Be the first to Lobster is cooked in a cream sauce with sherry and brandy. This is a famous classic American dish served over toast points. As the story goes, it was devised by Ben Wenburg, a habitual patron of New York City's famous Delmonico's restaurant. After a falling out between the customer and the restaurant, the dish was renamed Newburg.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
- 3 (1-1/2-pound) live lobsters
- 1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter
- 2 Tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon medium-dry sherry
- 3 Tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon brandy
- 1-1/2 cups heavy cream
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- Cayenne to taste
- 4 large egg yolks, beaten well
- Toast points as an accompaniment
Preparation:
Into a large kettle of boiling salted water plunge the lobsters, head first, and boil them, covered, for 8 minutes from the time the water returns to a boil. Transfer the lobsters with tongs to a cutting board and let them cool until they can be handled.
Break off the claws at the body and crack them. Remove the claw meat and cut it into 1/2-inch pieces. Halve the lobsters length-wise along the undersides, remove the meat from the tails, discarding the bodies, and cut it into 1/2-inch pieces.
In a heavy saucepan cook the lobster meat in the butter over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons of the sherry and 3 tablespoons of the brandy, and cook the mixture, stirring, for 2 minutes. Transfer the lobster meat with a slotted spoon to a bowl.
Add the cream to the sherry mixture and boil the mixture until it is reduced to about 1 cup. Reduce the heat to low and stir in the remaining 1 teaspoon sherry, the remaining 1 teaspoon brandy, the nutmeg, the cayenne, and salt to taste. Whisk in the yolks, cook the mixture, whisking constantly, until it registers 140 degrees F. on a deep-fat thermometer, and cook it, whisking, for 3 minutes more.
Stir in the lobster meat and serve the lobster Newburg over the toast.
Yield: 6 servings
Recipe Source: Best of Gourmet 1991 (Conde Nast)
Reprinted with permission.
Break off the claws at the body and crack them. Remove the claw meat and cut it into 1/2-inch pieces. Halve the lobsters length-wise along the undersides, remove the meat from the tails, discarding the bodies, and cut it into 1/2-inch pieces.
In a heavy saucepan cook the lobster meat in the butter over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons of the sherry and 3 tablespoons of the brandy, and cook the mixture, stirring, for 2 minutes. Transfer the lobster meat with a slotted spoon to a bowl.
Add the cream to the sherry mixture and boil the mixture until it is reduced to about 1 cup. Reduce the heat to low and stir in the remaining 1 teaspoon sherry, the remaining 1 teaspoon brandy, the nutmeg, the cayenne, and salt to taste. Whisk in the yolks, cook the mixture, whisking constantly, until it registers 140 degrees F. on a deep-fat thermometer, and cook it, whisking, for 3 minutes more.
Stir in the lobster meat and serve the lobster Newburg over the toast.
Yield: 6 servings
Recipe Source: Best of Gourmet 1991 (Conde Nast)
Reprinted with permission.
