Lobster With Thermidor Butter Food

LOBSTER THERMIDOR

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and set aside.
• Bring a pot of salted water containing the lemons, quartered onion, and bouquet garni to a boil. Add the lobsters and cook until red and firm, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer the lobsters to an ice bath to stop the cooking process.
• When the lobsters are cool enough to handle, cut in half lengthwise with a heavy sharp knife and carefully extract the tail meat. Remove the large claws from the body and gently crack with the back of a heavy knife to extract the meat. Gently pull the front legs from the shell and discard. Dice the tail meat and claw meat and set aside.
• Place the halved lobster shells on a baking sheet, cut sides down, and roast until dry, 5 to 6 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheet.
• Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallots and garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the flour and whisk to combine. Cook, stirring constantly with a heavy wooden spoon to make a light roux, about 2 minutes. Add the cognac and cook, stirring, for 10 seconds. Add the milk slowly, stirring constantly to incorporate. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, 2 to 3 minutes. Slowly add the cream, stirring constantly, until all is incorporated. Cook, stirring, over medium heat for 1 minute. (The mixture will be very thick.) Add the salt and pepper and stir well.
• Remove from the heat and stir in 1/2 cup of the cheese, the mustard, tarragon, and parsley. Fold in the lobster meat. Divide the mixture among the lobster shells and place stuffed side up on a clean baking sheet. Sprinkle the top of each lobster with a portion of the remaining cheese and broil until the top is golden brown, 5 minutes.
• Place 1 lobster half on each of 4 large plates, garnish with additional parsley, and serve immediately.
• Place the bay leaf, thyme, parsley sprigs, and peppercorns in the center of a 6-inch square piece of cheesecloth or a large paper coffee filter. Draw up the sides to form a pouch and tie with kitchen twine or unflavored dental floss.

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.

LOBSTER THERMIDOR

Steps:

• Put the milk, bay leaves, onion and peppercorns in a small pan. Bring to the boil, then set aside for 10 minutes for the flavours to infuse.
• Meanwhile, remove the meat from the cooked lobster and cut it into small, chunky pieces. Keep the tomalley (the grey-green liver) and any roe separate. Put the cleaned out half-shells in a small baking tray. Preheat the grill to high.
• For the sauce, reheat the milk gently. Melt 20g of the butter in another small pan, stir in the flour and cook for a few seconds. Strain in a little of the hot milk and whisk until smooth. Gradually whisk in the rest of the milk, bring to the boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring now and then. You should be left with 200ml sauce with the consistency of thick cream.
• While the sauce is simmering, melt the remaining butter in another small pan, add the shallots and cook gently until soft but not browned. Add the wine, turn up the heat and simmer rapidly until the liquid has almost disappeared. Stir in the white sauce, together with the mustard, tarragon, chives, cream (if using), cayenne pepper and 25g of the grated cheese. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.
• Stir the lobster meat into the sauce, with the tomalley and any roe if you wish, then divide the mixture equally between the cleaned half-shells. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese, slide under the grill, then cook for 3-4 minutes until golden and bubbling. Serve with new potatoes and a light, green salad.

LOBSTER WITH THERMIDOR BUTTER

Steps:

• First make the butter. Put the wine and shallot into a pan, then bring to the boil and simmer until nearly dry. Tip into a bowl to cool, mix all the ingredients together, roll into a log, using cling film or foil, then chill to harden. Can be frozen for up to 1 month.
• Snap away the claws from the lobster. Using a large chef's knife, cut the lobster in half and wash the head cavity under cold water, then dry with kitchen paper. Lay the lobsters, cut side up, on a baking tray. Crack the claws and remove the claw meat. Divide claw meat between the head cavities. This can be done the day before and the lobster kept in the fridge ready for grilling.
• Heat grill to high. Slice the butter into thin rounds and lay it along the lobsters so all the meat is covered. Grill for 5-8 mins until the butter is bubbling and starting to brown. Put the lobsters on plates, pouring any butter from the tray over them. Serve with new potatoes and some dressed salad leaves.

LOBSTER THERMIDOR

Steps:

• Heat oven to 450 degrees.
• Saute onion and mushrooms in butter.
• Blend in flour and seasonings.
• Cook over low heat until bubbly.
• Remove from heat and stir in cream, chicken broth and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to boil, stirring constantly.
• Boil 1 minute. Add egg yolk, flavoring and lobster.
• Place mixture in shell of lobster or individual baking dishes and sprinkle with 3 tablespoons fine buttered cracker or dry bread crumbs.
• Bake 5 minutes.

