Lobster Souffle Food

LOBSTER SOUFFLE

Steps:

• Grease a 10" square casserole or soufflé dish.
• Arrange the seafood, cheese and bread into layers in the prepared dish.
• Pour the melted butter over the mixture.
• In a medium bowl beat the eggs. Add the mustard, salt and milk, mixing well.
• Pour the casserole and let sit for 3 hours or overnight.
• Bake in a 350 oven for 1 hour.

LOBSTER AND CORN BISQUE

Steps:

• Prepare the lobster: Cook the lobsters in boiling salted water for 3 to 4 minutes, or until slightly underdone. Remove from the water and let cool slightly. Remove the lobster meat from the shells, reserving the meat and the shells. Coarsely chop the lobster meat.
• Prepare the corn: Remove husks from the corn and cut kernels off the cobs. Reserve the corn, cobs, and half of the husks.
• Make the bisque: Place the lobster shells, corn cobs, husks, bay leaves, thyme sprigs, and peppercorns in a stockpot and add enough water to barely cover. Simmer for 45 minutes, then strain through a fine mesh sieve, discarding the solids. Place the broth in a large saucepan and simmer over medium heat for 45 minutes, or until reduced to 1 1/2 quarts. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• In a small saucepan, place half of the corn kernels and the heavy cream. Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, or until the cream is reduced to about 1 cup. Remove from the heat and puree until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Cook the bacon over medium-low heat for 10 minutes, or until the fat is rendered but not brown. Remove the bacon from the pan and discard. Saute the remaining corn, the potatoes, and onion in the bacon fat over medium heat for 10 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. Drain any fat from the pan, add the pureed corn mixture, and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, or until thick. Add the lobster stock in small additions until the desired consistency is reached. Add the lobster meat to the pan and whisk in the butter just prior to serving.
• Ladle the soup into 10 bowls and sprinkle with the chervil leaves. Top with freshly ground black pepper to taste.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
• Slice each piece of bread on the diagonal into triangular pieces. To shape each crouton, slice off the crust on one side of the triangle, then make a parallel slice, removing a corner of the bread. Trim the remaining crust with three small cuts to make a wedge.
• Spread the butter with your fingers in the center of a cookie sheet. Press each wedge into the butter and rub gently to coat on one side, then turn it over, buttered side up. Arrange all the wedges on the buttered area of the sheet and place in the oven. Toast the croutons for 8 to 10 minutes, until nicely colored and crisp.
• To serve, pile the fresh parsley in a small mound. Dip the point of the toasted wedge into the beef-stew sauce, then press the moistened end into the parsley to coat. Arrange 2 croutons on every serving plate or bowl of stew.

LOBSTER SOUFFLE

Steps:

• For the lobsters: Place the lobsters into a large stainless-steel pot and add about 4 cups of water. Cover, and bring to a strong boil, which may take nearly 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium, and continue boiling gently, still covered, for about 5 minutes. Set aside, covered, for 30 to 45 minutes, until the lobsters in the pot are cool enough to handle. Retain the broth for use in the sauce. Break off the tails and claws from each of the lobsters, and crack the shells, taking care to retain any liquid released and add it to the broth. Remove all the meat, split the tail in half lengthwise, and remove and discard the intestinal tract. Cut each half tail into 3 or 4 pieces, and halve the claw meat. Arrange all the meat in a gratin dish lined with plastic wrap. Set aside. The recipe can be prepared ahead to this point and refrigerated. Reserve the shells for the sauce.
• For the Americaine sauce: Heat the olive oil in a very large saucepan. Cut the lobster bodies open, and remove and reserve any liquid tomalley or row in a bowl. Cut each body into 4 or 5 pieces and add to the pan along with the shells from the tails and claws. Saute over high heat for 10 to 12 minutes, until the shells begin to brown and become crusty, and most of the moisture has evaporated. Add 2 tablespoons cognac to the pan and carefully light it to flambe the shells. Add the onion, carrot, and celery and cook with the shells for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the tomato, thyme, tarragon, bay leaves, tomato paste, wine, and reserved lobster broth. Bring to a boil and boil gently for 40 to 45 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
• Strain the mixture through a colander set over a bowl, and shake the colander to get out as much juice as possible. Strain the juice again through a very fine strainer. Pour the liquid into a saucepan and reduce it to about 3 cups. Mix the potato starch (or arrowroot or cornstarch) with the water and stir it into the boiling reduced liquid. Return it to a boil and stir in 1/2 cup heavy cream, remaining 2 teaspoons cognac, and salt and pepper to taste. The sauce is now ready. Break cold butter into pieces and distribute them on top of the sauce. When the butter has melted, spread it lightly over the surface of the sauce with the tines of a fork. This will prevent the sauce from forming a skin or discoloring. The butter will be stirred into the sauce at serving time.
• Prepare the lobster:
• When you are ready to complete the recipe, melt 4 tablespoons butter. Unwrap the plastic wrap from the reserved lobster and pour the butter gently over the meat. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle on the tarragon. Bring the plastic wrap back over the lobster meat so the meat is held tightly together and can soak up the butter.
• For the souffle: Make the bechamel sauce by melting 3 tablespoons butter in a saucepan and cooking until it is light brown in color to give some intensity to the sauce. Add the flour and mix well. Stir in the milk and season with salt and pepper. Mix well with a whisk, bring to a boil, and boil for about 30 seconds. Continue whisking while adding 4 egg yolks to the hot bechamel and stir well to incorporate. (Reserve the remaining 2 egg yolks for another recipe.)
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly butter a 6 or 7-cup gratin dish and sprinkle with 2 to 3 tablespoon of the grated Parmesan, tilting the dish so the cheese sticks to the butter and coats the bottom and sides. Tap out and reserve any excess cheese for use on top of the souffle. Beat the 6 egg whites until firm but not dry. Add about 1/3 of the egg whites to the bechamel and mix with a whisk to incorporate. Add the remaining whites and the Gruyere and fold in with a rubber spatula. It is important to work quickly so the beaten egg white gets incorporated into the mixture without getting grainy. Pour into the prepared dish and sprinkle on the remaining Parmesan. Place in the center of the oven and bake for about 35 minutes, or until golden, crusty, and brown.
• While the souffle bakes, place the lobster meat into a 170 degree F oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or just until warmed through, leaving it in the plastic wrap. The lobster should be warm but not hot. If heated too fast or at too high a temperature, it toughens. Just before serving, heat 6 soup plates in the oven.
• Divide the lobster meat among the warm soup plates, bring the sauce to a boil, and spoon it over the lobster meat in each plate. Spread the meat to create a little space in the center of each plate. Spoon about 1 cup of the souffle, along with some of the crust, into the middle of each plate. Garnish with truffle slices, if using.

HUMMERSUFFLE - SWEDISH LOBSTER SOUFFLé

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F
• Melt butter and blend in flour. Add cream gradually, stirring constantly. Cook till mixture is smooth and thick, remove from heat and allow sauce to cool.
• Beat in egg yolks 1 at a time. Add salt and pepper. Fold lobster and dill into mixture and set aside.
• Beat egg whites till stiff (but not dry) and fold into lobster mixture.
• Butter a 2-quart soufflé dish and coat it w/fine dry bread crumbs (bread crumbs are optional, but they are used in Sweden).
• Pour soufflé mixture into dish & bake about 30-40 minutes or till puffed and golden. Serve immediately (serve with steamed potatoes and butter or hollandaise).
• NOTE ON RECIPE: "Though the quantities of the soufflé can be doubled, it is far better to make 2 smaller soufflés rather than 1 large one. Smaller soufflés bake better.".

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.