Red Lobster Stew

° Serves 4

Lobster is a favorite at our house, for family meals as well as for company fare. This particular dish is best eaten with family and close friends, since the shells are broken open and the meat extracted with the help of your fingers at the table. Serve it with corn on the cob.

Traditionally raw lobster is cut into equal pieces before it is cooked, but it’s a difficult job to perform, so here I divide it into pieces by breaking off the claws and twisting the tail out of the body. (A fishmonger can do this for you if you prefer.) I calculate one lobster per person for a main-course serving, so you will need to cook them in two saucepans to start, then finish the recipe in one of the pans.

Be sure the lobsters you buy are alive and freshly caught. The fresher the lobster, the fuller and firmer the meat will be. Females are the preferred choice.

• 4 live lobsters (1¼ pounds each)
• ⅓ cup extra-virgin or virgin olive oil
• 1½ cups coarsely chopped onion
• About 4 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped (1 tablespoon)
• One 15-ounce can Italian plum tomatoes, with their juices
• 1 tablespoon herbes de Provence
• 1 teaspoon hot pepper flakes
• ½ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley, basil, and/or chives (a mixture, or one of the three)

Protecting your hands with a kitchen towel, break off the claws from each lobster. Then twist off the tails, separating them from the bodies.

To make it easier to extract the meat from the claws after cooking, crack the shells: Place each claw on the counter, cover with a clean kitchen towel to prevent splattering, and, using a meat pounder or the bottom of a heavy saucepan, pound on the claw until the shell cracks. Place the tails and cracked claws in a large bowl to capture any juices that they release.

Heat the olive oil in two large saucepans. When the oil is hot, add the lobster claws, tails, and bodies, along with any juices that have accumulated in the bowl. Shaking the pans and stirring occasionally, sauté the lobster pieces, covered, over medium-high heat for about 10 minutes, until the shells are bright red and the meat is almost cooked through.

Transfer the tail and claw pieces to a bowl and combine the drippings and lobster bodies in one of the saucepans. Return the pan to the heat, add the onion, garlic, tomatoes with their juices, and herbes de Provence and bring to a boil, stirring. Boil until the mixture thickens slightly and the taste is concentrated, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove the lobster bodies and discard them.

Return the lobster tail and claw pieces to the sauce and stir in the pepper flakes and herbs. Heat gently for about 5 minutes, until all the lobster is heated through. Arrange on four plates and serve.

Note: If you feel inspired, you can remove the meat from the tail and claws before returning them to the sauce for easier enjoyment for your guests.