Flambeed Pan-Roasted Lobster
By America's Test KitchenPublished on August 22, 2007
Yield
Serves 2
Ingredients
Before You Begin
If you want to prepare more than two lobsters, we suggest that you engage some help. This dish requires close attention, and managing multiple extremely hot pans can be tricky. Before flambeing, make sure to roll up long shirtsleeves, tie back long hair, turn off the exhaust fan (otherwise the fan may pull up the flames), and turn off any lit burners (this is critical if you have a gas stove). For equipment, you will need a large ovensafe skillet, oven mitts, a pair of tongs, and long fireplace or grill matches.
Instructions
- Using a large, heavy-duty chef's knife or cleaver, which can easily puncture the hard shell without damage to the blade, center the blade lengthwise on the lobster's upper portion (its head) and give it a sturdy whack with a mallet. Place the blade crosswise behind the lobster's head and split again. Break the claws free from the head and, using a spoon, remove the green tomalley, if desired. Keep the split lobsters shell-side down. (Don't be put off if the lobsters continue to twitch a little after quartering; it's a reflexive movement.)
- Adjust an oven rack so it is 6 inches from the broiler element and heat the broiler. Heat the peanut oil in a large ovensafe skillet over high heat until smoking. Add the lobster pieces shell-side down in a single layer and cook, without disturbing, until the shells are bright red and lightly browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the skillet to the broiler and cook until the tail meat is just opaque, about 2 minutes.
- Carefully remove the pan from the oven and return it to the stovetop. Off the heat, pour the bourbon over the lobsters. Wait for 10 seconds, then light a long match and wave it over the skillet until the bourbon ignites. Return the pan to medium-high heat and shake it until the flames subside. Transfer the lobster pieces to a warmed serving bowl and tent with foil to keep warm.
- Using tongs, remove any congealed albumen (white substance) from the skillet and add 2 tablespoons of the butter and the shallots. Cook, stirring constantly, until the shallots are softened and lightly browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the white wine and stir to combine. Remove the skillet from the heat and add the tarragon and chives. Stirring constantly, add the remaining 4 tablespoons butter, 1 piece at a time, until fully emulsified. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour the sauce over the lobster pieces. Serve immediately, accompanied by the lemon wedges, if desired.
to quarter the lobsters
to cook the lobsters
to finish the sauce
Yield
Serves 2Ingredients
Ingredients
Ingredients
Why This Recipe Works
Boiling and steaming are the usual ways of preparing lobster, and they’re just fine. But we wanted an alternative cooking method that would be even tastier, and we didn’t want to spend a whole lot more time in the kitchen. Our solution was a restaurant dish adapted for home cooking.
The New England restaurant chef Jasper White created a pan-roasted lobster dish that we took as our starting point. We quartered the lobsters and tossed them into a very hot skillet—shells down, so the meat wouldn’t overcook—to pan-roast. The heat roasted the shells and permeated the lobster meat with intense flavor. To cook the exposed meat, we put the skillet under the broiler, returning it to the stovetop when the meat was cooked through. Now came the fun part: We flambéed the lobster with bourbon (carefully, of course!). A quick pan sauce, made in the skillet after we removed the lobsters, was the final touch; we used shallots, white wine, and herbs. This way of cooking lobsters is a little more trouble than dunking them in a pot of boiling water, but we think the results are well worth it.
Before You Begin
If you want to prepare more than two lobsters, we suggest that you engage some help. This dish requires close attention, and managing multiple extremely hot pans can be tricky. Before flambeing, make sure to roll up long shirtsleeves, tie back long hair, turn off the exhaust fan (otherwise the fan may pull up the flames), and turn off any lit burners (this is critical if you have a gas stove). For equipment, you will need a large ovensafe skillet, oven mitts, a pair of tongs, and long fireplace or grill matches.
Instructions
- Using a large, heavy-duty chef's knife or cleaver, which can easily puncture the hard shell without damage to the blade, center the blade lengthwise on the lobster's upper portion (its head) and give it a sturdy whack with a mallet. Place the blade crosswise behind the lobster's head and split again. Break the claws free from the head and, using a spoon, remove the green tomalley, if desired. Keep the split lobsters shell-side down. (Don't be put off if the lobsters continue to twitch a little after quartering; it's a reflexive movement.)
- Adjust an oven rack so it is 6 inches from the broiler element and heat the broiler. Heat the peanut oil in a large ovensafe skillet over high heat until smoking. Add the lobster pieces shell-side down in a single layer and cook, without disturbing, until the shells are bright red and lightly browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the skillet to the broiler and cook until the tail meat is just opaque, about 2 minutes.
- Carefully remove the pan from the oven and return it to the stovetop. Off the heat, pour the bourbon over the lobsters. Wait for 10 seconds, then light a long match and wave it over the skillet until the bourbon ignites. Return the pan to medium-high heat and shake it until the flames subside. Transfer the lobster pieces to a warmed serving bowl and tent with foil to keep warm.
- Using tongs, remove any congealed albumen (white substance) from the skillet and add 2 tablespoons of the butter and the shallots. Cook, stirring constantly, until the shallots are softened and lightly browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the white wine and stir to combine. Remove the skillet from the heat and add the tarragon and chives. Stirring constantly, add the remaining 4 tablespoons butter, 1 piece at a time, until fully emulsified. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour the sauce over the lobster pieces. Serve immediately, accompanied by the lemon wedges, if desired.
to quarter the lobsters
to cook the lobsters
to finish the sauce
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