Ingredients:
2 Lobsters 1.5 lb each)
1/2 stick Butter
1/2 Pound Mushrooms, Sliced
1/2 Onion, Diced
1 Shallot, Diced
1/2 Cup White Wine
1/4 Cup Flour
2 Tablespoons Cognac or Brandy
1/2 Cup Milk
1/2 Cup Heavy Cream
2 Egg Yolks
1 Tablespoon Dry Mustard
1 Teaspoon Dijon Mustard
1 Tablespoon Chopped Fresh Tarragon
1/8 Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1/4 Teaspoon White Pepper
1 Cup Shredded Parmesan Cheese
And Happy New Blog Year as well. Time for a bit of self-congratulating and
pat-myself-on-the-backing, cause the ole’ bloggy has reached its one hundredth post. This one right here that you’re soaking up
with your very own eyeballs. Who knew when
I started this little endeavor almost five years ago that it would go this
long?
Well, I’ve enjoyed it, and am proud to have amassed a
nice collection of recipes that not only form a nice reference for me but are
now handy for sharing with family and friends and strangers alike. Anyhoo, before we get to that 100th
post recipe, I have a little announcement to make. I’m making a change here at the blog,
hopefully, a change for the better.
Here’s the change in three words. Better Food Photography. Yes, over the years I’ve poured over many a
food blog and lamented that many of them had such professional looking food
photography on them, while mine was pretty much hit or miss. Oh, sometimes I got lucky and got a nice shot
or two, but often times my photos looked quite amateur, or even downright
crappy. But I just settled for such,
figuring those pro-looking shots were beyond me.
Well, no longer, sez I.
Over the past few months I’ve been studying, buying new lighting
equipment, learning and practicing and figuring it all out. What I discovered is that just a few simple
changes and a few cheap pieces of equipment can drastically improve one’s
photography. I’d always shot with a
pretty high end camera, but I always just set it on automatic and shot
away. Now I’m shooting in manual, with
off-camera strobe lights, and the results are pretty awesome. Sure, there’s still room for improvement, and
I’ll be striving for that as the months and years follow, but I’m still happy
with where I’m at now—light years ahead of some of the old stuff.
I’ll be posting a page shortly with some more info on my
new photography technique. Meanwhile, what
follows is the first recipe to fully feature the results.
So, the 100th post recipe. What to post, what to post? Well, I decided it had to be something
special. Something decadent. Something French. Enter Lobster Thermidor.
Even though I’m something of a lobster purist, and don’t
feel that it really needs to be all gussied up with sauces and such, Lobster
Thermidor has always fascinated me, as do all old guard French recipes that
harken back to days of gastronomic glory.
I just had to try to make it at least once. The results actually turned out to be pretty
spectacular, but what else would one expect from those decadent French!
Lobster Thermidor
To begin, prep your lobsters by steaming or boiling
them. I generally boil Lobsters, as I
find it easier and am happy with the results.
Get a nice large pot a little over half full of water and get it to a
rolling boil.
Yes, we have a dedicated
lobster pot. Shouldn’t everyone?
Boil lobsters for eight to ten minutes. This will leave this just slightly
undercooked, but that’s okay…they will continue to cook with residual heat and
also a bit under the broiler later, and we don’t want them overcooked.
When the lobsters are finished, we need to split them in
half lengthwise. Yes, lobster Thermidor
is all about the fancy presentation, so we’ll be serving it in the shell. I use good sharp kitchen shears to cut the
lobster,
starting at the tail and cutting along the back, then repeating with the
belly, until I have two nice halves for each lobster.
Next, remove the tail and claw meat and
reserve. Discard the rest of the lobster
innards.
Now to make the sauce.
Melt butter in saucepan.
French
dishes always seem to start with butter.
When the butter is melted, add the sliced mushrooms...
and cook them until they
are golden brown.
Remove mushrooms and
reserve. Add more butter to the pan.
Cook onions and shallots for a few minutes,
then add the garlic and cook a minute more.
Add white wine and deglaze pan.
Cook 1-2 Minutes. Add flour
and
cook until roux forms. Add cognac or
brandy
and cook 1 minute. Add the milk
and cook for 2-3 minutes. While this is going
on, whisk the egg yolks together with the heavy cream. Add this mixture to the skillet
and cook for
2-3 minutes. Remove from heat. Add mustard, tarragon, cayenne, salt, pepper
and half the cheese and stir.
Chop up the lobster meat into bite-sized chunks.
At this point some recipes will tell you to
add the meat and mushrooms to the sauce, but I find if you do that, you risk
not evenly distributing your precious lobster meat in the shells. So, add the lobster meat by first to the
shell halves,
then the mushrooms,
and then you can cover with the sauce.
.
Sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top.
Broil for 5 minutes
or so until golden brown
on top.
Serve immediately while the lobster and sauce is piping
hot.
Until Next Time,
Bon Appitit!
Chris
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