Lobster Voodoo Food

ENSENADA LOBSTER THERMIDOR

Steps:

• Bring a large stock pot of water to a boil. Add the salt, onion, bay leaf, peppercorns, lemon, and garlic. Let simmer to infuse the water, about 5 minutes, and then add the lobster and cook for 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the lobster from the water and place in a bowl of ice water. When cool, remove the legs and set aside. Starting at the center of each lobster, cut in half lengthwise along the back, and clean out the tomalley, adding to the bowl with the legs. Remove the tail and claw meat and roughly chop. Save the legs, claw shells, and tomalley for another purpose, such as stock. Rinse the shells for serving.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• In a medium saute pan, add the butter, oil and chorizo and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the red bell pepper and garlic and saute until the garlic is cooked, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the flour and cook until roux is blonde in color, 3 to 4 minutes more. Slowly stir in the milk and cook until thickened. Add the white wine, tarragon, Dijon, pepper, lemon juice and 1/4 cup Parmesan. Remove from the heat.
• Combine the lobster meat and sauce and fill the cleaned lobster shells with the mixture. Top with the panko and remaining Parmesan.
• Place on a baking sheet and cook until the top browns, 8 to 12 minutes.

LOBSTER TAILS THERMIDOR

Steps:

• Bring a pot of water to a boil, 3 or 4 inches deep. Add lobster tails to the water and boil 7 to 8 minutes. Drain and shock under cold water to cool. Use kitchen scissors to cut away soft underside of tails. Remove meat and save the shells, arranging them in a shallow casserole dish. Chop the cooked meat on an angle into chunks.
• Preheat your broiler to high.
• Heat a medium skillet and a small saucepot over medium heat. To the small saucepot, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Add finely chopped onion and cook 3 to 5 minutes until very soft. To the skillet, add remaining 2 tablespoons butter. When the butter melts, add chopped lobster meat and saute.
• Add flour to sauce pot with onions and cook together another 1 to 2 minutes. Whisk in wine or sherry, then milk. Remove sauce from heat and stir in cheddar cheese and paprika or crab boil. Season sauce with salt and pepper. Pour sauce over lobster meat and stir to combine. Pour lobster into and over the shells in a casserole dish and top with Parmesan and bread crumbs. Broil on high until golden, 2 or 3 minutes. Serve each tail, spilling over with lobster bits in sauce, on a bed of mixed baby greens and parsley with wedges of lemon along side.
• To make this dish with jumbo shrimp, cut up peeled, deveined raw shrimp. Saute the shrimp in butter, as with cooked lobster. Cook until pink and firm and proceed with method. Place the shrimp and sauce into a small casserole, then spoon completed shrimp Thermidor over bed of greens and parsley leaves.

VOODOO PASTA

Steps:

• Cook pasta according to package directions; drain.
• While pasta is cooking, cut sausage into 1/4-inch slices. Place in bowl and sprinkle with seasoning; toss lightly to evenly coat.
• Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat for 3 minutes. Add sausage; cook and stir for 3-4 minutes or until lightly browned. Stir in Alfredo sauce, parsley and hot sauce to taste; heat through.
• Pour over pasta and toss until well coated. Serve immediately.