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Homard à la Grammont
Created by Chef Juliette
Homard à la Grammont turns temperature control into ceremony: decided-pink paprika mousse set in the shell, then clear aspic-glazed lobster collops, truffle, and oysters arranged cold for a generous celebration table.
Homard à la Grammont (cold lobster in its shell with paprika mousse, aspic-glazed collops, and oysters) teaches one true thing before you touch a pan: cold is structural. It gives the mousse its light body, holds each transparent coat of aspic, and keeps the finished lobster tasting delicate rather than heavy.
The original assumed a garde-manger working beside a saucier, fine fish jelly ready from stock never off the fire, and crushed ice deep enough to hold every bowl. Your honest equivalent is a prepared Mousse de Homard (No. 956), clear fish aspic made ahead, nested bowls of ice, and a cold refrigerator shelf. Making every jelly during service was brigade scaffolding and can go; the decided-pink mousse, repeated aspic glazing, and alternating crown of collops and oysters are the dish and must stay. One large lobster gives two filled half-shells for four people. One cook, one stove, one evening.
When it is right, the mousse is softly set and distinctly pink, the tail collops shine beneath clear jelly, and the oysters sit between them like little ivory buttons. Work the mousse over ice and fill the shells while it still mounds softly. If it slackens, stop and chill it before continuing. Ça se rattrape.
Ingredients
large cooked lobster and its Mousse de Homard
Quantity
1 lobster, 3 to 3½ lb (1.4 to 1.6 kg), yielding about 1½ cups (360 ml / 330 g) Mousse de Homard (No. 956)
cooled in its cooking liquor; tail and two half-shells reserved, mousse prepared from the claw and creamy body meat but left unset
clear fish aspic jelly
Quantity
2 cups (475 ml / 475 g)
melted and cooled until fluid but distinctly cold
sweet paprika
Quantity
1½ teaspoons (7.5 ml / 3 g)
sifted
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| large cooked lobster and its Mousse de Homardcooled in its cooking liquor; tail and two half-shells reserved, mousse prepared from the claw and creamy body meat but left unset | 1 lobster, 3 to 3½ lb (1.4 to 1.6 kg), yielding about 1½ cups (360 ml / 330 g) Mousse de Homard (No. 956) |
| clear fish aspic jellymelted and cooled until fluid but distinctly cold | 2 cups (475 ml / 475 g) |
| sweet paprikasifted | 1½ teaspoons (7.5 ml / 3 g) |
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