Poached Lobster in sweet coriander-orange broth
One of this year’s favorite cookbooks has to be that of Jean-George Vongerichten and Mark Bitterman (Simple to Spectacular). I tried this recipe just before valentine’s day…stupendous!!! Last spring while taping “What’s Cookin” in New York City, we had the honor of working with Chef Pierre from the famed Vong restaurant. His lobster with lemongrass and curry cream sauce was just as marvelous
Ingredients
2 Tablespoons Butter
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
1 carrot, peeled and chopped a stalk celery, peeled and chopped
2 large shallots, peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
2 teaspoons fenugreek seeds
1 tablespoon coriander seeds Zest of
1 orange, removed into strips
2 cups slightly sweet white wine
2 cups chicken, fish or vegetable stock or lobster-cooking water salt and cayenne pepper to taste
Four 1 1/2 pound lobsters
2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice, or to taste
Directions
- Place 1 Tablespoon of the butter in a wide skillet or saucepan and turn heat to medium. Add onion, celery, carrot. shallots, garlic, fenugreek, coriander and orange zest and cook, stirring until the vegetables soften, 5 to 10 minutes. Add the wine, turn the heat to high, reduce the mixture until just about 1/2 cup liquid remains. Add the stock and reduce again until about 1 cup liquid remains. Strain, pressing on the solids to extract as much liquid as possible and set aside. (You can do this a day inadvance, keep refrigerated)
- Bring a large pot of water to boil and salt it well. Poach the lobsters for 2 minutes, then remove. Pull off the claws and ruturn the to the water for 4 minutes more. Run the tails and bodies under cold water: when claws are done, run them under cold water as well. Remove the meat from the claws and tails (along with any roe, which will be black): the tails will still be pretty raw. Cut them into erving pieces.
- Rewarm the sauce, add the lobster pieces to it and turn until cooked thoughout and hot, about 2-4 minutes. Transfer the lobster to a warm plate and stir the remaining 1 tablespoon butter into the sauce. Add the lemon juice and salt and cayenne to taste. Spoon over the lobster and serve. Once again Jean-George Vongerichten creates a masterpiece!