CHEF JOHN'S LOBSTER THERMIDOR

Steps:

• Cut bottom shell of lobster tails using kitchen shears along each side where it meets the top shell; do not remove the shell at this point.
• Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Place lobster tails cut side down in the butter. Cook, covered, about 3 minutes. Turn lobster tails over (they are curved so will lean to 1 side); cover and cook 1 minute. Lean them to the other side; cover and cook 1 minute more.
• Remove from heat. Transfer lobster tails to a bowl. Remove any shell pieces from the skillet.
• Place 1 tablespoon butter in the skillet over medium heat; add shallots and pinch of salt. Cook and stir until pan starts to deglaze and shallots soften, 3 to 4 minutes. Add mushrooms; cook stir until golden brown, 5 to 6 minutes. Add flour; stir until mushrooms are coated and cook for 2 minutes. Pour in cognac; use a kitchen torch to flame cognac to burn off alcohol. This will take just a few seconds. Add milk; cook and stir until pan is completely deglazed and milk begins to thicken and turn bubbly, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in creme fraiche. Let cool.
• Remove lobster meat from the shell, leaving top shell intact. Remove any bits of bottom shell from the meat.
• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Line a baking pan with crinkled up foil. Make 4 channel-like indentations in the foil to hold and stabilize the lobster tails as they bake.
• Slice lobster meat down the middle and check for and remove any dark veins. Chop into 1/2-inch pieces. Transfer meat to a mixing bowl. Add cooled sauce, tarragon, pinch of salt, and cayenne pepper. Stir gently until well blended.
• Divide mixture among the lobster tail shells; place in prepared foil-lined pan. Sprinkle each lobster tail with about 1/2 teaspoon bread crumbs and 1/2 teaspoon grated cheese. Drizzle melted butter on the stuffed shells.
• Bake in preheated oven until nicely browned and heated through, about 10 minutes. If you like, you can turn on the broiler and broil 1 minute until tops are golden and crispy.

JAMES MARTIN'S LOBSTER THERMIDOR

Steps:

• Preheat the grill to its highest setting. Place the lobster shells onto a large baking tray and set aside.
• Heat half of the butter in a frying pan over a medium heat until foaming. Fry the shallots for 3-4 minutes, until softened.
• Pour in the wine and bring the mixture to the boil. Simmer until the volume of liquid has reduced by half, then add the stock and continue to simmer until reduced slightly. Add the double cream and mustard and simmer again for 3-4 minutes, until slightly thickened.
• Meanwhile, heat the remaining butter in a separate frying pan over a medium heat. Add the mushrooms and fry for 2-3 minutes, until just softened. Transfer to a bowl and season well with salt and pepper.
• When the sauce has reduced, add the mushrooms and lobster meat and stir through. Add the parsley, lemon juice and half of the Parmesan and season again.
• Whisk in the egg yolks and continue to cook the mixture over a low heat for 1-2 minutes, until just thickened.
• Divide the lobster meat and sauce between the lobster shells, then sprinkle over the breadcrumbs and remaining Parmesan.
• Meanwhile, heat the vegetable oil in a deep-fat fryer to 190C. Alternatively, heat the oil in a heavy-based, deep-sided pan until a breadcrumb sizzles and turns golden-brown when dropped into it. (CAUTION: hot oil can be dangerous; do no leave unattended.)
• Carefully lower the chipped potatoes into the hot oil and fry for 4-6 minutes, or until tender and golden-brown. Remove and drain on kitchen paper.
• Meanwhile, grill the lobster thermidor for 3-4 minutes, or until the topping is crisp and golden-brown.
• Serve the lobster halves on plates with a pile of matchstick fries alongside.

