Soufflés de Homard

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Food processor, at least 7-cup capacity
• •Fine-mesh sieve and stiff spatula
• •Large bowl and ice for an ice bath
• •Wide 6-quart pot
• •2-quart saucepan
• •13 by 18-inch (33 by 46 cm) rimmed baking tray
• •Sturdy baking parchment, pastry brush, and kitchen twine
• •Instant-read thermometer
• •Oval serving platter

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the lobster

   Ask the fishmonger to dispatch the lobsters, split them lengthwise, remove and return all raw tail and claw meat, and preserve four long half-carapaces and the empty claw shells. Set the raw meat in a shallow bowl over ice. Clean the half-carapaces of gills and soft matter without scraping away the coral shell. Bring a wide pot of water to a quiet boil, add the 1 tablespoon of salt, and lower in the half-carapaces. Cook for 3 minutes at a gentle boil so they set without twisting. Drain them concave side down, then dry them thoroughly.

   Pre-cooked lobster cannot replace raw lobster here. Its proteins have already set, so it won't bind with egg white and cream into a proper mousseline.
2. 2

   Build the lobster fond

   Crush the empty claw shells into several pieces. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, add the shells and shallot, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring, until the shells turn vivid red and the butter smells distinctly of lobster. Add the white wine and boil until reduced by half. Pour in the cold water, add the thyme and bay leaf, and hold at a bare simmer for 20 minutes, skimming any grey froth. Strain the fond, the concentrated shell stock, pressing the shells lightly without grinding them through the sieve. Return it to the pan and reduce to 1 cup (240 ml). Reserve ¼ cup (60 ml) for adjusting the finished sauce.

3. 3

   Make the mousseline

   Chill the food processor bowl and blade for 15 minutes. Cut the cold lobster meat into small pieces and weigh out about 12 ounces (340 g). Pulse it with 1 teaspoon of the divided salt and the white pepper until the paste becomes fine and tacky. Add the egg whites in two additions, processing only until each disappears. Force the paste through a fine-mesh sieve with a stiff spatula into a chilled bowl set over ice. The processor replaces the old mortar, but the sieve stays because it removes sinew and gives the mousseline its silk. Work the 1 cup of very cold cream into the paste in four additions, stirring firmly with a spatula until each is absorbed before adding the next. Keep the bowl over ice. If the paste loosens, turns shiny with fat, or loses its tack, stop immediately. Ça se rattrape: chill it over ice for 10 minutes, then work the remaining cream in one teaspoon at a time. Poach a teaspoonful in barely trembling water until opaque and firm, about 3 minutes. Taste it. If it seems rubbery, fold in 1 tablespoon of the optional cold cream and test again; if it spreads instead of holding, chill the bowl for another 15 minutes before retesting.

   Cold is part of the formula. Warm lobster paste releases its moisture and the cream ceases to bind, while a properly chilled mousseline looks satin-smooth and holds a soft peak.
4. 4

   Fill and collar

   Heat the oven to 325°F (165°C). Divide the mousseline evenly among the four dry half-carapaces, about 5½ ounces (155 g) in each, and smooth the tops level with a damp spoon. Cut four doubled strips of sturdy baking parchment, each 3 inches (7.5 cm) wide and long enough to wrap around one shell. Butter the side that will face inward, wrap each strip snugly around its filled shell, and tie it with kitchen twine so the collar rises 1 inch (2.5 cm) above the shell. The collar isn't decoration. It keeps the expanding mousseline inside the carapace, exactly where it belongs.

5. 5

   Poach in the oven

   Arrange the collared shells close together on a rimmed baking tray so they cannot tip. Pour the boiling water onto the tray, using only enough to wet its whole surface rather than making a deep water bath. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes without opening the oven during the first 12. The tops should be softly domed and resilient, the centres opaque and at least 145°F (63°C). If a centre remains loose, leave the collar in place and return that shell to the oven for 2 minutes at a time. Hard heat toughens the lobster and exaggerates the rise; gentle poaching gives tenderness without drama.

   Judge doneness at the thickest point, not by browning. These soufflés should remain pale ivory on top.
6. 6

   Finish the white-wine sauce

   While the soufflés poach, combine ¾ cup (180 ml) of the reduced fond with the ¾ cup of cream and simmer until the Sauce au Vin Blanc, the white-wine sauce, coats the back of a spoon and a finger drawn through it leaves a clean path. Remove the pan from the heat. Monter au beurre, whisk in the cold butter, one cube at a time, until the sauce gleams. Add the lemon juice and the remaining ¼ teaspoon of salt, then taste. If it tightens, loosen it with reserved fond. If it separates into oily beads, put 1 tablespoon of cold fond in a clean bowl and whisk the broken sauce into it gradually. Hold the finished sauce over warm water, never over direct heat.

7. 7

   Uncollar and serve

   Lift the shells from the tray and tilt each carefully to drain any water caught underneath. Snip the twine and peel away the parchment without pressing the risen mousseline. Cradle the four shells on a folded white linen napkin set over a warmed oval platter, then surround them with small bunches of very green curled parsley. Pass the Sauce au Vin Blanc separately so the tops remain proud and every guest can spoon sauce around, rather than over, the soufflé. Serve at once. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Ask the fishmonger for uncooked lobsters and explain that you need the shells intact. If complete half-carapaces aren't available, two large raw lobster tails split lengthwise provide four sturdy half-shells; keep the same 12 ounces (340 g) of raw meat so the mousseline ratio doesn't change.
• •Keep the meat, processor bowl, egg whites, cream, and finished paste cold. If your kitchen is warm, set the processor bowl in the refrigerator between additions. Technique first, always; costly lobster cannot rescue a warm, separated forcemeat.
• •Use strong baking parchment and real kitchen twine. Waxed paper softens, foil hides the filling, and a loose collar allows the mousseline to spread sideways instead of rising neatly above the shell.
• •The model preparation is intentionally plain. Diced truffle, lobster slices, milt, or poached oysters belong to the classical family of variations, but none is needed to prove the point. Master the cold mousseline and gentle poach first.
• •Pour a dry, mineral white wine, such as Chablis or Muscadet. Avoid a heavily oaked bottle, which crowds the sweetness of the lobster and the quiet acidity of the Sauce au Vin Blanc.

Advance Preparation

• •The lobster fond can be made one day ahead, reduced to 1 cup (240 ml), cooled quickly, and refrigerated. Reheat it gently before finishing the sauce with cream and butter.
• •The half-carapaces may be cooked, dried, and refrigerated earlier the same day. Cut and butter the parchment strips in advance, but tie them around the shells only after filling.
• •The mousseline can be prepared up to 4 hours ahead. Press reusable wrap directly against its surface and keep the bowl over ice in the refrigerator. Fill and poach the shells shortly before the guests sit down.
• •Do not finish the Sauce au Vin Blanc or poach the filled shells in advance. The butter emulsion and the soufflés both give their best at once.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 230g)