Lobster Coquilles Recipes

LOBSTER RECIPES - FOR COOKED LOBSTER OR CRAYFISH

Steps:

• If lobster was frozen, thaw lobster overnight in a bowl or tray (with sides to catch liquid). Drain well before use.
• Cut between head and tail: Insert a small knife at a 45 degree angle into the gap between the tail and head. Cut along the top and sides through to the middle - no need to do underneath.
• Separate head from tail: Twist the tail to separate it from the head. It will pull out meat from the head as well.
• Clean: Scrape or trim off any yellow of black residue on the end that came out of the head.
• Cut underside: Cut down both sides of the soft shell on the underside of the tail. Then peel it back like a can of sardines to reveal the lobster flesh.
• Remove flesh: Carefully remove the flesh - it should come off the shell cleanly.
• Remove poop vein - if you see a poop vein (black "string" down the back of the lobster tail meat), then carefully pull it out. If you stretch the meat out straight, you should be able to pull it out in one go. Otherwise, pick it out when you slice it. (Sometimes poop vein is thick, sometimes barely there!)
• Residual meat in head: There will be some residual meat in the head that can be used. The yellow "mustard" (called tomalley) has very intense lobstar flavour but is an acquired taste... I do not eat it!
• How to serve: Lobster tail meat can be served whole, sliced into thick or thin pieces or diced, depending on use. I do not recommend shredded as it loses juiciness.
• Make Sauce per the Dipping Sauces recipe.
• Serve alongside lobster for dipping. Either cut the lobster into bite size pieces, or serve whole for people to cut themselves. Plate it up individually or on a share platter.
• Make the Prawn Cocktail recipe but substitute prawn for lobster cut into small bite size pieces.
• Melt butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Once foamy, add garlic and cook until light golden. Remove from stove, add lemon juice and parsley.
• Serving: Pour into serving bowl and serve alongside lobster. Garnish with parsley leaves and lemon wedges.
• Eating: Let people either dip in bite size pieces or drizzle over lobster, plated up indivudually or on a share style plate. Mop plate clean with crusty bread!
• Make the sauce per the Lemon Browned Butter Sauce recipe.
• Slice the lobster into bite size pieces. Pile onto plate or arrange on indivudual plates. Sprinkle with salt (necessary as browned butter is unsalted).
• Serving: Drizzle with some browned butter, then serve more on the side. Garnish with parsley leaves and lemon wedges.
• Eating: To eat, dip or drizzle lobster with more browned butter. Mop plate clean with crusty bread!
• Blitz ingredients in a Nutribullet or small food processor until it becomes a paste. It should be smooth but a bit of courseness for texture ie don't blend into a smoothie.
• Slice lobster into bite size pieces. Arrange on indvidual plates or share plate. Drizzle little dollops of salsa verde over lobster - don't go overboard, the flavour is quite strong!
• Garnish with lemon wedges & parlsey leaves, serve.
• Place lobster in a bowl. Add mayonnaise, lemon, chives, celery, green onions, salt and pepper. Gently toss to coat.
• Split then generously butter buns or rolls. Stuff generously! Makes 2 mini brioche buns or 3 round rolls.

EASY COQUILLES SAINT JACQUES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and place six (1 1/2-cup) gratin dishes on 2 sheet pans.
• Melt 4 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat in a medium saucepan. Add the flour and cook for 2 minutes, whisking constantly. Add the seafood stock and whisk until it is smooth and thickened. Whisk in the cream, curry powder, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Bring the sauce to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Set aside.
• Heat the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter in a large (12-inch) sauté pan over medium-low heat. Add the shallots and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes, until tender. Slice the mushroom caps 1/2 inch thick, add to the shallots, and cook for 8 minutes, stirring often. Add the Cognac and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until most of the liquid has evaporated. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and set aside.
• Combine the bread crumbs, parsley, Gruyère, and olive oil in a medium bowl and stir to moisten the crumbs. Set aside.
• Add the mushrooms to the cream sauce. Add the scallops and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, mix well, and divide among the gratin dishes. Sprinkle the bread crumb mixture evenly on top and bake for 20 minutes, until the scallops are cooked and the sauce is lightly browned and bubbly. Serve hot.

LOBSTER COQUILLES

Steps:

• Cut lobster into chunks.
• In a saucepan, combine water, wine, onions, celery tops, parsley, bay leaf, peppercorns, thyme and salt and simmer 5 minutes.
• Strain and reserve broth.
• In a heavy saucepan, heat butter and sauté onions and mushrooms.
• Blend in flour; slowly add ¾ cup reserved broth and stir until thickened.
• Mix cream with egg yolk and whisk into sauce; add lemon juice.
• Fold in lobster.
• Spoon into 4 greased scallop shells.
• Bake 450F for 5 to 8 minutes.
• Sprinkle with breadcrumbs and cheese.
• Broil 1 to 2 minutes.

