Sautéed Lobster & Clams with Brandy Cream Sauce On a late summer weekend in Whidbey Island my wife and I decided to get a way for a couple of days. The Maxwelton Aerie Alpaca farm, owned by our good friend, Carolyn Geise is the perfect spot for relaxing, romancing, and cooking some good seafood. Lobster has traditionally been associated with Romance, don t ask me why. Perhaps because it s expensive, and red. Here is a great Lobster recipe that is guaranteed to please both the heart and the stomach. Recipe serves 2 to 4. Ingredients 3 lbs. 2 small or 1 large Eastern lobster, fresh and kicking celery 1 stalk, coarse chopped ½ cup, freshly chopped parsley 5 or 6 small red potatoes, quartered 2 lbs. fresh steaming clams. onion - ½ medium sweet onion, coarse chopped carrot 1 medium, coarse chopped brandy ½ cup garlic 2 cloves, chopped fish stock (chicken or vegetable stock will do if you don t have any fish stock) 2 to 3 cups cream 1 pint, use heavy cream butter 4 tbs. anchovy paste 1 tsp. cayenne pepper pinch or to taste paprika 1 tsp. 1
pepper freshly ground, as much as you like Directions Here s the hard part. You have to cut the lobster into pieces, while still alive. Hold the lobster with the tail on your left (assuming you are right handed). You can quickly dispatch the lobster if you pierce the carapace, right behind the head, between the head and thorax. Place the lobster on a cutting board, underside down. Grab the crustacean by the body, flatten the tail, and quickly pierce the lobster as described above, Turn the lobster over and cut lengthwise, beginning at the head and down through the tail. You will need a very sharp, heavy knife. Once the lobster is divided into two lengthwise pieces remove the intestine and digestive tract, as well as the brain sac. Cut the lobster in half at the tail. Remove the large claws and feeler legs. You now have 6 pieces plus feeler legs. 2
1. In a large deep sauté pan, heat 2 tbs. of the butter, do not burn. 2. Add your chopped vegetables and simmer until just barely tender. 3. Add the lobster pieces and begin sautéing until the shells begin to turn pink. 4. Now add the brandy and ignite. Be careful because the brandy will flame up and could burn you. If it doesn t ignite by itself use a long stem lighter. You want to burn off the alcohol. 5. Cover the pot and simmer for a few minutes until and add the stock and seasonings. 6. When the stock has reduced somewhat remove the cooked lobster and clams from the pan and place on a platter. You can go two ways here. Serve the sauce over the lobster pieces on the platter, lobster carefully arranged, OR, remove the meat from the lobster shells and the clam meat from their shells then add to the finished sauce. I prefer the latter. 7. To finish: Add the cream to the sauce, reduce the sauce over high heat, until the cream begins to form small bubbles and the sauce is somewhat reduced. 3
8. Whisk in the remaining butter, and adjust the seasoning. Add the lobster pieces, clam meat, and vegetables back into the sauce. 9. Remember that there is a great deal of lobster in the legs and claws, feelers (little legs), and in the body cavity get it all since the lobsters likely cost a fortune). The best way to get the claw and knuckle pieces out is to use an extra heavy pair of kitchen shears and cut the knuckles lengthwise. Use a rolling pin to roll out the tiny feeler meat pieces. They are sweet and tender. Don t waste a single speck. The sauce with the lobster pieces can now be served by itself, over rice, toast points, puffed pastry (very nice touch), or as a soup, garnished with parsley and chives. Serve with a nice buttery, oaken Chardonnay, or even a medium bodied red, and crusty French bread. Save that lobster shells and the clam shells, pop them in the freezer or in the fridge and make a great fish stock for seafood chowder. Lobster chowder On Saturday morning after a long walk on the beach with the dogs I came back to the house and made some seafood chowder with the remaining lobster and clam shells. Once again, in a large stock pot, place the lobster shells, clam shells, and any other seafood bits or bones you have with a quart of vegetable broth or chicken stock. Throw in a roughly chopped onion, a few stalks of celery, a cut up carrot, some rough chopped parsley, a bay leaf, pepper corns, and a quarter lemon. Simmer the stock for an hour and strain. This stock will be the base for your soup. Over high heat reduce the stock by about 1/3 rd. add a teaspoon of crab paste (available at Asian grocery stores). 4
Finely chopped onion, celery, and carrot. Quarter up some small red potatoes, Sauté your vegetables in two tablespoons of butter until just tender. Add two tbs. of flour and cook for an additional minute. Add your reduced fish stock and a ½ pint of heavy cream. Season with some fresh thyme, some shopped parsley, salt and pepper. The soup should be just slightly thickened, very creamy with lot of chunky vegetables, lobster meat and clams. Serve with some big oyster crackers. Now you have had two great lobster and seafood meals from one big lobster. 5