Lobster - Premium Seafood

If you cannot purchase individual lobster tails, it will be necessary to cook four lobsters weighing 1 ½ lb (650 g) each, in order to have tails weighing 4-5 oz (125-150 g).

• ½ cup (125 mL) butter, softened
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 3 tbsp (45 mL) parsley, chopped
• 4 cooked lobster tails, shelled and halved
• ½ cup (125 mL) white wine
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup (250 mL) heavy cream (35% M.F.)

Blend together butter, garlic and parsley until smooth,

In a skillet over medium-high heat, melt garlic butter. Add lobster tails and sauté for 3 minutes, being careful not to brown butter. Remove lobster with a slotted spoon and reserve. Deglaze pan with wine, season with salt and pepper and reduce liquid by one-half. Add cream and cook until the sauce is thickened. Return lobster to sauce and heat through. Serve immediately with seasonal vegetables of choice.

Serves 4.

• 10 lasagna noodles
• 1 ½ lb (650 g) mixed seafood (e.q. lobster, scallops, shrimp, crab, salmon, white fish)
• 1 lb (450 g) fresh spinach
• 4 eggs
• 1 lb (450 g) cottage cheese
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/8 tsp (0.5 mL) nutmeg
• 6 tbsp (90 mL) butter
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1 tbsp (15 mL) fresh dill
• 6 tbsp (90 mL) all-purpose flour
• 2 tbsp (30 mL) sherry
• 3 cups (750 mL) light cream (10% M.F.) 1 cup (250 mL) grated Swiss cheese
• ½ cup (125 mL) grated Parmesan cheese

Cook lasagna noodles until tender and drain and rinse under cold water. Set aside. In boiling salted water, poach raw seafood until barely cooked. Drain and reserve. Briefly blanch spinach, drain well and chop. Lightly beat eggs. In a large bowl, combine eggs, spinach and cottage cheese. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Melt butter and sauté onion and garlic until soft Add dill, flour, salt and pepper and cook, stirring constantly, over medium heat for 1 minute. Whisk sherry and cream into flour mixture a little at a time, until smooth and well blended. Cook, stirring constantly, until thickened. Add Swiss cheese and seafood to sauce, stirring until cheese is melted.

To assemble, place half of the noodles in a greased 9″ x 13″ (22 cm x 33 cm) lasagna pan. Spread half of the spinach mixture over noodles and cover with half of the seafood sauce. Repeat layers and top with grated Parmesan cheese. Bake for 45 minutes to an hour, or until bubbly and lightly browned. Remove from oven and let stand for 10-15 minutes before serving.

Serves 6-8.

Truffle oil with its earthy essence has a very concentrated flavour and should be used in moderation. This is one instance where “a little is heavenly” and “more is not better.” You will find truffle oil in specialty food markets.

• 2 live lobsters (1 ½ lb/650 g each)
• 4 tbsp (60 mL) butter, divided
• 1/3 cup (75 mL) diced celeriac
• ¼ cup (60 mL) chicken stock
• 1 tsp (5 mL) white truffle oil gnocchi (recipe follows)
• lobster emulsion (recipe follows)
• white truffles, as garnish (optional)

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add lobsters, bring back to a boil and cook for 2 minutes. Remove lobsters; pull off tails and claws, reserving tails for another use. Return claws to boiling water and cook for 5 minutes longer. Lift claws from water and, while warm, remove shells with scissors, keeping the claw meat in one piece.

Reserve and refrigerate claw meat. Cut lobster bodies in half; discard eyes and stomach sac and rinse well under water to clean. Break shells and bodies into smaller pieces and reserve for emulsion.

Prepare gnocchi and lobster emulsion.

Place lobster claw meat on a small baking sheet and brush with 1 tbsp (15 mL) softened butter. Place in preheated 350°F (180°C) oven for 5 minutes to warm. In a skillet, heat 1 tbsp
(15 mL) butter, add celeriac and saute until soft, about 4 minutes. Add reserved gnocchi, chicken stock and remaining butter. Simmer until stock has slightly thickened and coats gnocchi. Add truffle oil and adjust seasoning.

To serve: divide gnocchi among 4 plates; top gnocchi with a lobster claw that has been sliced on the diagonal.

Whisk the lobster emulsion to create a froth and gently spoon around gnocchi. If using truffles, shave slices on top to garnish plates.

Serves 4.

Gnocchi

• 2 medium russet potatoes
• ½ to ¾ cup (125-175 mL) all-purpose flour
• 2 egg yolks, beaten
• 1 tsp (5 mL) salt
• olive oil

Bake potatoes in a preheated 375°F/190°C oven for 1 hour or until completely cooked. Peel potatoes while still warm, and mash or press through a ricer. Place warm potatoes in a bowl and make a well in the centre. To the well, add ½ cup (125 mL) flour, egg yolks and salt; gently fold with a wooden spoon until ingredients are incorporated and the mixture is on the wet side. Roll the dough into a ball and portion into three pieces.

On a floured word-surface, roll each piece of dough into 1/8-inch (0.25-cm) strips and cut into ½-inch (1-cm) pieces. Drop pieces into a large pot of boiling water and cook until the gnocchi float to the top. Remove gnocchi with a slotted spoon, place on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Cool and reserve.

