Recipe: Lobster Americaine

Name: Lobster Americaine
Prep time: 60 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 85 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 2 blue lobsters, about 2.2 lb (1 kg) each (live, from the fishmonger, females if possible); 0.6 cup (150 ml) olive oil; 2 yellow onions, finely sliced; 4 shallots, sliced (gray shallots if possible); 2 cloves garlic, deveined, crushed and chopped; 4 ripe garden tomatoes, blanched, seeded and roughly chopped; 5.25 oz (150 g) good tomato paste; 2.1 cups (500 ml) dry white wine from Charentes region (for example); 0.3 cup (60 ml) good Fine Champagne Cognac; 1.25 cups (300 ml) fish stock (if you have it); 0.4 oz (10 g) dry tarragon or a few fresh leaves; Lemon thyme; Salt and Cayenne pepper; For the liaison:; 3.5 oz (100 g) quality butter; 3.5 oz (100 g) sifted flour; 2 tablespoons chopped chervil or parsley

By chef patrick Asfaux 4.8/5 (42 reviews) · 🍳 31 made it

Recipe Lobster Americaine - Chef Patrick Asfaux — Photo: Aftouch-cuisine

Prep 60 min

Cook 25 min

Total 1h25

Servings 6 serv.

Lobster Americaine fools many cooks, they let it simmer too long and the meat becomes rubbery. The trick here is to cook the claws and body for just 10 minutes, then add the tail afterwards. The sauce is bound with coral and beurre manié, never with cornstarch.

Ingredients for 6 servings

Adjust for

servings

2 blue lobsters, about 2.2 lb (1 kg) each (live, from the fishmonger, females if possible)
0.6 cup (150 ml) olive oil
2 yellow onions, finely sliced
4 shallots, sliced (gray shallots if possible)
2 cloves garlic, deveined, crushed and chopped
4 ripe garden tomatoes, blanched, seeded and roughly chopped
5.25 oz (150 g) good tomato paste
2.1 cups (500 ml) dry white wine from Charentes region (for example)
0.3 cup (60 ml) good Fine Champagne Cognac
1.25 cups (300 ml) fish stock (if you have it)
0.4 oz (10 g) dry tarragon or a few fresh leaves
Lemon thyme
Salt and Cayenne pepper

For the liaison:

3.5 oz (100 g) quality butter
3.5 oz (100 g) sifted flour
2 tablespoons chopped chervil or parsley

Step-by-step directions

1 To cut up the lobster, try to do it as quickly as possible or blanch the lobster for 1 minute. Hold the lobster firmly, split it open between the eyes, then cut off the claws first at the shell level and give a firm blow with the flat of the knife to crack them. Next, cut the tail into 6 pieces at the ring joints and finally split the body in half lengthwise. Remove the sandy sac in the top of the head, then use a soup spoon to extract the creamy (green) part in the center called the coral and place it in a small bowl.

2 In a fairly large pot, heat the olive oil, then when it's smoking, add the lobster pieces, salt and pepper them. When everything turns a nice red color, flame with your Cognac and using a skimmer, remove the pieces onto a separate plate.

3 In the pot where you just seared your lobster pieces, soften the sliced onions, then the shallots and garlic, the lemon thyme and finally the tomato paste. After 5 minutes of braising covered, add the white wine, fish stock (or the same amount of water) and the chopped tomatoes, tarragon, salt and a pinch of Cayenne pepper or Spanish piment powder.

4 Immerse the lobster pieces (claws and body) so they are completely covered by the liquid for 10 minutes, then add the tail rings and cook for another 10 minutes at a gentle simmer.

5 Carefully remove the lobster pieces and transfer them to a large deep pot.

6 To the coral you set aside earlier, add your soft butter and flour and mix together with a wooden spatula until compact, then pour everything into the sauce, whisk well and blend. Bring to a boil, add the chopped chervil then strain through a fine sieve over the lobster pieces. Taste and adjust the seasoning, then serve with good pilaf rice, which I believe is its best accompaniment. For me, the most suitable wines to serve alongside are for example a Meursault or a fine white Hermitage, and if you really want to go all out, there are those rare intimate dinners where a Montrachet or Romanée-Conti has been served, but that's in the realm of dreams.

A chef's advice

Forget dry red wine. The lively acidity of white wine and the richness of the coral demand a structured white, not a light one. A white Charentes wine (Cognac region) or a Meursault premier cru stands up to the sauce. The acidity brightens the butter, the fat in the Chardonnay can handle the concentrated tomato without losing its grip.