Tarragon Lobster Crostini Recipes

TARRAGON LOBSTER SALAD

Steps:

• Plunge 2 live lobsters headfirst into an 8-quart pot of boiling salted water. Loosely cover pot and cook lobsters over moderately high heat 9 minutes from time they enter water, then transfer with tongs to sink to cool.
• Return water to a boil and cook remaining 2 lobsters in same manner.
• While lobsters are cooking, combine shallot, lemon juice, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large bowl and let stand at room temperature 30 minutes.
• When lobsters are cool, remove meat from claws, joints, and tails. Discard tomalley, any roe, and shells (or save for another use). Cut meat into 1/2-inch pieces.
• Whisk mayonnaise, tarragon, and 1/4teaspoon black pepper into shallot mixture. Add lobster meat and toss gently to coat.

LOBSTER CROSTINI

Steps:

• Thaw the lobster tails, per the directions on the package.
• Once thawed, split the lobster tails in half lengthwise. Then use kitchen scissors and cut along the edge of the shell to remove the meat.
• Cut tail meat in half lengthwise, and then into 6 medallions. (After cutting all the lobster meat, you will have approximately 24 total pieces).
• Coat pan with olive oil, and on medium high heat, sauté medallions for 1 ½ minutes on each side.
• In a large bowl, toss sautéed lobster meat with the remoulade sauce and cucumbers.
• Serve 1 TBS of the lobster mix on a baguette slice and garnish with chives.

TARRAGON LOBSTER CROSTINI

Steps:

• Remove lobster from shells and chop. Saute in butter until cooked through. Remove from pan and allow to cool. Add lemon juice, salt, pepper, celery, mayonnaise and tarragon. Serve with toasted baguette.

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 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.

BOILED LOBSTERS WITH TARRAGON BUTTER

Steps:

• Fill a 6-quart pot three fourths full with salted water and bring to a boil. Plunge lobsters headfirst into water and boil, covered, 7 to 8 minutes. Transfer lobsters with tongs to a colander and drain head down to remove excess liquid.
• Finely chop shallot. In a small saucepan melt butter with shallot, tarragon, vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste.
• Arrange lobsters on a platter and using kitchen shears remove thin, hard membrane from underside of each tail by cutting just inside outer edge of shell.
• Spoon some tarragon butter over each lobster tail and serve remainder on the side.

TARRAGON LOBSTER SALAD

Steps:

• Plunge 2 live lobsters headfirst into an 8 quart pot of boiling salted water.
• Loosely cover pot and cook over moderately high heat for 9 minutes from the time they entered the water, then transfer with tongs to sink to cool.
• Return water to a boil and repeat with the next 2 lobsters.
• While the lobsters are cooking, combine shallot, lemon juice, and 1/2 teaspoons salt in in a large bowl and let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.
• When lobsters are cool, remove meat from lobster, discard tomalley, roe (if any) and shells.
• Cut meat into 1/2 inch pieces.
• Whisk mayonnaise, tarragon, and 1/4 teaspoons black pepper into shallot mixture.
• Add lobster meat to the mayo blend and toss gently to coat.
• If serving on hot dog buns, butter and grill or toast the buns if desired.
• Enjoy this simple and delicious rite of summer!

LOBSTER CROSTINI

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the lobster, and boil for 5 to 6 minutes, until bright red. Remove the lobster, extract the tail and claw meat from the shell, and dice it. Set aside.
• Cut the tomatoes in half horizontally, and squeeze the juice and seeds into a heavy 1-quart saucepan over low heat. Add the butter, whisking constantly, until it is warm and emulsifies with the tomato juice. Add the lobster meat to the saucepan, and set aside.
• Lightly toast the bread. Spoon some the lobster meat onto each piece, and slowly spoon on the butter mixture. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, add a drizzle of olive oil and a sprig of basil.
• Serve at once. Provide knives and forks because the crostini make for messy eating.

GRILLED LOBSTER WITH TARRAGON BUTTER SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat an outdoor grill for medium heat and lightly oil the grate.
• Cut lobster tails lengthwise with poultry shears. Cut open claws to allow sauce to reach the meat.
• Combine butter, lemon juice, onion, parsley, garlic, tarragon, and hot sauce in a bowl. Slather meat with sauce and place face-down on the preheated grill.
• Cook until lobster begins to char, 5 to 6 minutes. Flip and continue to grill until meat is opaque and firm, 5 to 6 minutes more.