Lobster Gratin With Seafood Fumet

LOBSTER GRATIN WITH SEAFOOD FUMET

Steps:

• Before starting this Lobster Gratin with Seafood Fumet recipe, organise all the necessary ingredients.
• Fill a large saucepan with 5 litres of water and bring to a boil. There should be enough to immerse the lobster completely.
• Add the thyme sprigs, coarse salt, white wine, garlic cloves and crushed peppercorns.
• Bring to a boil.
• When the stock starts boiling, immerse the lobster. The lobster should be totally immersed.
• Cooking time is 1 minute per 100 grams. Wait for the water to boil again and took for the appropriate length.
• If your lobster weighs 500 grams, cook for 5 minutes.
• When cooked, strain the lobster and transfer into a dish. Set aside.
• For the sauce: Organise all the necessary ingredients.
• Pour the veal stock in the saucepan...
• ... as well as the seafood fumet.
• Place on high heat...
• ... and bring to a boil. Cook until reduced by half.
• In the meantime, remove the head on the lobster.
• Using seafood scissors, cut the lobster shell on the underside, starting from the tail.
• Set aside the meat extracted from the tail. Crack the shell from the claws using shellfish pliers. Set aside.
• When the stock has reduced by half...
• ... add the cold butter. The butter will bind the sauce. Set aside.
• Cut the claw meat into small cubes.
• Cut the tail into medallions (2 or 3 per person). Keep the best looking pieces for the decoration. With the scraps from the tail meat, cut into small cubes and mix with the claw meat.
• Add the diced lobster meat to the sauce and combine well.
• Using a mandolin slicer, slice the black truffle...
• ... to a thickness that doesn't exceed 4 or 5 mm.
• Cut the truffle slices into strips, then cut into small cubes.
• Add the truffle dices to the sauce...
• ... and combine gently. Set aside.
• For the pasta: I used pasta shaped like long tubes (Candele) for this recipe. I also recommend pasta Zita 18.
• Cook the pasta in salted boiling water. Wait for the water to start boiling before immersing the pasta. Cook between 6 and 8 minutes.
• For the sabayon: Organise all the necessary ingredients.
• Pour the veal stock in the saucepan...
• ... as well as the seafood fumet...
• ... and cook until reduced by half.
• Add the butter...
• ... and give the pan rotating motions over the heat. The butter will incorporate slowly.
• When the butter is completely incorporated...
• ... transfer a little bit in a separate recipient.
• When the sauce is warm, add the egg yolks...
• ... and combine with a whisk...
• ... and continue whisking over medium heat...
• ... until the sabayon starts to thicken. Set aside.
• When cooked, strain the pasta in a colander. Arrange the pasta tubes on a sheet of greaseproof paper, sticking them next to each other lengthwise.
• I recommend serving this dish in a deep plate with well. Cut a disc of pasta with a stainless steel ring to the same diameter as the central well in the plate. Set aside.
• Beat the whipping cream until you obtain a whipped cream. Reserve in the fridge.
• In your serving plate...
• ... pour some lobster and truffle sauce at the bottom of the well...
• ... and spread evenly.
• Using a greased spatula, lift the pasta disc...
• ... and arrange it in the plate over the lobster sauce.
• Add the whipped cream to the warm sabayon.
• Spread a couple of teaspoons of sabayon over the pasta...
• ... making sure it doesn't leak on the sides.
• Using a small palette knife...
• ... spread the sabayon over the whole surface.
• Place the dish under a grill or salamander until the surface is golden.
• This should take only a few minutes. Remove from the grill.
• Coat the lobster medallions with the rest of the lobster sauce.
• Carefully handle the lobster medallions with the small palette knife...
• ... and arrange them over the pasta gratin.
• Serve 2 or 3 lobster medallions per plate. Enjoy immediately!

FUMET

Steps:

• Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, leek, fennel fronds, and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened, about 6 minutes. Add lobster shells and shrimp shells, parsley, and bay leaf; cook, stirring occasionally, 2 minutes. Stir in wine, clam juice, tomatoes, and 1 1/2 cups water. Reduce heat to medium low; simmer, stirring occasionally, 20 minutes.
• Pour stock through a fine sieve into a medium bowl; discard solids. Add saffron and cayenne. Season with salt.