LOBSTER THERMIDOR

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients. Preheat the oven to 400 F.
• With a sharp chef's knife, split each live lobster in half lengthwise, starting with the head and working the knife back toward the tail. When you begin at the head end, the process kills the lobster instantly .
• Brush the lobster with the olive oil and bake for 15 minutes.
• Remove the lobster from the oven and let it cool.
• Gather the ingredients.
• In a small skillet or saucepan, make a roux by melting the butter over medium heat and adding the flour, 1 spoonful at a time, mixing vigorously.
• Continue cooking and whisking until the roux is blonde or caramel in color, about 3 to 4 minutes.
• Add the stock and whisk well to combine.
• Let the mixture come to a simmer, about 2 minutes, then slowly add the milk, whisking continuously.
• After the mixture has simmered again-about 2 more minutes-add some salt and pepper to taste and then the nutmeg. Be mindful of not letting the béchamel boil. Remove from the heat and set aside.
• Gather the ingredients.
• With the help of a fork, remove the meat from all parts of the cooled lobster. Reserve the empty lobster shells (just the main body) for the dish.
• Chop the lobster meat coarsely.
• In a small frying pan over medium-high heat, add the wine, sherry, lobster stock, shallot, and tarragon. Boil it down until it is thick in consistency, almost like a glaze-about 10 minutes.
• Add the béchamel sauce to the glaze, and stir well to combine.
• In a separate bowl, mix the heavy cream with the egg yolk.
• Slowly add about 1/2 cup of the béchamel-glaze mixture into the egg yolk and cream, stirring constantly. (By tempering the cream-egg mixture, you won't get scrambled eggs in your sauce.)
• Pour the egg mixture into the pan with the rest of the béchamel-glaze.
• Bring the sauce to a simmer over medium heat, but don't let boil. Add the dry mustard and some salt to taste.
• Cook until the sauce is thickened-about 3 minutes- then remove from the heat.
• Preheat the oven to 375 F. Add the lobster meat to the sauce and mix well.
• Fill the empty lobster shells with the lobster Thermidor mixture, then place on a baking sheet (lined with parchment paper if you like) and bake for 5 to 8 minutes.
• Sprinkle the top with a little paprika as a garnish. Serve and enjoy.

LOBSTER THERMIDOR

Steps:

• To cook lobsters.
• Fill a pot with water. Make sure there is enough water to cover the tails or whole lobsters. Add lemon, white wine, bay leaves and thyme. Bring water to boil then add lobster cook for 8-12mins depending on size. Strain and place lobsters in cold iced water to stop cooking. When you cut shell you will find the meat is not cooked all the way through this is fine as it cooks off in the oven, this way the meat does not over cook and go rubbery.
• When tails are cold, cut out the under shell and reserve main shell to fill with lobster meat.
• If using whole lobster remove claws from lobster and cut the lobster in half lengthwise. Then remove tail meat and meat from claws, again save body shell for filling later.
• To make sauce.
• Melt butter in a pan and saute shallots and garlic until soft, add sherry cook for a couple of minutes. Meanwhile combine a small amount of water with cornflour to form a paste add and stir until sauce thickens slightly.
• Add both chicken and fish stock, then slowly whisk in milk and both creams turn up the heat slightly so the mixture will come to a boil. Then you will want to turn it down to medium.
• Add Dijon mustard, cayenne and cheeses reserving enough cheese to cover lobster when you put it back in the shell. Stir until all the cheese has melted then add the Parsley stir to combine and finally add the Tarragon again stir to combine.
• Mix lobster meat with sauce, then return meat to shells making sure you stuff them full of meat pour a little sauce over top to cover then top with remaining cheese and sprinkle breadcrumbs over top.
• Place in a pre-heated oven 180c and bake until cheese has melted and top has gone golden brown.
• For a photo visit http://the-best-recipes.blogspot.com/.

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.

LOBSTER THERMIDOR

Steps:

• Place a medium saucepan on a burner and add 2 cups water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and slowly whisk in all of the butter. Hold warm until ready to heat lobsters.
• Marinate filets in 1/4 cup olive oil, cracked black pepper, and thyme for 1 hour at room temperature.
• Preheat a grill. Season filets with kosher salt and grill to desired temperature. Remove from grill and allow to rest for 4 minutes before serving.
• While meat is coking, reheat the melted butter if needed. While meat is resting, place the lobster tails and claws in the butter and heat until warmed all the way through, about 3 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat remaining 1/4 cup olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Add chopped garlic and blanched baby spinach and saute until heated through.
• For each dish, place a potato cake in the center of a plate, top with sauteed spinach, and a lobster tail. Thinly slice the filet into 6 slices and fan the filet out in front of the potato and spinach. Top with the lobster claw and pour sauce around the plate. Serve spaetzle as a side dish.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• In a baking dish, toss the whole potatoes with the olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast until mostly cooked through. Remove from oven and cool. Peel potatoes and grate. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
• Melt the butter in a saute pan over medium heat. Saute the onion until tender. Add the cooked onion to the grated potato mixture. Form into 4 patties, place on a cookie sheet, cover with plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator.
• Heat about 1/4 cup of olive oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add potato cakes and saute until golden brown on both sides and heated through, about 2 minutes on each side. Drain on paper towels.
• Preheat oven to 500 degrees F. Place lobster heads on a sheet tray and roast until slightly browned, approximately 15 to 20 minutes. In the meantime, sweat onion, carrot, celery, shallots, and garlic in 1/2 stick of butter in a large saucepan. Add brandy and reduce until almost dry. Add white wine and reduce. Add tarragon, bay leaves, parsley, thyme, basil, chicken stock, tomato paste, and roasted lobster heads. Bring to a boil and simmer for 2 hours, skimming periodically. Strain through a chinois, return to the pan, and reduce by half until the sauce starts to thicken, approximately 30 minutes. In the meantime, reduce heavy cream by half in a small saucepan. Whisk in the heavy cream and finish sauce by slowly adding the remaining 1/2 stick of butter, 1 tablespoon at time. Keep warm until ready to serve.
• Beat egg, yolks, and milk in bowl and set aside. Measure all dry ingredients and place in bowl. Add egg mixture to flour mixture and blend with hand, then add the melted butter. Let batter rest for 30 minutes.
• Bring a large pot of boiling, salted water to a boil. Place a perforated hotel pan over the boiling water. Pour the batter into the perforated pan and press it through into the water. Cook until spaetzle rises to the top. Drain and shock in ice water. Drain again and toss with the oil. Serve as a side with the lobster.

