Lobster with Noodles, Basil, and Caviar
This is a deluxe version of Alfredo. The noodles are covered with a creamy herbed sauce flavored with cognac, sherry, and wine. Lobster medallions drizzled with sauce and caviar circle the noodles. Sauteed tomato dice picks up the color of the lobster and makes the perfect finish for the noodles.
Ingredients
- Lobster - 4, about 2 pounds each, live,
- Clarified Butter - 2 ounces
- Shallots - 2 ounces, chopped
- Tarragon - 1 ounce, fresh, (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)
- Tomatoes - 2, diced
- Cognac - 1/2 cup
- Sherry - 1/2 cup
- Dry White Wine - 1 cup
- Heavy (whipping) cream - 1 to 1-1/2 quarts
- Fish Stock - 1 cup, heavily reduced, (reduce until syrupy)
- Unsalted Butter - 2 ounces, fresh
- Basil - 2 ounces, fresh, chopped (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)
- Noodles - 1 pound, cooked al dente
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- Tomatoes - 2, peeled, seeded, and diced small
- Olive Oil - scant amount
- Beluga Caviar - 2 ounces
Instructions
Steam the lobsters for 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool until they can be handled. Remove the meat from the shell and reserve, keeping warm. Finely chop the lobster shell and place in a heated saucepan with the clarified butter. Saute over medium-high heat for 4 to 5 minutes, then add the shallots, tarragon, and tomatoes. Saute another 5 minutes, then add the cognac, sherry, and wine. Cook until reduced by two-thirds. Add half of the heavy cream and the reduced fish stock. Season with salt and pepper. Reduce again for 5 minutes. Strain, adjust the seasoning, and set aside, keeping warm. In the saute pan, combine the remaining cream, butter, and basil and heat for 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper. Add the noodles and reduce until the cream thickens and coats the noodles. Set aside; keep warm.
To serve: Season the tomatoes with salt and pepper. Saute briefly in the olive oil to warm. Slice the lobster meat into medallions and arrange around the rim of each warmed serving plate. Mound noodles in the center of each plate. Spoon sauce over the lobster; sprinkle with caviar. Garnish each mound of noodles with sauteed tomato dice.
