I have cooked this for Maria once before when Travis was out at sea. She seemed pretty happy to see it again. The are a lot of parts to this dish, and it easily consumed the most time to make. I will never make lobster any other way than poaching it in warm butter. It is so soft and wonderful.
A beurre monte (you'll see this later) is simply an emulsion of butter and 1 tablespoon of boiling water. You reduce the heat, and add the butter little by little and keep whisking it in until the butter has all melted and the water continues to hold the emulsion. This becomes the poaching liquid for the lobster later. Here we go....
LOBSTER PREP
Steep the Lobsters: Place the lobsters in a tight-fitting, heat-proof container. Cover with cold water. Drain off the water , measure it, and place it in a large pot. Bring the water to a boil and add a 1/2 cup of white vinegar for every 8 quarts (8 liters) of water. Pour the boiling water over the lobsters (in the heat-proof container) and let them steep for 2 minutes (if using 1 1/2 pound lobsters) and steep 3 minutes (for 2 pound lobsters). Remove the lobsters from the water, saving the water.
One at a time, with a glove or kitchen towel, hold the hot lobster, grab the tail and twist and pull to detach it. Twist and pull off the claws and return them to the hot water for 5 minutes. Reserve the bodies.
For the Tails: Hold each tail flat and twist the tail fan to one side; pull off and discard. Use your fingers to gently push the meat through the tail end and pull the meat through the large opening at the other side. Discard the shell. Lay the tail meat on it's back and cut lengthwise in half through the middle. Remove the vein running through the top of the meat. Lay the meat on a paper towel-lined plate or platter, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate.
For the Claws: After 5 minutes, remove the claws from the hot water. Twist off each knuckle to remove it. Hold the claw in your hand and pull down on the lower pincer. Push to either side to crack it and pull it straight off. Ideally, the cartilage from inside the claw should be attached to the pincer and the claw meat should remain intact.
Still holding the claw, crack the top of the shell with the heel of a knife, about 3/4 inch from the joint where the knuckle was attached. You want to go through the shell but not damage the meat. Wiggle your knife to loosen and crack the shell. If the shell does not pop off, it may be necessary to turn the claw over and repeat the procedure. Shake the claw to remove the meat (if it doesn't fall out, cut off the very tip of the shell and blow through the hole to release the meat).
CORAL OIL (OPTIONAL)
If you were lucky enough to get female lobsters, save the roe (the orange eggs underneath the tail) after "steeping" them. Take 3 tablespoons of the roe and combine in a small blender with 1/2 cup of warm canola oil (drizzled in slowly as the blender runs) to make a smooth puree.
CREAMY LOBSTER BROTH
¼ cup canola oil
3 lobster bodies, cut into quarters
1 ½ cups chopped tomatoes
½ cup carrot, chopped
1 bunch tarragon
2 cups heavy cream
Heat the oil in a large rondeau, or deep straight-sided braising pan. Add the lobster shells and sear over medium-high heat for 1 to 2 minutes per side, until they turn red, or your pot is not big enough to accomplish this easily, do it in two batches.) Add the tomatoes, carrots, and tarragon, cover the shells and vegetables with water, and bring to a boil.
Skim off any impurities that rise to the top, Reduce the heat and simmer over low heat for 1 hour. Strain the stock through a large strainer or a China cap (see page 73), smashing the lobster bodies with a wooden spoon to extract all the liquid. and then strain again through a chinois (see page 73) into a clean saucepan.
Return the strained stock to the stove and simmer until it is reduced to 1 ccup, add the heavy cream, return to a simmer, and cook, skimming occasionally. until the broth is reduced to 2 cups. Strain through a chinois into a container, discarding any solids remaining in the strainer. Cover and refrigerate the broth for several hours to chill, or for up to 3 days.
(NOTE: You could serve this broth all by itself as a small amuse bouche, if you like, but you'll need all of this for the finished lobster dish here)
BEURRE MONTE
Bring one tablespoon of water to a boil in a small saucepan. Reduce the heat to low and begin whisking chunks of butter into the water, bit by bit, to emulsify. Once the emulsion is established, you can keep adding butter a little at a time and whisking it in, never adding more water. This recipe works for however much beurre monte you need to make (for this recipe, you'll need 1 1/2 cups). Make the beurre monte close to the time you'll be needing it and keep it in a warm place.
PARMESAN CRISP
Heat the oven to 375F. Place freshly grated Parmesan (2 tablespoons each) into little piles and shape them into even discs. Bake on a non-stick tray (or better yet, silicon pad) for 8-10 minutes until golden brown. Carefully lift them off the tray and set aside on paper towels until you need them.
FINALLY...
BUTTER-POACHED LOBSTER WITH CREAMY LOBSTER BROTH AND MASCARPONE-ENRICHED ORZO WITH A PARMESAN CRISP
2 cups CREAMY LOBSTER BROTH
½ cup orzo
2 tablespoons mascarpone
salt
3x2 pound lobsters, "steeped" and meat removed
1 ½ cups beurre monte
1 tablespoon chives, minced
CORAL OIL
6 PARMESAN CRISPS
Place the lobster broth in a saucepan and bring it to a simmer. Reduce the broth to a sauce consistency. You should have 1 to 1 1/4 cups. Set aside in the pan.
Cook the orzo in boiling lightly salted water until just tender. Drain the cooked pasta in a strainer and rinse under cold water. Shake the strainer to remove excess water and add the orzo to the lobster broth.
TO COMPLETE
If the lobster pieces have been refrigerated, bring them to room temperature.
Heat the orzo and lobster broth to a simmer. Add the mascarpone and season with sillt to taste. Let simmer for a minute, then remove the pan from the heat and keep warm.
Meanwhile, place the lobster pieces in one layer in a large saucepan. Pour in the beurre monte; the lobster should almost be covered. Heat gently to warm the lobster.
Stir the chives into the orzo. Pipe a 2-inch circle of coral oil in the center of each serving dish. Place about 1/2 cup of orzo in the center of the oil, allowing it to spread the oil out into a larger circle. Arrange a piece of lobster tail and a claw in the center of the orzo and top each serving with a Parmesan crisp.
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