If you take lobster out of its shell before fully cooking it, you have more control over its taste and texture. Steep the lobster just enough so that it will pull cleanly away from the shell, leaving the interior raw, so you can treat it like raw fish.
At the French Laundry, we butter-poach the lobster, which loads the flavor of butter into the meat and cooks it so slowly and gently that the flesh remains exquisitely tender—so tender some people think it’s not completely cooked. When you cook lobster violently, the meat seizes up and becomes tough, and you can’t get any flavor into it. Gentle heating is the key. Butter-poached lobster is extraordinarily versatile. You can combine it with many different garnishes: beets and leeks, peas and carrots, figs, foie gras.
Sometimes we slow-roast the lobster, a technique that moves it into the realm of meat, so we treat it like a meat. We season it with squab spice, slow-roast it, and serve it with foie gras.
All our lobster dishes begin with the same initial preparation, after which the lobster may be poached in butter, roasted, or chopped for a filling. It’s essential to work with the “steeped” lobsters while they are still hot; if they cool, the fat in the meat will congeal and the meat will be difficult to remove from the shell.
TO STEEP THE LOBSTERS: Place the lobsters in a tight-fitting heat-proof container. Cover with cold water. Drain off the water, measure it, and place it in a large pot. Bring the water to a boil and add V2 cup of white distilled vinegar for every 8 quarts of water. Pour the boiling liquid over lobsters and let them steep for 2 minutes if using 1½-pound lobsters, 3 minutes for 2-pound lobsters. Remove the lobsters from the hot water, but do not discard the water.
One at a time, using a towel or rubber gloves to hold the hot lobster, grasp its tail and twist and pull to detach it from the body. Twist and pull off the claws and return them to the hot water for 5 minutes. Reserve the bodies.
FOR THE TAILS: Hold each tail flat and twist the tail fan to one side; pull off and discard. Use your fingers to gently push the meat through the tail end and pull the meat out through the large opening at the other end. Discard the shell. Lay the tail meat on its back and cut lengthwise in half through the middle. Remove the vein running through the top of the meat. Lay the meat on a paper towel—lined plate or platter, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate.
FOR THE CLAWS: After 5 minutes, remove the claws from the hot water. Twist off each knuckle to remove it. Hold the claw in your hand and pull down to loosen the lower pincer. Push it to either side to crack it and pull it straight off. Ideally, the cartilage from inside the claw should be attached to the pincer and the claw meat should remain intact.
Still holding the claw, crack the top of the shell with the heel of a knife, about ¾ inch from the joint where the knuckle was attached. You want to go through the shell but not damage the meat. Wiggle your knife to loosen and crack the shell. If the shell does not pop off, it may be necessary to turn the claw over and repeat the procedure. Shake the claw to remove the meat (if it doesn’t fall out, cut off the very tip of the shell and blow through the hole to release the meat).
FOR THE KNUCKLES: Cut off the top joint of each knuckle, the one that was attached to the lobster’s body. Use scissors to cut away the shell along the smooth outside edge of the knuckle. Use your fingers to pry open the shell and remove the meat. Add knuckle and claw meat to tail meat.
FOR THE BODIES: Pull back and discard the top shell of each lobster, including the heads and antenna, and discard. Remove the tomalley, roe, lungs, and the sac behind the head. You can reserve the dark green roe for other uses, but discard the light green tomalley, feathery lungs, and sac. You will be left with bodies and legs. Rinse them thoroughly under cold water and use immediately, or freeze them to make lobster stock or consommé.
NOTE: Avoid buying frozen lobsters or bodies; you can’t be assured of the quality.
POMMES MAXIM
1 large (about 12 ounces) Yukon Gold potato
½ cup Clarified Butter
Kosher salt
RED BEET ESSENCE
1 pound red beets, peeled, or 1 cup beet juice (from a health food store)
3 tablespoons Beurre Monté
½ teaspoon red wine vinegar
Few drops of lemon juice
LOBSTERS
Three 1½- to 2-pound lobsters, “steeped” and meat removed (see to steep the lobsters); reserve knuckle meat for another use
1½ cups Beurre Monté
LEEKS
1½ cups thinly sliced leek rounds (white and pale green parts only), washed, blanched until tender (see Big-Pot Blanching), chilled in ice water, and drained
2 tablespoons tomato diamonds
2 teaspoons chopped chives
1 tablespoon Brunoise
¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon Beurre Monté
Kosher salt and freshly ground white pepper
I’ve been serving lobster with beets and leeks for more than a decade, and the combination has gone through many evolutions. In New York, I served it with potatoes and a fine julienne of crispy beets. In L.A., I did the Jackson Pollock thing, with splatters of reduced beet juice and a tower of mashed potatoes. In its current form—lobster with leeks, a thin sheet of pommes Maxim, which originated at Maxim’s in Paris, and a red beet essence—I think I’ve found the perfect interpretation.