SEAFOOD GRATIN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Place 4 individual gratin dishes on sheet pans. (If recipe is doubled serve it in a 14 by 9 1/4-inch oval gratin dish.)
• Combine the stock, cream, 1/2 cup of the wine, the tomato puree, and saffron in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and add the shrimp. After 3 minutes, use a slotted spoon to remove the shrimp to a bowl. Add the halibut to the stock for 3 minutes, until just cooked through, and remove to the same bowl. Add the cooked lobster to the bowl.
• Continue to cook the sauce until reduced by half, about 12 minutes. Mash 1 tablespoon of the butter together with the flour. Whisk the butter mixture into the sauce along with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Simmer, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 5 minutes. Set aside.
• Melt 3 tablespoons of the butter in a medium saute pan. Add the leeks and carrots and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, until softened. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons of wine, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and cook for 5 to 10 minutes, until tender. Set aside.
• Combine the panko, Parmesan, parsley, tarragon, and garlic. Melt the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter and mix it into the crumbs until they're moistened.
• Divide the seafood among the 4 gratin dishes. Strew the vegetables on top of each dish. Pour the sauce equally over the seafood and vegetables and spoon the crumbs evenly on top. Bake for 20 minutes, until the top is browned and the sauce is bubbly. Serve hot.

LOBSTER AND MACARONI GRATIN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large saute pan, heat the butter. When the butter is melted, add the lobster meat and saute until the lobster meat has turned red. Add the Cognac and flame. Stir in the carrots, celery, shallots, and garlic. Add the port, bouquet garni, and 2 3/4 cup of the creme fraiche. Season with salt and pepper. Cover the saute pan and simmer for 15 minutes on low heat. Remove the lobster meat. Chop the claw and tail meat into 1/4 inch slices. Whisk in the reserved coral and tomalley into the cream mixture. Fold in the lobster meat and pasta. Season with salt and pepper. Divide the mixture between the 6 individual ramekins. In a small mixing bowl, whisk the remaining creme fraiche until thick. Fold in the egg yolk and Gruyere. Season with salt and pepper. Top each ramekin with the cheese mixture. Place in the oven and cook for 8-10 minutes or until the top is lightly browned. Place on a plate. Garnish with whole lobster claw meat, grated cheese, long chives, and chopped chives.

FUMET

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion, leek, fennel fronds, and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened, about 6 minutes. Add the lobster shells and shrimp shells, parsley, and bay leaf; cook, stirring occasionally, 2 minutes. Stir in the wine, clam juice, tomatoes, and 1 1/2 cups water. Reduce heat to medium low; simmer, stirring occasionally, 20 minutes.
• Pour the stock through a fine sieve into a medium bowl; discard the solids. Add the saffron and cayenne. Season with salt. The fumet can be stored in the freezer up to 3 months.

LOBSTER GRATIN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450°F. Spray four 6-oz. custard cups or souffle dishes with cooking spray. Place on baking sheet; set aside. Mix cracker crumbs and Parmesan cheese; set aside.
• Bring milk just to boil in medium saucepan on medium heat; cook 1 min. Add cream cheese; stir with wire whisk until cream cheese is completely melted and mixture is well blended. Add lobster and onions; cook 2 min. or until heated through. Spoon evenly into prepared custard cups; sprinkle with the crumb mixture.
• Bake 10 min. or until crumb topping is golden brown. Serve warm.

FISH FUMET

Steps:

• Sweat the bones and vegetables Heat the oil in a medium stockpot over medium heat until hot but not smoking. Add fish parts, celery, and leek. Cover and cook, stirring once or twice, until vegetables are soft and translucent and flesh on the bones has turned opaque but not brown, about 3 minutes.
• Make stock Add wine and reduce by half, 3 to 5 minutes, then add enough water to cover by 1/2 inch (about 2 quarts) along with the bay leaf and peppercorns. Bring to just under a boil over medium-high heat, skimming foam with a ladle as it rises to the surface, then reduce heat and gently simmer (bubbles should just gently break the surface) for 35 minutes, skimming frequently.
• Strain stock Pass mixture through a fine sieve into a heatproof bowl or another pot (do not press on solids), discarding solids. Skim off fat. If not using immediately, let cool completely (in an ice-water bath, if desired) before transferring to airtight containers. Fish fumet can be refrigerated in airtight containers for up to 2 days or frozen for up to 3 months; thaw completely in the refrigerator before using.
• Ask your fishmonger to save the bones and heads from the fish in advance; firm-fleshed white fish, such as snapper, bass, and halibut, work best. Avoid oily fish (such as mackerel and tuna).

LOBSTER AU GRATIN

Steps:

• Heat margarine over medium heat until hot and bubbly, add shallots and saute until soft, about 1 ominute. Sprinkle with flour and stir quickly and constantly for 1 minute. Gradually stir in wine and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, add milk and mustard and cook stirring constanly until thick. (Do not boil) Add lobster and cook until lobster is heated, about 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in all but 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese and remove from heat. Divide mixture into 2 au gratin dishes or 1 1/2 cup casserole dish. In small bowl combine parsley, bread crumbs and remaining 2 tablespoons of parmesan cheese and sprinkle half of mixture over each portion. Broil until topping is browned.