Lobster Gelees With Fresh Tarragon Oil Recipes

LOBSTER GELEES WITH FRESH TARRAGON OIL

Steps:

• Cook lobsters and make stock:
• Bring 6 quarts water to a boil in pot, then plunge 2 lobsters headfirst into water and cook, covered, 8 minutes from time they enter water. Transfer with tongs to a shallow baking pan to cool. Return water to a boil and cook remaining 2 lobsters in same manner.
• When lobsters are cool enough to handle, remove meat from tail and claws and set aside. Cut tail shells and lobster bodies (not including claws) into 1-inch pieces with kitchen shears, then rinse well, discarding gills, eye sacs, tomalley, any roe, and claw shells. Transfer to a 6- to 8-quart heavy pot, then add wine, carrots, celery, fennel, onion, garlic, large tarragon sprigs, salt, fennel seeds, red-pepper flakes, and remaining 2 quarts water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until liquid is reduced to about 6 cups, about 1 1/2 hours.
• While stock reduces, scrape any coagulated white albumin from lobster meat with a knife and cut meat into 1/2-inch pieces, then chill, covered.
• Make gelées:
• Pour stock through a dampened cheesecloth-lined large sieve into a large bowl, pressing on and then discarding solids. Transfer 2 3/4 cups stock to a bowl. (Cool remaining stock completely, uncovered, then freeze in an airtight container for another use.) Sprinkle gelatin evenly over 1/4 cup stock in a 1-quart saucepan, then let stand 1 minute to soften. Heat over moderately low heat, stirring, just until gelatin is dissolved, then stir in vinegar and remaining 2 1/2 cups stock.
• Put molds in a baking pan. Add 2 teaspoons gelatin mixture to each mold and freeze until set, about 10 minutes. Put 1 small sprig of tarragon and a tip of claw meat in bottom of each mold, then divide lobster meat among molds. Fill with remaining gelatin mixture and chill, covered with plastic wrap, until set, at least 2 hours.
• To unmold, dip 1 mold in a pan of hot water 3 to 5 seconds to loosen. Run a thin knife around edge of mold and invert gelée out onto a plate. Repeat with remaining molds. Drizzle plates with fresh tarragon oil .

HOT LOBSTER ROLL WITH LEMON-TARRAGON BUTTER

Steps:

• To par-cook the lobsters: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the lobsters and cook about 7 minutes; they will be about three-quarters done. Drain well and let cool. Cut in half lengthwise.
• Heat a charcoal or gas grill to high for direct grilling. Brush the cut-side of the lobsters with some oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill, cut-side down, until slightly charred. Flip and continue grilling until lightly charred and heated through. Remove the lobsters from the grill and let cool slightly.
• Brush the insides of the hot dog buns with some oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill until just toasty.
• Remove the tail and claw meat from the lobsters. You can cut them, but just enough to give you about 2 very large pieces per bun. Drop them into the Lemon-Tarragon Clarified Butter and give them a good soaking. Spoon the lobster into the toasted buns and serve immediately.
• Melt the butter slowly in a medium saucepan over low heat. Let it sit for a bit to separate. Skim off the foam that rises to the top, and gently pour into a bowl, leaving behind the milk solids, which have settled to the bottom of the pan.
• Put the clarified butter in a large saute pan over low heat. Add the lemon zest, lemon juice and tarragon, and season with salt, pepper and cayenne if desired.

LOBSTER BOUDAN WITH A FRESH LEMON AND TARRAGON BUTTER SAUCE

Steps:

• In a food processor, combine the lobster meat, shallots, cream and cognac. Season with salt, cayenne and pepper. Turn the mixture into a mixing bowl. Stir in the rice and parsley. Season with salt, cayenne and black pepper. **To test the seasoning of the sausage, pan-fry a small piece of the filling for a couple of minutes on each side. Re-adjust the seasoning if needed. Either using a feeding tube or a funnel, stuff the sausage into the casings and make 3-inch links. Bring a large saucepan of salted water up to a boil. Poach the sausage for about 5 minutes, or until the sausage is firm to the touch and plump. Remove from the water and allow to cool. In a large saute pan, over medium heat, melt the butter. Pan-fry the sausage for 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Remove from the pan and keep warm. To serve, spoon the sauce in the center of each plate. Lay a crouton in the center of the sauce. Place a couple of links of sausage over each crouton. Garnish with parsley and butter sauce.
• In a saucepan, over medium heat, combine the shallots and lemon juice. Season with salt and cayenne. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer until the mixture reduces by half. Add the cream and continue to cook for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter, a couple of pieces at a time. Season with the salt and cayenne. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve. Add the hot sauce, Worcestershire and chopped tarragon. Keep hot.
• Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, 1999

FRESH TARRAGON OIL

Steps:

• Purée herbs, oil, and salt in a blender until smooth, then pour through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, pressing hard on and then discarding solids. Chill if not using immediately.

