Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup plus 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Dash of cayenne pepper
- 3/4 cup (1/4 pound plus 4 Tablespoons butter)
- 1/4 cup plus 2 Tablespoons dry sherry
- 1 quart half-and-half
- 6 extra-large egg yolks, slightly beaten
- 2-1/2 cups boiled lobster meat cut into small, bite-sized pieces (about 2 pounds uncooked lobster tails)
- 1 cup buttered bread crumbs
- Sprigs of fresh lemon thyme (optional)
Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter twelve 5-inch-diameter by 1-inch-deep round baking dishes appropriate for serving; set aside.In a small bowl, place the flour, salt, and cayenne pepper; stir to combine; set aside.
In the top of a double boiler, over low boiling water, melt the butter. Remove the top of the double boiler from the bottom pan. Add the flour mixture to the melted butter; stir until perfectly smooth. Add the sherry and half-and-half; stir in. Return the top of the double boiler to the bottom pan. Over low boiling water, cook the mixture until heated through.
In a small bowl, spoon some of the hot mixture into the egg yolks and stir in. Add the egg yolk mixture to the mixture in the double boiler; stir vigorously to blend. Continue cooking and stirring until the mixture begins to thicken. Add the lobster and cook just until the mixture thickens, stirring constantly. Remove the top of the double boiler.
Using a slotted spoon, distribute the hot lobster meat among the 12 prepared baking dishes, spreading the meat evenly on the bottom of each dish. Then, fill each dish with sauce. Top with buttered crumbs. Bake 5 minutes or until hot.
Preheat the broiler.
Place the baking dishes of scalloped lobster under the broiler; brown lightly. Garnish the top of each serving with a small sprig of lemon thyme, if desired. Place each baking dish on a doily-lined, salad-sized plate.
Yield: 12 servings
Note: Follow the same recipe substituting boiled Alaskan king crab for the lobster meat to make Scalloped King Crab.
Recipe Source: Blue Ribbon Country Cookbook by Diane Roupe (Clarkson Potter)
Reprinted with permission.
