut the tops off and carefully scoop the potato out, leaving the skins as intact as possible and dispose of the tops. Mash the potato with 60g of the butter and half of the chives and season.

Meanwhile, remove the shell from the lobster and remove the meat, keeping it as intact as possible; slice as many pieces as you can from the tail and claws that will fit on top of the potato. If you have trimmings, then chop them finely, mix with the potato and spoon back into the potato skins.

Place the slices of lobster on top, cover and reheat in the oven for about 8-10 minutes. Meanwhile, melt the rest of the butter in a pan with the remaining chives. Spoon the chives and butter over the lobster and serve.