Spicy seafood salad

Heat a quarter cup of cooking oil in a saucepan over medium heat for a minute.

Add 2.5 tablespoons red chili flake, 2 tablespoons diced Thai bird eye chilies, a quarter cup minced garlic and a quarter cup diced scallion and stir over medium-low for 2 minutes.

Add 3 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 tablespoons fish sauce, a quarter cup water and 2.5 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, stir a minute and turn off the heat. Stir in half a cup of minced cilantro and a teaspoon of citron peppercorn powder.

Despatch the lobster by inserting the tip of a knife at the cross section of its head, or ask the shop to do it.

Scrub the lobster with a brush to remove algae and rinse thoroughly.

Rub the octopus with 1.5 tablespoons sea salt, a quarter cup cornstarch and 3 tablespoons Chinese cooking wine for three to five minutes, then rinse several times until the water is clear.

Rinse the shrimp thoroughly. Bring a big pot of water to a boil with 6 slices of ginger, the lemon scraps, 3 crushed scallions and a quarter cup of Chinese cooking wine.

Add the lobster and count from that moment: 10 minutes for the first pound plus 3 minutes for every extra pound, so 12 minutes for this 1.7 pound one. Once the water comes back to a slight simmer, with only small bubbles, turn the heat to low.

Shock the lobster in an ice bath to stop the cooking.

In the same water cook the shrimp one minute, then add the octopus and cook everything together 2 more minutes; bigger octopus needs longer. Shock everything in the ice bath.

Twist the lobster tail off the head, tear off both claws, cut the back open with scissors and remove the vein. Separate the sections and hit the middle of the claw all the way round with the back of a knife to make it easy to open.

Put all the seafood except the head in a big mixing bowl, pour in the spicy dressing and toss thoroughly.

Chill in the fridge at least 2 hours so the flavour infuses, but no longer than 8 hours, tossing again partway through. This is a cold dish and does not get reheated.