Be the first to Lobster is simmered in a tomato sauce with shallots, garlic, tarragon, and thyme, then flamed with cognac for a truly impressive dish. Be sure to read the flambe tips before you begin. Cooking the lobster with its shell adds extra flavor, but you may remove the shell before cooking, if you wish. Serve with a rice pilaf for a complete meal.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Ingredients:
- 3 pounds lobster
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 3 Tablespoons butter
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 6 shallots, finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic, peeled and chopped
- 6 ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped
- 3 Tablespoons chopped parsley
- 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh, or 1 teaspoon dried, tarragon
- 1-1/2 teaspoons thyme
- 1/2 bay leaf
- 1-1/2 cups white wine
- 3 Tablespoons tomato paste
- Cayenne pepper
- Salt
- 1/4 cup cognac
Preparation:
Wash the lobsters well. With a very sharp heavy knife cut medallions of the tail, cutting through the markings in the tail. Cut the body in half, clean it, and save the liver and coral, if any, for the sauce. Remove the claws.
Heat the olive oil and add the pieces of lobster. Toss them around in the oil until the shells have turned red and the meat is seared. Remove the meat and shells to a hot platter.
Add the butter to the pan with the olive oil and saute the onions and shallots until lightly colored. Add the garlic, tomatoes, parsley, tarragon, thyme, bay leaf, and white wine and let it simmer for 30 minutes. Add the tomato paste and season to taste.
Pour the cognac over the lobster pieces and ignite. Then put them in the sauce, cover, and simmer for about 20 minutes. At the last, stir in the liver and lobster coral.
Serve with a rice pilaf.
Yield: 2 servings
Recipe Source: James Beard's New Fish Cookery by James Beard (Little Brown)
Reprinted with permission.
Heat the olive oil and add the pieces of lobster. Toss them around in the oil until the shells have turned red and the meat is seared. Remove the meat and shells to a hot platter.
Add the butter to the pan with the olive oil and saute the onions and shallots until lightly colored. Add the garlic, tomatoes, parsley, tarragon, thyme, bay leaf, and white wine and let it simmer for 30 minutes. Add the tomato paste and season to taste.
Pour the cognac over the lobster pieces and ignite. Then put them in the sauce, cover, and simmer for about 20 minutes. At the last, stir in the liver and lobster coral.
Serve with a rice pilaf.
Yield: 2 servings
Recipe Source: James Beard's New Fish Cookery by James Beard (Little Brown)
Reprinted with permission.
