Cold Lobster with Various Sauces

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •12-quart stockpot with lid
• •Deep sink or heatproof basin for an ice-water bath
• •Instant-read thermometer
• •Heavy chef's knife and sturdy kitchen shears
• •Lobster crackers or a small kitchen mallet
• •Large oval platter and clean unscented linen napkin

Instructions

1. 1

   Build the court-bouillon

   Combine the water, wine, vinegar, salt, onions, carrots, celery, bouquet garni, and peppercorns in a 12-quart stockpot. Bring to a full boil, then simmer uncovered for 20 minutes so the vegetables and herbs season the liquor. Taste a cooled spoonful. It should be distinctly saline and aromatic, because the lobster meets it through a shell, but it must not taste harshly sour.

   The professional kitchen kept court-bouillon ready in quantity. This modest pot is the honest home equivalent, built quickly from water, wine, vinegar, aromatics, and enough salt to penetrate the shell.
2. 2

   Dispatch and cook

   Keep the lobsters cold until the court-bouillon boils. Working one at a time on a nonslip board, place a lobster belly down, set the point of a heavy chef's knife on the cross immediately behind the eyes, press decisively downward, then cut forward through the head. Lower both lobsters headfirst into the boiling court-bouillon at once. Cover only until the liquid returns to a lively simmer, then uncover and cook for 10 to 12 minutes. The shells will turn coral-red, but colour alone is not the test: the flesh should be pearly and opaque, and the thickest tail meat should reach 145°F (63°C).

3. 3

   Cool in its liquor

   Turn off the heat immediately and keep the lobsters submerged, using a small heatproof plate if they float. Set the stockpot in a sink or deep basin packed with ice and cold water, without adding ice to the court-bouillon itself. Refresh the outer bath as it warms and stir the liquor gently every few minutes until it falls below 40°F (4°C), which should take 60 to 90 minutes. If the large pot cools too slowly, transfer each lobster and enough strained court-bouillon to cover it into two smaller heatproof vessels nested in fresh ice. Ça se rattrape. What matters is that the lobster remains in its seasoned liquor without lingering warm enough to overcook.

4. 4

   Ready the cold table

   Chill a large oval platter while the lobsters cool. Wash the parsley or lettuce hearts and dry them completely, since wet greenery dilutes the presentation and leaves puddles on the napkin. Line the cold platter with a freshly laundered, unscented white linen napkin just before assembly. Bring either the finished Andalouse Sauce (No. 122) or the finished Vincent Sauce (No. 132) from the cold about 10 minutes before serving. If the chosen sauce has tightened, whisk in a teaspoon of cold court-bouillon; if the emulsion looks separated, begin with a teaspoon of cold water in a clean bowl and whisk the sauce into it one spoonful at a time. Ça se rattrape.

5. 5

   Crack and split

   Lift the lobsters from the cold court-bouillon and let them drain for 10 minutes, then blot the shells. Twist off the claws at their first joints, crack them without crushing the shells, and withdraw the claw meat as nearly whole as possible. Split each lobster lengthwise through the centre with a heavy knife or sturdy kitchen shears. Remove the dark intestinal vein, the feathery gills, and the hard stomach sac just behind the head, the part called the queen in the source. Wipe away any fragments with a cloth dipped in cold court-bouillon rather than rinsing the meat under the tap. If a claw breaks into pieces, tuck them neatly back into the opened shell. Never apologize at your own table.

6. 6

   Arrange and serve

   Set the four lobster halves cut side up on the linen-lined platter. Place the opened claws and their meat on either side, then surround the lobster with curly-leaf parsley or the quartered lettuce hearts, keeping the arrangement generous and unfussy. Send the chosen mayonnaise derivative to the table separately in a cold bowl or sauceboat, allowing each guest a half lobster and a generous spoonful of sauce. Serve cool rather than numb from the refrigerator. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Choose lively hard-shell lobsters that feel heavy for their size. Homard européen is splendid when available, but a carefully cooked American hard-shell lobster serves the method honestly. Technique first, always.
• •The source offers a choice, not a duet. Andalouse Sauce (No. 122) brings concentrated tomato and capsicum; Vincent Sauce (No. 132) brings a deep green herb character. Make one and serve it separately so the lobster remains the centre of the plate.
• •Do not skip the ice bath. Cooling slowly in a great professional vat was possible because the kitchen had space and hands to manage it; the sink bath gives one cook precise control and stops the meat tightening.
• •A clean linen napkin is part of the useful design, not plating theater. It absorbs liquor from the shell and keeps the cold platter dry. Wash it without fragrance or fabric softener.
• •Pour a mineral white with enough freshness for the mayonnaise, such as Muscadet or Chablis. Serve it properly cold, with condensation on the glass and no further ceremony.

Advance Preparation

• •The court-bouillon can be made a day ahead, strained, covered, and refrigerated. Return it to a full boil before cooking the lobsters.
• •Cook and cool the lobsters up to 12 hours before serving. Once thoroughly cold, drain them, place them whole in a covered tray with a clean cloth dampened in strained court-bouillon, and refrigerate. Split and dress them close to serving.
• •Prepare the chosen finished mayonnaise derivative earlier the same day and keep it covered and cold. Give it a gentle stir before it goes into the sauceboat.
• •Wash and dry the parsley or lettuce several hours ahead, then wrap it in a barely damp cloth and refrigerate. Assemble the platter no more than an hour before dinner.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 140g)