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Lobster Simmered With Wine, Tomatoes And Herbs
(Homard a l'Americaine)
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| What You Need: |
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8 tablespoons butter (1 quarter-pound stick)
¼ cup finely chopped carrots
½ cup finely chopped onions
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf
2 live lobsters, each 2 to 2½ pounds, cut into serving pieces
2 teaspoons salt
6 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil
1/3 cup Cognac
¼ cup finely chopped shallots or scallions
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup chicken stock, fresh or canned
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon bottled meat extract
1 tablespoon flour
½ teaspoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon finely cut fresh tarragon or 1 teaspoon dried tarragon, crumbled
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
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| How To Cook: |
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1. In a heavy 3- to 4-quart flameproof casserole, melt 4 tablespoons of the butter over moderate heat. When the foam subsides, stir in the carrots and onions, and cook, stirring, for 5 to 8 minutes, or until they are soft but not brown. Remove from the heat, stir in 1 tablespoon of the parsley, the thyme and bay leaf.
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2. Remove and discard the gelatinous sac near the head of each lobster.Scoop out the greenish-brown tomalley (or liver) and set aside. If there is black roe (or coral) save it. Sprinkle the lobster with 2 teaspoons salt.
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3. Then heat the oil almost to the smoking point in a heavy 10- to 12-inch skillet, and saute the lobster over high heat, turning frequently, for 4 or 5 minutes, or until the shells are red.
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4. Remove all but a film of oil from the skillet and, off the heat, flame the lobster with Cognac. Warm the Cognac in a small saucepan over low heat, ignite it with a match, and pour it flaming over the lobster a little at a time.
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5. Shake the skillet gently until the flame dies. Using tongs, transfer the lobster pieces to the casserole. Pour the juices from the skillet over them, and stir in the tomatoes and shallots.
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6. In the same skillet, combine the wine, stock, tomato paste and meat extract. Bring this sauce to a boil, stirring constantly; boil for 2 minutes, then pour it over the lobster. Stir the contents of the casserole together until all the lobster pieces are coated with the sauce.
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7. Bring to a boil over high heat; immediately reduce the heat, cover the casserole tightly, and simmer for 30 minutes, basting 2 or 3 times with the juices.
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8. Meanwhile cream the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter by beating it vigorously against the sides of a small bowl with a wooden spoon until it is fluffy. Beat in the coral, tomalley, flour, lemon juice, tarragon, 1 tablespoon of parsley and a little salt and pepper. Press through a sieve and set aside.
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9. When the lobster is done, arrange the pieces on a large, heated platter and cover loosely to keep the lobster warm, or set the platter in a 250 oven. Strain the entire contents of the casserole through a fine sieve into a 2- to 3-quart saucepan, pressing down on the vegetables with a spoon before discarding them.
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10. Boil the juices over high heat until reduced by about ½. Turn the heat to low and beat in the creamed butter mixture, 1 tablespoon at a time. Cook the sauce over low heat for 5 minutes; do not let it boil. Taste for seasoning. To serve, pour the sauce over the lobster.
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11. CUTTING THE LOBSTERS: Wash the lobsters in cold water and drain them. Thenlay one lobster at a time on its underbelly on a chopping board and, with atowel wrapped around one hand for protection, grasp the lobster firmly.
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12. With a large, heavy, sharp knife, cut through the lobster behind the head; thissevers the spinal cord and kills the lobster. Slice the tail into 4 or 5 crosswisepieces or cut it lengthwise in half. (This and all other cutting steps are easier if you put the knife into position and hit the back of it sharply with a hammer.)
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13. Then cut the claws from the lobster and separate the joints from the claws. Crack the flat side of each large claw. Remove the feelers, then cut the body section in half lengthwise. Don't forget to remove and discard the gelatinous sac near the head, bur scoop out and save the tomalley and the coral if there is any.
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