Florida Lobster Cassoulet with Saffron Rouille
Marty Blitz’ version of cassoulet includes Florida lobster tails, a lush saffron rouille, and crostini. The really good news is that each step in the preparation is straightforward and easy.
Ingredients
- Cassoulet
- Olive Oil - 1/4 cup
- Garlic Clove - 1, chopped
- Onion - 1, finely diced
- Carrot - 1, finely diced
- Celery - 1 stalk, finely diced
- Thyme - 2 sprigs, fresh, chopped
- Bay Leaf - 1
- Tomato paste - 2 tablespoons
- Dry white wine - 1/4 cup
- White Beans - 4 cups, cooked
- Lobster Stock (see Basics) - 3 to 4 cups
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- Saffron Rouille
- Pinch of saffron
- Hot Water - 1 tablespoon
- Eggs - 2
- Pinch of cayenne
- Dijon Mustard - 1 teaspoon
- Lemon Juice - 1 tablespoon
- Olive Oil - 1 cup
- Salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste
- Crostini
- French or Italian Bread - 1 loaf
- Olive Oil - 2 tablespoons
- A few parsley stems - 1 sprig, stemmed and chopped
- Lobster Tails - Two, 7- to 8-ounce, cleaned
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- Olive Oil - 1 tablespoon
- Garlic Clove - 1, minced
- Dry white wine - 1/4 cup
- Tomatoes - 1, peeled, seeded, and diced
- Parsley - 2 sprigs, stemmed and chopped
- Thyme - 4 sprigs
Instructions
To make the cassoulet: Heat the olive oil in a medium pot over medium-high heat and saute the garlic until golden brown and soft. Add the onion, celery, carrots, thyme, and bay leaf and cook five minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook 5 minutes. Add the white wine and cook until the liquid has reduced by half. Add the lobster stock and beans and cook until the stock is almost all absorbed. Season to taste. Keep warm.
To make the rouille: Place the saffron in the tablespoon of hot water to dissolve. Place the eggs, cayenne, mustard, and lemon juice in a blender and process on high speed. Slowly add the oil in a small stream, continuing to process. When the oil has been incorporated and the mixture has thickened, add the saffron and water. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
To make the crostini: Preheat the broiler to high. Slice the bread diagonally into 8 thick slices. Place the bread slices on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Broil until crisp and brown. Remove and sprinkle with parsley.
To prepare the lobster: Cut the lobster meat into large chunks. Season with salt and pepper. Heat the tablespoon of olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat and add the lobster meat and garlic. Saute until the garlic is translucent and the lobster has warmed. Add the wine and cook until the liquid has nearly all evaporated. Mix in four large spoonfuls of cassoulet and set aside.
To serve: Divide the cassoulet among four large serving bowls. Spoon the lobster mixture in the center of each. Sprinkle with chopped tomato. Lean two crostini against the inside rim of each bowl. Drizzle the cassoulet and crostini with rouille and sprinkle with chopped parsley. Garnish each with a sprig of thyme.