FOR THE POMMES MAXIM: Preheat the oven to 300°F. Peel the potato and slice it into paper-thin rounds on a mandoline. Toss the rounds with the clarified butter; they should be well coated. Arrange them on a Silpat-lined baking sheet (see Sources), overlapping the slices by half to form a solid sheet of potatoes, or lay them in overlapping circles in a large heavy ovenproof skillet. Sprinkle lightly with salt.
Bake the potatoes for 45 to 50 minutes, or until they are crisp and golden brown. They may not hold together completely. These can be made several hours ahead and left at room temperature.
FOR THE RED BEET ESSENCE: If using fresh beets, juice the beets (you should have a generous cup). Reduce the beet juice slowly in a small saucepan to 2 to 3 tablespoons of glaze.
TO COMPLETE: Preheat the oven to 300°F.
For the lobsters, bring the lobster pieces to room temperature. Place them in one layer in a large saucepan and add the beurre monté. They should be almost covered. Place the pan over low heat and slowly poach the lobster in the butter for 5 to 6 minutes, just to heat through.
Meanwhile, for the leeks, warm the leek rounds in a saucepan. Add the tomato diamonds, chives, brunoise, and beurre monté. Season with salt and white pepper to taste and keep warm.
Reheat the pommes Maxim in the oven for 2 to 3 minutes.
Bring the beet glaze to a simmer and whisk in the beurre monté, red wine vinegar, and lemon juice.
Place a small spoonful of the beet essence on each plate. Top with a generous tablespoon of the leek mixture, a lobster tail, and a claw. Break off a piece of the pommes Maxim and place it on top of the lobster.
pictured here makes 6 servings
1 pound unsalted butter
Some foods—eggs, scallops, potatoes—cook particularly well in butter. But butter contains milk solids that separate from the butterfat and burn. Removing these solids—that is, clarifying the butter—allows you to cook with it at higher temperatures. Clarified butter can be refrigerated for several weeks or frozen almost indefinitely as long as it’s in an airtight container to prevent it from absorbing freezer odors.
Place the butter in a 1-quart saucepan and melt it over low heat, without stirring. Once the butter has melted, it will have separated into three layers. Skim off and discard the foamy layer of milk solids floating on top. The clear yellow butter beneath it is the clarified butter. Carefully pour it off into a container, leaving the milky liquid behind. Keep covered and refrigerated, or frozen.
pictured here makes about 1½ cups
Maine Lobster Pancakes with Pea Shoot Salad and Ginger—Carrot Emulsion
LOBSTER GLACE
2 tablespoons canola oil
3 lobster bodies (reserved from lobsters), cut into 2-inch pieces
1 tomato, quartered
1 small carrot, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 sprigs thyme
3 to 4 cups water
LOBSTER FILLING
Three 1¼-pound lobsters, “steeped” and meat removed (about 2 cups [¾ pound] meat)
¼ cup chopped chives
1 tablespoon finely minced shallots
½ cup mascarpone
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 to 4 tablespoons (2 ounces) unsalted butter, melted
8 crêpes
GINGER-CARROT EMULSION
3 pounds carrots, trimmed
One 1-inch (1-ounce) slice ginger
2 tablespoons heavy cream
12 tablespoons (6 ounces) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
PEA SHOOT SALAD
½ cup pea shoot leaves, in ice water
Few drops of lemon oil
Pinch of minced shallots
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
When I hear “peas and carrots,” my mind goes directly to the frozen food section of the grocery store, with its boxes of Jolly Green Giant peas and carrots. I’m not sure why anyone put the two vegetables together, but I think in most Americans’ minds, it’s a common pairing. So when J.B., one of my early poissonniers, and I were thinking of things to do with lobster, which we were serving with a carrot-emulsion sauce, we thought “Why not serve it with peas?” I use pea shoots to make the peas-and-carrots connection, dressed lightly with a little lemon-infused oil.
FOR THE LOBSTER GLACE: Heat the canola oil over medium-high heat in a sauté pan that will hold the shells in one layer. Add the lobster bodies and sauté for about 4 minutes, turning the shells occasionally, until the shells have turned red (be careful not to burn them). Add the tomato, carrot, thyme, and water just to cover. Simmer gently for 1¼ hours.
