Pan-Roasted Lobster
- Four 1 1/4-pund live lobsters
- 1/4 teaspoon saffron threads, crushed
- 1/4 cup dry white wine
- 5 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium fennel bulbtrimmed, halved, cored and thinly sliced
- 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
- 4 scallions, white and tender green, thinly sliced
- 1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup chicken stock or canned low-sodium broth
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- 5 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
- In a large pot of boiling water, blanch the lobsters until they start to turn pink, about 1 minute.
- Drain and let cool.
- In a small bowl, cover the saffron with the white wine and let steep for at least 30 minutes.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large nonreactive skillet.
- Add the fennel, onion, scallions and garlic and cook over moderately low heat, stirring, until tender, about 20 minutes.
- Add the saffron mixture and boil over moderately high heat until the wine evaporates.
- Add the stock and boil until reduced by a third.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 450.
- Halve each lobster lengthwise.
- Remove the brain sac, sand sac, tomalley and roe, if necessary.
- Crack the claws well all over.
- In a large, heavy-bottomed roasting pan set over 2 burners, heat the remaining 3 tablespoons oil until almost smoking.
- Add the lobsters, cut side down, and cook over moderately high heat until the meat is browned, about 3 minutes.
- Transfer to the oven and roast for about 5 minutes, or until the meat is cooked through.
- Transfer the lobsters to a platter, season with salt and pepper and keep warm.
- Rewarm the fennel mixture.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the butter, a little at a time, until the sauce is thickened.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Divide the fennel mixture among 4 large plates and arrange 2 lobster halves on each.
live lobsters, saffron threads, white wine, olive oil, fennel bulbtrimmed, onion, scallions, garlic, chicken stock, salt, cold unsalted butter
Taken from www.foodandwine.com/recipes/pan-roasted-lobster (may not work)