Baked Lobsters With A Tarragon Stuffing Recipes

BAKED STUFFED LOBSTER

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• Place a little water in a large pot and bring to a boil.
• Cut open the lobster by inserting your knife just underneath the head and the cutting down, splitting the belly (body and tail). Remove the "inners" (heart, guts, etc., but not meat). Steam the lobster for 7 to 10 minutes and then remove from the pot.
• Stuff the Seafood Stuffing in the lobster's opening and top with the crabmeat.
• Place the stuffed lobster, belly-side-up in a roasting pan. Add the lemon juice and a little water to the bottom of the pan to keep the lobster moist while cooking. Bake for 7 to 10 minutes, or just until the claws begin to split. Do not allow the lobster to dry out.
• In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter and then add all the seafood and saute until tender, about 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
• Mix in the crackers, and add lemon juice, wine, and salt and pepper, to taste.

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.

BAKED STUFFED LOBSTER

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
• Melt 8 tablespoons butter in a 9-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes until soft but not browned. Stir in the tarragon and parsley. If using raw shrimp or scallops, add them with the herbs and cook for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly. If using cooked lobster or crabmeat, remove the pan from the heat as soon as you stir in the herbs, let cool, and then add the lobster or crabmeat. Season with salt and pepper.
• With a cleaver or chef's knife, split the lobsters in half lengthwise. Remove and discard the head sac and intestine. Remove the tomalley and the roe if present and place in a small bowl. Break into small pieces using a fork. With the back side of a knife, crack the center of each claw on one side only. Season the lobsters lightly with salt and pepper. On a large roasting pan or baking sheet, place the halves together to resemble a butterfly.
• The tomalley and roe are optional for the stuffing. If you want to include them, mix them into the seafood mixture. Gently fold the crumbled crackers into the mixture. Divide the mixture evenly between 2 lobsters. If you are serving 1 lobster per person, spread the stuffing over the center so that the lobsters look whole again. Do not pack the stuffing tightly, or it will affect the even baking of the lobster. Brush the 3 tablespoons melted butter over the exposed meat tail, stuffing and claws. Bake until the lobster is cooked through and the studding is crisp and golden. Bake 17 minutes for a 1 1/2 pound lobster and 24 minutes for a 2-pound lobster.

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 STUFFED LOBSTER

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Melt 8 tablespoons butter in a 9-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes until soft but not browned. Stir in the tarragon and parsley. If using raw shrimp or scallops, add them with the herbs and cook for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly. If using cooked lobster or crabmeat, remove the pan from the heat as soon as you stir in the herbs, let cool, and then add the lobster or crabmeat. Season with salt and pepper.
• With a cleaver of chef's knife, split the lobsters in half lengthwise. Remove and discard the head sac and intestine. Remove the tomalley and the roe if present and place in a small bowl. Break into small pieces using a fork. With the back side of a knife, crack the center of each claw on 1 side only. Season the lobsters lightly with salt and pepper. On a large roasting pan or baking sheet, place the halves together to resemble a butterfly.
• The tomalley and roe are optional for the stuffing. If you want to include them, mix them into the seafood mixture. Gently fold the crumbled crackers into the mixture. Divide the mixture evenly between 2 lobsters. If you are serving 1 lobster per person, spread the stuffing over the center so that the lobsters look whole again. Do not pack the stuffing tightly, or it will affect the even baking of the lobster. Brush the 3 tablespoons melted butter over the exposed meat tail, stuffing and claws. Bake until the lobster is cooked through and the stuffing is crisp and golden. Bake 17 minutes for a 1 1/2 pound lobster and 24 minutes for a 2-pound lobster.

LOBSTER THERMIDOR

Steps:

• Cut the lobster in half lengthwise, and remove the meat from the claws and tail. Leave to one side. Remove any meat from the head and set aside. Cut the meat up into pieces and place back into the shell.
• Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shallot; cook and stir until tender. Mix in the fish stock, white wine and double cream. Bring to a boil, and cook until reduced by half. Mix in the mustard, lemon juice, parsley, salt and pepper.
• Preheat your oven's broiler.
• Place the lobster halves on a broiling pan or baking sheet, and spoon the sauce over the lobster meat in the shell. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the top.
• Broil for 3 to 4 minutes, just until golden brown. Serve immediately.

LOBSTER BISQUE WITH TARRAGON

Steps:

• In a large soup pot, melt 4 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat and add the carrots, shallots and celery. Cook, stirring, until the vegetables are very soft, about 5 minutes. Set aside.
• Place a cutting board inside a sheet pan. (This will catch all the juices from the lobsters.) Lay a lobster on the cutting board. Place the tip of a large, heavy knife at the indentation where the carapace meets the head of the lobster, making sure that the cutting blade is facing toward the lobster's eyes. Swiftly and forcefully, plunge the knife through the lobster until the point of the knife hits the cutting board. Immediately force the blade down, splitting the head of the lobster. (The lobster will be dead, although it may still move.) Repeat with the remaining lobster.
• Twist off the tails and claws of the lobsters. Split the bodies in half and scoop out and discard the spongy green parts in the head. Put the lobster pieces and any juice that has accumulated in the sheet pan into the pot with the vegetables and cook, stirring, over medium-high heat until the shells are bright red, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the lobsters from the pot and cool a few minutes. Remove the meat from the claws and tails and refrigerate. Chop the shells into small pieces and return them to the pot.
• Cook the shells for a few minutes over high heat. Add 4 tablespoons of the Cognac and ignite it. When the flames die, add wine, stock, tarragon leaves, bay leaf, tomatoes, 1 teaspoon of salt and a few grinds of pepper. Lower the heat and simmer for 45 minutes.
• Remove as many large pieces of shell as possible and place them, a cup or two at a time, in a food processor. Pulse until the shells are finely ground. Return ground shells to the pot and add the rice and 3 cups of water. Dice the meat from the tails only and add it. Cover the pot and simmer another 30 minutes.
• Put the soup through a food mill. Discard the solids and strain the puree through a fine sieve. Put the puree in a large saucepan and add the cream, milk and remaining Cognac. Heat very gently, not allowing it to boil, until hot. Just before serving, whisk in the remaining tablespoon of butter. Ladle soup into bowls and chop the claw meat to use with a little chopped tarragon for garnish. Serve immediately.