Strain the stock through a large strainer or China cap, pressing firmly on the solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard the bodies and strain the liquid through a chinois. There will be 1½ to 2 cups of stock. Place the stock in a saucepan and reduce over medium heat until it has thickened to a glaze (1 to 2 tablespoons). The glaze can be refrigerated in a covered container for several days or frozen. Bring to room temperature before using for the filling.
FOR THE LOBSTER FILLING: Cut the lobster meat into small dice (do not use the claw tips, as they will detract from the texture of the filling). Mix the lobster meat with the chives, shallots, 1 tablespoon of the lobster glace, and the mascarpone. Season to taste with salt and pepper. The filling can be covered and refrigerated until you are ready to fill the crêpes.
TO FILL THE CRÊPES: Brush a baking sheet with some of the melted butter. Place the crêpes (nicest side down) on a work surface. Scoop about ¼ cup of the filling into the center of each crêpe. (A 2-ounce icecream scoop works well for this, but be careful not to rip the pancakes with the scoop.) One by one, fold one edge of each crêpe over the filling and then, working clockwise, continue folding the crêpe over the filling, pleating it as you go to form a round packet. Place the packets seam side down on the buttered pan. Lightly brush the tops with more butter. The filled crêpes can be refrigerated for several hours.
FOR THE GINGER-CARROT EMULSION: Run the carrots and ginger through a juicer (you can save the carrot pulp to make carrot powder). You should have 2 to 2¼ cups of juice. Place the juice in a saucepan, bring to a simmer, and remove the first layer of foam that rises to the top. Simmer for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the juice is reduced to ½ to ¾ cup and is the consistency of baby food. Do not skim again; the body is needed to yield a purée rather than a sauce. Remove from the heat and set aside. The purée can be made up to a day ahead and stored in the refrigerator.
TO COMPLETE: Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Heat the carrot purée in a saucepan. Whisk in the cream and reduce slightly, to regain the consistency it had before the cream was added. With the purée at a gentle simmer, whisk in the butter a piece at a time, adding a new piece only when the last piece is almost incorporated. Remove the sauce to a blender and blend until it is emulsified. Keep the sauce in a warm spot, but do not place it over direct heat, or it will break.
Heat the lobster pancakes in the oven for 8 to 10 minutes, or until hot throughout.
MEANWHILE, FOR THE PEA SHOOT SALAD: Drain the pea shoot leaves, then dry in a salad spinner. Toss the leaves in a bowl with the lemon oil, shallots, and salt and pepper to taste.
Place a spoonful of carrot emulsion on each serving plate. Use the back of a spoon to spread the sauce into a circle that will extend slightly beyond the edges of the pancake. Center the pancakes on the sauce and garnish the tops with the pea shoot salad. Dust each plate with a little carrot powder.
pictured here makes 8 servings
Scant 1 cup (4 ounces) all-purpose flour
Pinch of kosher salt
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1¼ cups milk
4 tablespoons (2 ounces) unsalted butter, melted
1 tablespoon minced chives
You can make crêpes savory or sweet, depending on the dish you’re serving.
Place the flour and salt in a bowl and create a well in the center of the flour. Whisk the eggs and milk together and pour into the well. Whisk the flour and egg mixture together, then whisk in the butter. Strain the batter through a fine-mesh strainer and stir in the chives.
Heat an 8½-inch nonstick crêpe pan over medium heat until hot. Spray with a non-stick spray, then use a 1-ounce ladle to pour the batter into the center of the skillet (or add 2 tablespoons of batter to the skillet). Rotate the skillet in a circular motion to cover the bottom of the pan evenly with the batter (if you hear it sizzle in the pan, your heat is too high). Cook for 30 to 45 seconds to set the batter. Then use a small narrow spatula to gently flip the crêpe. Cook for only 10 to 15 seconds more, to set the second side.
Remove the crêpe and place it with the nicer side down on a paper towel. Repeat for the remaining crêpes, spraying the pan as needed, and layering the paper towels and crêpes.
When you are ready to fill the crêpes, just lift up the towels and fill the crêpes—the best side of the crêpes will be on the outside.
makes 14 to 18 crêpes
DESSERT CRÊPES: Omit the chives. Add 1 tablespoon of sugar to the dry ingredients. Add 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract with the eggs.
Five-Spiced Roasted Maine Lobster
Butter—Poached Maine Lobster with Creamy Lobster Broth and Mascarpone—Enriched Orzo
2 cups Creamy Lobster Broth
½ cup orzo (rice-shaped pasta)
2 tablespoons mascarpone
Kosher salt
Three 1½- to 2-pound lobsters, “steeped” and meat removed (reserve knuckle meat for another use)
1½ cups Beurre Monté
1 tablespoon minced chives
Coral Oil, in a squeeze bottle
We serve so much lobster at the restaurant that creating new lobster dishes is always an exciting challenge. I used to do an actual gratin with lobster and macaroni, but now I use orzo with mascarpone, the lobster on top, and Parmesan crisps—an echo of the crisp texture of a traditional gratin dish. The coral oil rings the orzo for bright color, and I finish the plate with chopped coral. This is an enormously satisfying dish to eat.
