Lobster Pot Pie

It's 4:30 IN THE MORNING!! I can't sleep, so naturally, I'm posting.

This was a trial run dinner, well sort of. I had planned this for my mother's birthday dinner back in January, and then she left for 3 weeks to visit my sister in North Carolina. So naturally, we had to try it just to make sure it was going to be good enough. Now that Mom is back home now, I will be making it again for her. But since then, it has been my birthday too, so she has promised me her Shrimp Creole. It's fabulous, so when she does, I will get that post up immediately. I know you will love it as much as our whole family!

Lobster Pot Pie adapted from The Barefoot Contessa

1-1/2 C chopped onion

1/4 pound unsalted butter

1/2 C all-purpose flour

2-1/2 c lobster stock (I had it on hand, but you can use fish stock)

1 T Pernod

1-1/2 tsp kosher salt

3/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 dash of cayenne pepper, to taste

3 T heavy cream

3/4 pound cook fresh lobster meat

1-1/2 c frozen peas

1-1/2 C frozen small whole onions

1/2 C minced flat-leaf parsley

1 pkg frozen puff pastry

Sea Salt for garnish

Saute the onions with the butter in a large saute pan on medium heat until the onions are translucent, 10-15 minutes. Add the flour and cook on low heat for 3 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Slowly add the stock, Pernod, salt, pepper and dash of cayenne and simmer for 5 more minutes. Add the heavy cream.

Cut the lobster meat into med-sized cubes. Place the lobster, frozen peas, frozen onions and parsley in a bowl (there is no need to defrost the vegetables). Pour the sauce over the mixture and check the seasonings. Divide among 4 oven proof soup bowls and set aside.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. On a lightly floured surface, roll out pastry sheets slightly and cut out four circles large enough to cover soup bowls (about 1-inch larger that diameter of bowls). Brush tops of bowls with an egg wash. Cover with pastry circle and press tightly to top/side edge of bowl. Brush tops with egg wash. Sprinkle tops with sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Make several slashes on each pastry top and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the filling is bubbling hot. Enjoy!

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LOBSTER BISQUE

Beautifully smooth and creamy with succulent morsels of rich lobster. Extra work, but well worth the effort! If this is your first course, follow with a perfectly prepared beef tenderloin, a simple green vegetable, and decadent dessert such as Crème Brûlée. This recipe was adapted from a class I took at Central Market several years ago. 2 large onions, diced 2 T. canola oil 4 garlic cloves, chopped 4 celery stalks, cut in 1-inch pieces 1 bunch leeks, cleaned, white part only cut into half moons 1 small can tomato paste, pan sauted in a tiny bit of olive oil for a few minutes to deepen flavor 4 T. paprika 1 gallon liquid made from lobster base with water or 1 gallon chicken broth 1 large lobster tail or 2-3 small tails, with shells reserved ½ c. brandy 2 sticks unsalted butter 1 c. flour 1 c. heavy cream salt to taste dash of cayenne pepper or tabasco Bring the stock to boil in large soup pot. Serparately, put a large saute pan with high flame under it. When the pan is very hot, add the 2 T. oil. Immediately add the lobster shells and stir to coat with oil and caramelize. When the shells are bright red, add the onions, garlic, celery and leek. Stir to combine with the shells. Let the mixture cook until the vegetables release their juices and the liquid has completely evaporated. Add the paprika and stir well to coat all the vegetable lobster shell mix. Next add the tomato paste, and again stir well to combine. Let cook for another 5 minutes. Try not to let the bottom of the pan burn or there will be black specks in your soup. Deglaze the pan with the brandy and let reduce while scraping up any browned bits on the bottom. Make a roux with the butter and flour to a light peanut color. When the stock comes to a boil, begin whisking in the prepared roux a little at a time to thicken to a gravy consistency. Let simmer for about 5 minutes. Add the shell mixture to the soup and cook for about 20-25 minutes. Strain the soup in small batches through a fine mesh strainer or Chinois to remove all the solids, so the soup is glossy smooth. Finish the soup with heavy cream, season to taste with salt and cayenne or tabasco. Just before serving, add the reserved lobster chunks and simmer until just cook through. Serve immediately. Serves 6-8

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