BAKED LOBSTERS WITH A TARRAGON STUFFING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
• Place lobsters, shell side up, on a flat surface and plunge a knife quickly into the midsection where the tail joins the body. Hack away the claws and reserve them. Cut the lobsters in half lengthwise, head to tail. Remove and discard the tough sac inside the body near the eyes. Remove and discard the dark vein (the intestinal tract) from the tail section. Remove and reserve the soft coral and tomalley from each lobster. Place these in a bowl.
• Heat 1 tablespoon of the butter in a saucepan, and add the celery, green onions or scallions and garlic. Sprinkle with thyme, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, about 1 minute. Let cool.
• To the bowl with the coral and tomalley add bread crumbs, the remaining butter, tarragon, parsley, salt and pepper. Beat well to blend. Add the celery and green-onion mixture and blend.
• Arrange lobster halves, shell side down, on a baking sheet. Scatter the claws around the halves.
• Spoon equal portions of the bread-crumb mixture into the body cavities of each lobster half. Do not cover the tail meat with the mixture. Sprinkle the tail meat with salt and pepper. Brush the tail meat with oil.
• Place in the oven, and bake 20 minutes. Serve with basil-butter sauce on the side.

BAKED LOBSTERS WITH TARRAGON-CREAM SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 500 degrees.
• Remove and discard the rubber or wood claw holders from lobsters.
• Bring the water to a vigorous boil in a large kettle and drop the lobsters into it. When the water returns to the boil cook the lobsters for exactly 2 minutes and drain. Arrange the lobsters shell side up in one layer in a baking pan. Place in the oven and bake exactly 12 minutes.
• Break off the lobsters' claws. Crack the claws in several places. Place the lobster carcasses shell side down on a flat surface and crack each lengthwise to cut them in half. Pull away and discard the tough sac at the beak end of each lobster. Scoop out the soft mass (the tomalley, coral, liver and so on) from the inside of each lobster. Spoon and scrape this into a saucepan. Save any juices and add these to the saucepan.
• Add the shallots to the saucepan and bring to the boil, stirring.
• Arrange the lobster halves shell side down in one layer on a baking pan. Pull and discard the upper half of each claw shell. Add the remaining claws to the baking pan.
• Add the cream to the mixture in the saucepan. Add salt and pepper and bring to the boil. Add the lemon juice. Cook about 2 minutes.
• Line a saucepan with a sieve and pour the mixture into the sieve. Rub with a rubber spatula to extract as much liquid as possible. There should be about 1 cup. Discard the solids.
• Put the sauce on the stove and bring to the simmer. Swirl in the butter and tarragon.
• Spoon the sauce over the cut portions of each lobster and serve.

LOBSTER IN TARRAGON SAUCE

Steps:

• Cut open the lobsters and remove the meat, reserving the tomalley and coral.
• Melt 2 oz (50 grams) of the butter in a pan, add the onion, celery and carrot and cook over a low heat, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.
• Add the lobster meat and cook until lightly browned, then season.
• Add half the brandy and cook until has evaporated, then add the mustard and tarragon.
• Pour in wine, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
• Remove the pan from heat, transfer the lobsters to a plate and keep warm.
• Strain cooking liquid into a clean pan.
• Chop the tomalley and coral a add to the pan with the remaining butter, remaining brandy a lemon juice.
• Cook over a medium heat until slightly reduced, season.
• Serve the lobsters covered with the sauce. Serves 4.
• That's it!

GRILLED GARLIC TARRAGON LOBSTER TAILS

Steps:

• Preheat grill.
• Remove the soft part of lobster tail with scissors.
• Hit shell lightly with a mallet to make it lie flat.
• Melt butter in saucepan and add garlic, ginger, tarragon, mustard and salt.
• Spoon some of the butter mixture over tails and reserve remaining.
• Let stand 20 minutes.
• Grill lobster 4 inches from heat for 10 - 15 min with meaty side up, basting frequently with reserved butter mixture.