Lobster Emulsion

• 2 tomatoes, chopped
• 1/3 cup (75 mL) diced carrot
• 1 ½ tbsp (20 mL) fresh tarragon
• 2 cups (500 mL) heavy cream (35% M.F.)

In a saucepan over medium-high heat, add bodies and sauté for 2 minutes; add carrots and tarragon and sauté for an additional 2 minutes. Add enough water to on low heat for 1 hour.

Strain stock through a fine-mesh strainer into a small saucepan. Return stock to simmer and reduce to 1 cup.

Add cream and simmer until reduced to 2 cups. Keep warm.

The addition of wild portobello and porcini mushrooms gives this Northern Italian entrée a delicate woodsy flavour.

• 1 oz (30 g) dried porcini mushrooms
• ½ cup (125 mL) white wine
• 4 lobsters (1 ½ lb/650 g each) cooking stock (recipe follows)
• ¼ cup (60 mL) butter
• 1 small onion, diced
• 12 oz (375 g) fresh portobello mushrooms, stems removed
• 2 cups (500 mL) tomato sauce
• 6 fresh basil leaves (or ¼ tsp/1 mL dried) salt and pepper to taste

Soak porcini mushrooms in white wine and let stand for 30 minutes.

Prepare lobsters according to cooking stock directions (see below). Carefully remove meat from claws and tails; keep warm.

In a large skillet, melt butter, add onion and sauté until translucent. Slice portobello mushrooms ¼ inch (0.5 cm) thick and add to onions. Sauté until tender, approximately 5 minutes. Add porcini mushrooms, wine, tomato sauce and basil, cooking until sauce is reduced and slightly thickened. Season with salt and pepper.

To serve, spoon sauce onto four plates and arrange lobster on top in its original shape.

Serves 4.

Stock

• 8 cups (2 L) water
• 4 tbsp (60 mL) coarse salt
• 1 medium onion, quartered
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• 1 medium carrot, chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 sprig parsley
• 1 sprig thyme
• 1 lemon, quartered

In a large stockpot, combine all ingredients. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Return to a hard boil, plunge lobsters into water and bring back to a boil. Reduce heat and cook lobsters for 16 minutes.

Remove lobsters and cool to room temperature.

• 2 lobsters (1 lb/450 g each)
• 1/2 cup (125 mL) melted butter
• 1 lemon, sliced in wedges romaine leaves, as garnish parsley sprigs, as garnish

Use a steamer pot or place a vegetable steamer in an appropriately sized pot with enough water to cover the bottom of the steamer by 1 inch (2.5 cm). Bring the water to a hard boil, place lobsters in the steamer and cover. Cooking time will vary depending on the size of the lobsters, but a 1-pound (0.5-kg) lobster is cooked in 15 minutes.

When cooked, remove the lobster from the pot and briefly cool under cold water. For ease of eating, crack the lobster in the kitchen: place the lobster upside down; take a cleaver and place the point at the beginning of the tail; slice down the middle, breaking right through the outer shell. With the lobster still on its back, bring the cleaver sharply down on each claw and twist sideways, forcing the claw shell apart.

For presentation, put two romaine leaves on a plate and place the lobster on top, with the front covering the stems of the romaine. Between the claws place a small bowl of melted butter. Position two lemon wedges where the claws join the body and parsley sprigs between the lemons and along the cut made in the tail. Take a paper towel dipped in a small amount of the melted butter and rub over the lobster shell.

Bon appetit!

Serves 2.

Souffle is accompanied by assorted greens dressed with a fresh herb vinaigrette. Always serve a souffle straight from the oven before it collapses.

• 16 cups (4 L) water
• 1 tbsp (15 mL) salt
• 1 medium onion, peeled and halved
• 1 medium carrot, peeled and diced
• 2 stalks celery
• 2 small bay leaves 4 whole cloves
• 6 whole allspice
• 2-3 tomatoes, cut in chunks
• 1 tbsp (15 mL) paprika
• 1 ½ lb (650 g) lobster
• 2 tbsp (30 mL) unsalted butter
• 2 tbsp (30 mL) all-purpose flour
• 1 cup (250 mL) reserved lobster stock
• ¼ cup (60 mL) heavy cream (35% M.F.), warmed
• ¼ tsp (1 mL) lemon juice
• 1 tbsp (15 mL) brandy
• 6 whole eggs, separated
• salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste

Pour water into large stockpot Add salt, onion, carrot, celery, bay, cloves, allspice, tomatoes and paprika.

Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes. Return to full boil, add lobster, cover and cook 15 minutes.

Remove lobster from pot and set aside to cool. Keep stock hot.

Twist the tail and claws from the lobster body. Remove meat from shells, cut into small chunks and reserve.

Split body in half, place in stockpot and return to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 1 hour. Strain, discarding solids and reserving stock.

Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). In a heavy saucepan, melt butter and whisk in flour. Cook over low heat for 1 minute, then add cream and 1 cup (250 mL) reserved lobster stock. Bring to a boil, whisking constantly until sauce thickens. Remove from heat; whisk in lemon juice, brandy and egg yolks. Add lobster meat, season with salt and pepper and set aside.

Butter and lightly flour a 2-quart (2-L) souffle dish. Beat egg whites until stiff, but not dry, then gently fold in the lobster mixture. Pour into souffle dish and bake for 15-20 minutes, until puffed and browned. Serve immediately.

Serves 4.