LOBSTER WITH GARLIC BUTTER, NEW POTATOES AND WATERCRESS SALAD

Steps:

• Put the lobsters in the freezer for two hours to put it into a torpid state. Bring a large pot of water to the boil. Add the salt, thyme, white peppercorns and bay leaf. Cut the lemon in half, squeeze the juice into the pan then add the halves of lemon too.
• Push the tip of a large, sharp, heavy knife or skewer into the lobsters at the point where a cross forms in the shell on its back, then lower into the boiling water and bring back to the boil. Boil for five minutes, then remove the pan from the heat. Leave the lobsters in the water for another five minutes, then remove from the pan and set aside to cool.
• Gently cook the potatoes in boiling water for 10-15 minutes until tender. Drain and season with salt and pepper.
• Cut the lobsters in half lengthways. Take out the tail meat, cut in half lengthways again and remove the intestinal tract. Take off the claws, removing the meat, leaving the carcass whole and clean.
• In a frying pan, melt the butter and gently warm through the lobster meat.
• For the garlic butter, melt the butter in a pan over a low heat. Gently fry the shallot and garlic without browning them, then add the whelk meat. When warmed through, add the parsley.
• To finish the salad, mix the mustard and vinegar together in a bowl, then whisk in the oils and season.
• Dress half of the little gems in the serving bowl. Shred the remaining lettuces, mix with the watercress and add to the serving bowl (do not dress until serving).
• When you are ready to serve, put the meat from the claws in the head space of the shells and the tail meat back in the shells.
• Put the lobsters onto plates. Put the potatoes in the middle of the plates, pour the garlic butter over the lobsters and serve with the dressed salad.

LOBSTER THERMIDOR

Steps:

• Cut the lobster in half lengthwise, and remove the meat from the claws and tail.
• Leave to one side.
• Remove any meat from the head and set aside.
• Cut the meat up into pieces and place back into the shell.
• Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
• Add the shallot; cook and stir until tender.
• Mix in the fish stock, white wine and double cream.
• Bring to a boil, and cook until reduced by half.
• Mix in the mustard, lemon juice, parsley, salt and pepper.
• Preheat your oven's broiler.
• Place the lobster halves on a broiling pan or baking sheet, and spoon the sauce over the lobster meat in the shell.
• Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the top.
• Broil for 3 to 4 minutes, just until golden brown.
• Serve immediately.

LOBSTER THERMIDOR

Steps:

• Split the lobster in half. Remove the flesh and dice it.
• Melt butter in a skillet.
• Sauté onion, red and green pepper.
• Add the mushroom, mustard and salt.
• Add lobster meat.
• Slowly, stir in the cream. Simmer for about 10 minutes. Then stir frequently and set aside.
• Wash lobster shell thoroughly.
• Fill it with sautéed mixture.
• Place in broiler pan and broil until bubbly.
• Place in an oval platter. Garnish with tomato, red and green pepper, lemon wedges or cucumber slices, if desired.

LOBSTER THERMIDOR

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°; butter a shallow 2 ½ to 3 quart casserole; set aside.
• In a medium skillet, melt 3 tablespoons butter over medium heat; add in mushrooms; stir about 5 minutes, until softened and most of the liquid evaporates; remove from heat.
• In a large saucepan, melt the remaining butter over medium heat.
• Add in flour; whisk until smooth.
• Gradually add in the half-and-half, whisking until the sauce is thickened and smooth.
• Add in the sherry; cook 1 minute.
• Remove from heat; add in the lobster; season with salt and pepper; stir until blended.
• Transfer mixture to prepared casserole; sprinkle with cheese; bake 20 minutes, until lightly browned.