SERVES 2 TO 4
Chocolate made a not-infrequent appearance as an ingredient in Catalan cooking during the nineteenth century, a time when many from coastal Catalunya were going to the Antilles for business. While something of a specialty dish these days, recipes for lobster in chocolate that I have found in traditional Catalan cookbooks are strikingly similar. This one is adapted from their comparable versions. The chocolate here is treated like a spice and goes into the pounded picada stirred into the sauce. The outcome is baroque, tasty, and highly original.
1. Clean and cut the lobsters in half lengthwise down the middle. (If female, reserve the roe for the picada.) Crack the large claws slightly or “mark” them with a knife so they remain intact but the meat will be easily accessible when served. Season the lobster generously with salt and pepper.
2. In a cazuela, heavy casserole, or large sauté pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the lobsters and cook for 2 minutes, meat-side down, then for another 2 minutes shell-side down. Transfer to a platter.
3. Add the garlic to the pan, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook until golden and fragrant, about 1 minute; remove and reserve. Add the onions, and cook until soft and translucent, about 10 minutes.
4. Cut away and discard the antennae and small legs on the lobsters.
5. Return the lobsters and any juices to the pan, add the pimentón and saffron, and then pour in the brandy. Let the alcohol burn off for 1 minute, and then pour in the stock. Simmer for 10 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, prepare a picada with the reserved garlic and lobster roe (if there was any), the chocolate, almonds, parsley, cookies, and 2 tablespoons of simmering stock from the pan, following the directions on page 39.
7. Stir the picada into the sauce and simmer for a final 10 minutes. The sauce should be loose but not watery. Remove the lobsters and reduce the sauce over high heat if needed. Serve from the cazuela.