SEAFOOD COQUILLE ST. JACQUES

Steps:

• On stovetop melt 1/4 cup butter.
• Add flour, mustard, salt and pepper.
• Stir to bring together, slowly add milk.
• Cook slow approximately 10 minutes to thickened.
• Add parmesean cheese.
• Continue cooking till smooth and flour has absorbed all the milk. It will be like velvet.
• In another pan, saute shallots in butter and sherry, wine or brandy.
• Add seafood, parsley and barely cook 2-3 minutes.
• Remove from heat, add to sauce.
• Fill shells with mixture, top with cheese and breadcrumb and sprinkle paprika for color.
• Bake in 400 degree oven just until cheese melts and crumbs brown.
• Serve at once.

HOW TO MAKE COQUILLES SAINT-JACQUES

Steps:

• Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat; saute shallots in the hot butter until translucent, 5 to 8 minutes. Stir mushrooms, salt, and black pepper into shallots. Turn heat to medium-high and cook, stirring often, until mushrooms are golden brown, about 10 minutes.
• Pour white wine over mushroom mixture, dissolving any browned bits of food on bottom of skillet into wine; bring to a simmer. Gently place scallops into wine and poach in the mushroom mixture until barely firm, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer scallops to a bowl. Strain mushroom mixture into another bowl, reserving mushrooms and cooking liquid separately. Return strained liquid to skillet, pour in any accumulated juices from scallops, and stir in cream. Bring to a boil and cook until cream sauce is reduced by about half, about 10 minutes. Stir often. Turn off heat and let mixture cool for 1 minute.
• Quickly whisk egg yolk into cream sauce until combined. Transfer skillet to a work surface (such as a heatproof countertop or cutting board) and stir cayenne pepper, 2 teaspoons tarragon, and lemon zest into sauce.
• Divide mushroom mixture into scallop shells, spreading mushrooms out to cover bottoms of shells; place about 3 scallops onto each portion. Spoon cream sauce over scallops to coat; let sauce drizzle down into mushrooms. Sprinkle lightly with Gruyere cheese and paprika or cayenne.
• Turn oven's broiler to high. Slightly crinkle a large sheet of aluminum foil and place onto a baking sheet. Place filled shells onto foil and press lightly to help them stay level.
• Broil about 10 inches from the heat source until sauce is bubbling and cheese is lightly browned, 5 to 6 minutes. Transfer to serving plates lined with napkins to prevent shells from tipping; garnish each portion with 2 crossed tarragon leaves.

CRAB "COQUILLES SAINT JACQUES"

Steps:

• Make the stock: Heat oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add lobster bodies, and cook, stirring, 10 minutes. Add onion and fennel; cook 15 minutes. Add Cognac; cook, scraping up browned bits with a wooden spoon, until liquid is almost gone, about 1 minute.
• Stir in tomato paste; cook 1 minute. Add flour; cook 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes, then cover with 1 inch water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat. Cover, and simmer until some liquid evaporates and mixture thickens, about 1 hour. Pour stock through a fine sieve into a bowl; discard solids. Return to pot; cook until stock is reduced to 1 3/4 cups, about 15 minutes. Whisk in cream, and simmer until thickened, about 6 minutes.
• Make the roux: Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour. Cook until toasty, about 1 minute. Whisk in stock. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer until sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes (you should have about 1 1/2 cups).
• Make the potatoes: Place potatoes in a medium pot; cover with 1 inch salted water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer until potatoes are very tender, about 15 minutes. Drain. While potatoes are still warm, pass through a ricer into a bowl. Stir in butter. Add milk, season with salt and pepper, and stir.
• Make the vegetables: Heat oil in a medium skillet. Add celery stalks and carrots; cook over medium-high heat 5 minutes. Add celery root, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cover, and cook until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes.
• To assemble, preheat broiler. Place 12 scallop shells on a rimmed baking sheet. Place 2 tablespoons vegetable mixture in center of each, and top each with 1/4 cup crabmeat. Spoon 2 tablespoons sauce over top of each. Fill a pastry bag fitted with a 3/4-inch star tip (such as Ateco #88) with potatoes. Pipe rosettes around edges and one in center. Broil until browned on top and bubbling, about 4 minutes. Serve immediately.