Lobsters In Bourbon-Flavored White Butter Sauce

• 3 1 1/2-pound live lobsters
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• Salt to taste, if desired
• Freshly ground pepper to taste
• 4 cups water
• 23 cup finely chopped shallots
• 1/2 pound, plus 2 tablespoons, softened butter
• 2 tablespoons bourbon whisky
• 4 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chervil for garnish

1. Place each lobster on a flat surface and plunge a sharp, heavy knife into the midsection where the tail joins the body.
2. Cut off the tails of the lobsters, cutting crosswise at the point where the tail is attached to the main body of the lobsters.
3. Set aside.
4. Cut the main body of each lobster in half lengthwise.
5. Cut or break off the claws at the point where they are joined to the bodies.
6. Reserve in a small bowl any liquid that flows from the lobsters as they are prepared.
7. Scoop out the tomalley and so on from the main bodies and add this to the lobster liquid.
8. Set aside.
9. Set the solid pieces of lobster aside.
10. Heat a large, heavy-duty skillet over high heat until it is almost smoking.
11. Add the oil and the moment that it is hot, add the solid lobster pieces.
12. Do not add the tomalley and liquid.
13. Cook, stirring the pieces around, about two minutes, then sprinkle with salt and pepper.
14. Add one tablespoon of the bourbon and remove from the heat.
15. Stir all over the bottom.
16. Turn the heat to high and add the water.
17. Bring to the boil and cook over high heat for about three minutes.
18. Using a pair of tongs, remove the tail and claws.
19. When these pieces are cool enough to handle, crack the shells and remove the meat, which will not be fully cooked at this point.
20. Let the main body portions continue to cook in the skillet.
21. As you remove the tail and claw meat, return the empty shells to the skillet.
22. If any liquid has accumulated around the lobster pieces, add this to the skillet.
23. Continue cooking over high heat, stirring the shells around, about 10 minutes.
24. Line another skillet with a fine sieve, preferably of the sort known in French kitchens as a chinois.
25. Pour the mixture into the sieve and press the solids to extract as much liquid as possible from the shells.
26. Discard the shells.
27. There should be about two and one-third cups of liquid.
28. Add the shallots to this liquid and bring to the boil.
29. Cook over high heat about five minutes.
30. Hold a sieve over the mixture and pour in the reserved lobster liquid and tomalley mixture.
31. Put the drained tomalley into a small bowl.
32. Set aside.
33. Simmer the liquid in the skillet until it is reduced to about one and one-half cups.
34. Add two tablespoons of softened butter and the remaining one tablespoon of bourbon.
35. Beat briskly with a fork to blend thoroughly.
36. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
37. Add the remaining half pound of butter to the one and one-half cups of simmering liquid, stirring rapidly, until the sauce is slightly thickened.
38. Add the tomalley mixture, stirring.
39. Cook about two minutes and put the sauce through a fine sieve.
40. Pour this sauce into a saucepan and heat gently.
41. Arrange the lobster pieces neatly in one layer in a baking dish.
42. Spoon a thin layer of the sauce over the lobster pieces and place the dish in the oven.
43. Bake briefly, about five minutes, just enough to heat through.
44. Serve the lobster with a garnish of a green herb, such as chervil.
45. Serve the remaining sauce on the side.

live lobsters, olive oil, salt, freshly ground pepper, water, shallots, butter, bourbon whisky, fresh chervil

Taken from cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1612 (may not work)