Directions

1. In a saucepan, add cooking oil and heat it over medium heat for a minute.

   

2. Add red chili flakes, diced Thai bird-eye chilies, minced garlic, and diced scallion. Stir over medium-low heat for 2 minutes.

   
3. Add soy sauce, fish sauce, apple cider vinegar, and water. Continue to stir for a minute and turn off the heat.
   
4. Add minced cilantro and Sichuan peppercorn powder. Mix well and set it aside.
   
5. To prepare the live lobster, quickly insert the tip of your knife at the cross position of the lobster head. Scrub the lobster with a brush in the sink to remove any algae. Rinse thoroughly.
   
6. Devein the shrimp, but leave the shell on as it keeps the flesh moist during the cooking process.
   
7. To wash the octopus, add sea salt, cornstarch, and Chinese cooking wine. Rub for 3-5 minutes. The salt will act like sand and scrub off any mucus from the octopus. The cornstarch and cooking wine will help to remove the unpleasant smell. Rinse it several times until the water is clear. These octopuses are so small that there is no need to gut them.
   
8. Bring a big pot of water (3.5 Liters) to a boil. Add ginger slices, lemon scraps, scallions, and Chinese cooking wine.
   
9. Add the lobster to the boiling water and start counting the time. Cook for 10 minutes for the first pound, and add 3 minutes for every extra pound. During the cooking, please keep an eye on the pot. Once the water comes back to a slight simmer, turn the heat to low. When I say a slight simmer, means you should only see a few bubbles coming up at a time. This is a Cantonese method of poaching seafood to ensure the flesh comes out with the perfect tenderness.
   
10. Prepare a bowl of ice water on the side. Take the lobster out of the water and shock it with the ice bath to stop the cooking process.
    
11. Add the shrimp to the pot and let it cook for 1 minute. Then add the octopus and continue to cook everything together for 2 more minutes. If your octopus is bigger, you may need to cook it longer.
    
12. Remove all the seafood from the water and add to the ice bath to stop the cooking process.
    
13. Once all the seafood is completely cooled, take it out of the ice water and drain thoroughly.
    
14. Detach the the lobster tail from the head by twisting it. Take a pair of scissors and cut the back open. Remove the vein and set the lobster tail aside.
    
15. Tear both claws and separate all the sections. Use the back of your knife to hit the middle of the claw all the way around. This makes it easier to open and eat later. For the smaller claw sections, wrap them with a paper towel so they don’t jump around when you hit them with the back of your knife.
    
16. Add all the seafood into a big mixing bowl and pour in the spicy dressing. Toss thoroughly. You don’t need to mix the lobster’s head in the dressing because we will just add it to the dish for presentation.
    
17. The seafood salad needs to be chilled in the fridge for at least 2 hours before serving so the flavor can be fully infused into the seafood but no longer than 8 hours; otherwise, the seafood will not be fresh anymore. Whenever you remember, just come back in the middle to give it a thorough mix. Also, this is a cold dish, so you do not need to reheat it later.