Place the lobster broth in a saucepan and bring it to a simmer. Reduce the broth to a sauce consistency; you should have 1 to 1¼ cups. Set aside in the pan.
Cook the orzo in boiling lightly salted water until just tender. Drain the cooked pasta in a strainer and rinse under cold water. Shake the strainer to remove excess water and add the orzo to the lobster broth.
TO COMPLETE: If the lobster pieces have been refrigerated, bring them to room temperature.
Heat the orzo and lobster broth to a simmer. Add the mascarpone and season with salt to taste. Let simmer for a minute, then remove the pan from the heat and keep warm.
Meanwhile, place the lobster pieces in one layer in a large saucepan. Pour in the beurre monté; the lobster should almost be covered. Heat gently to warm the lobster.
Stir the chives into the orzo. Pipe a 2-inch circle of coral oil in the center of each serving dish. Place about ⅓ cup of orzo in the center of the oil, allowing it to spread the oil out into a larger circle. Arrange a piece of lobster tail and a claw in the center of the orzo and top each serving with a Parmesan crisp.
makes 6 servings
POACHED FIGS AND SAUCE
9 Black Mission figs
1 cup port wine
¾ teaspoon ground coffee beans
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon finely chopped bittersweet chocolate
1 to 2 tablespoons Beurre Monté
2 tablespoons chopped shallots
2 tablespoons chopped chives
1 tablespoon Chicken Stock or water (optional)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
LOBSTERS
Three 1½- to 2-pound lobsters, “steeped” and meat removed (reserve knuckle meat for another use)
2 tablespoons Squab Spice
Kosher salt
1 cup Beurre Monté
Six ½-inch-thick slices foie gras (about ½ ounce each)
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon chopped chives
Gray salt
During the summer, figs are in abundance, so we created a lobster dish to show them off, treating the shellfish like a meat: seasoning it with squab spice, oven-roasting it with beurre monté, and serving it with foie gras. The most beguiling element of this dish is the sauce. I knew I wanted it to be a purée of figs that had been poached in port, rather than a butter sauce; the figs and port would go well with the foie gras. But I also wanted some other elements that would give the dish some complexity and depth, so I threw in some bitter chocolate and some ground coffee beans. You don’t really taste the chocolate and coffee so much as feel their bitter undertone. They counteract the sweetness of the figs, while the fruit gives the sauce its body.
FOR THE POACHED FIGS AND SAUCE: Preheat the oven to 325°F.
Remove the stems from the figs and cut a slit in the top of each fruit. Stand the figs side by side in a small ovenproof saucepan where they fit snugly. Pour in the port; it should cover the bottom two thirds of the figs. Place the pan over medium heat and bring to a boil. Cover with a parchment lid and place in the oven for 1½ hours, or until the figs are soft and the port is slightly reduced.
Remove the figs from the liquid. There will be ⅔ to ¾ cup port. Place 3 of the figs in a blender with the ground coffee and chocolate. With the motor running, pour in the warm port. Blend until the mixture is smooth and then strain it through a chinois into a small saucepan.
TO COMPLETE: Preheat the oven to 300°F.
For the lobsters, bring the lobster pieces to room temperature. Sprinkle the tails and claws with the squab spice and salt. Place the lobster pieces in one layer in a large ovenproof skillet. Coat them with V2 cup of the beurre monté, place over medium heat, and heat gently for about 2 minutes. When the beurre monté begins to simmer, place the pan in the oven for 5 minutes to finish cooking.
Meanwhile, score one side of the slices of foie gras in a crosshatch pattern about 1/16 inch deep. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Heat a skillet over high heat and sauté the foie gras, scored side down, for about 15 seconds. Turn the pieces over and continue to cook for an additional 15 seconds. Remove from the heat.
Rewarm the fig sauce and add the 1 to 2 tablespoons beurre monté, shallots, and chives. If the sauce is too thick, it can be thinned with a tablespoon of chicken stock or water. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Spoon the fig sauce into the center of the plates. Flatten the remaining figs and center one in each pool of sauce. Top each fig with a lobster tail, then a claw, a spoonful of beurre monté, and, finally, a slice of sautéed foie gras. Sprinkle the foie gras with the chives and gray salt.
pictured here makes 6 servings
