Chili Lobster

As you may know, I love Fatty Crab, and their chili crab is one of the signature dishes. When Jamie sent me this recipe from the New York Times last week, I was happy to make it. Though it's totally a labor of love and you need to set aside about 4 hours for the whole process, it's really delicious and special. We had it for a little Father's Day dinner with my parents. You'd think the chili sauce might overpower the lobster, but the super lobstery broth prevents it. The whole dish is totally lobstery and the chili sauce has just the right amount of heat, and so much flavor. If you need to serve a lobster-lover something special, this is it.

Serves 4

Ingredients:
For the Lobster Stock
Salt
3 or 4 lobsters, totaling about 4 1/2 pounds
2 tbsp canola oil
1/2 cup tomato paste
2 shallots, peeled and thinly sliced
3 cups dry white wine
5 sprigs thyme
2 sprigs tarragon
1 bay leaf
6 cups water (reserved from poaching)


For the Chili Lobster
3 or 4 cooked lobsters (claws, knuckles, tails; see recipe)
2 tbsp canola oil
1 tbsp ginger, peeled and minced
1 1/2 cups lobster stock (see recipe)
2 tbsp sweet onion (like Vidalia) peeled and minced
2 tbsp fresh mint, cut into chiffonade
3 tbsp Sriracha sauce, or to taste (I used about 2 1/2 because my parents aren't quite as into spice as we are)
1 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1-2 limes
2 tbsp thinkly sliced scallions


For the Texas Toast
4 slices sourdough bread
3 tbsp unsalted butter
salt and pepper to taste


Directions:

Preheat oven to 400. Fill a large pot with salted water and place it over high heat until it comes to a boil. Poach the lobsters for approximately 5 minutes, then remove from water and place in an ice bath to cool them quickly. (Do not discard the poaching liquid.) Once they are cooled, cut off the claws, knuckles and tails and refrigerate them until ready to prepare the final dish. 

(Jamie helped - thanks, Jameball!)

Split open the heads, and remove the tomalley, which is delicious to some but not so pretty in this dish. Lift the legs away from the shell to reveal the gills, and cut them out using scissors. Break the heads apart by hand into large pieces.

Place a large, oven-safe saucepan over high heat, and add the oil, heating it until it shimmers and verges on smoking. Add the lobster heads to the pan and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes, then stir in the tomato paste to coat the shells. 

Add the shallots, stir to combine and put the pan in the oven. 

Cook for 8 to 12 minutes, or until well roasted.

Transfer the pan to the stove. Add the wine and herbs, bring to a boil and simmer until reduced by half. Add 6 cups of the reserved lobster poaching liquid to the reduced stock. 

Simmer the stock for an additional 90 minutes, reducing it. Strain through a fine sieve.

Make the chili lobster. Cut the tails into 1-inch pieces, then crack the claws and remove the meat. In a wok or a large skillet set over high heat, heat 2 tablespoons canola oil until just smoking. Add the ginger and onion and cook, stirring, for approximately 1 minute. Add the lobster tails, still in their shell, and the claw meat, turn heat down to medium and cook for approximately 2 minutes, or until hot. Add the stock, and return it to a boil. Transfer lobster pieces to a large serving plate, leaving the stock in the pan to reduce by half. Sprinkle the lobster with mint.

To the reduced stock, add soy and Sriracha and whisk in 3 tablespoons butter, one tablespoon at a time. Add a squeeze of lime juice, and adjust seasonings. Toast the bread, butter it generously and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Cut into triangles. Spoon sauce over the lobster and garnish with sliced scallions. Serve with toast.