Lobster Pot Pie

Recipe Ingredients

		Lobster
2		Lobsters - (1 1/2 lbs ea)
		Vegetables
2		Carrots - cut diagonally
		Into 1 1/2" pieces
2		Zucchini - halved lengthwise,
		And cut into 1 1/2" pieces
6		Boiling potatoes - cut in half (small)
1/2 cup	31g / 1.1oz	Cipolline or pearl onions
1 cup	237ml	Chicken broth or water
1 tablespoon	15ml	Sugar
1/4 lb	113g / 4oz	Oyster mushrooms
1 tablespoon	15ml	Butter
		Salt - to taste
		Freshly-ground black pepper - to taste
		Pie Dough
3/4 cup	46g / 1.6oz	Flour - plus
2 tablespoons	30ml	Flour
1/4 cup	49g / 1.7oz	Slightly chilled butter - cut small chunks
1		Salt
3 tablespoons	45ml	Ice water
		Truffle Mushroom Cream
2 tablespoons	30ml	Flour
2 tablespoons	30ml	Truffle butter
		= (or 1/4 tspn truffle oil)
		Lobster shells
1 tablespoon	15ml	Vegetable oil
2		Onions - sliced
5 tablespoons	75ml	Tomato paste
1/4 cup	59ml	Brandy
1/2 cup	118ml	White wine
3 cups	711ml	Whipping cream
10		Shallots - sliced
1		Bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon	2.5ml	Coriander seeds
1/2 teaspoon	2.5ml	White peppercorns
		Assembly
1 cup	146g / 5.1oz	Cooked spinach - chopped
		Vegetables
		Lobster
		Truffle Mushroom Cream
		Pie Dough
1		Egg - beaten

Recipe Instructions

For the Lobster: Kill the lobsters by making a cut just behind the head. Remove the claws and tails. Put the tails and claws in a large bowl and cover with boiling water. Blanch the claws for 2 1/2 minutes and the tails for 3 minutes. Remove them from the boiling water and shock them in ice water until chilled. (These can be cooked ahead of time, then brought to room temperature when ready to use.)

Remove the meat from the tails and cut on the bias into 3 or 4 medallions. Remove the meat from the claws and knuckle and set aside. Clean the body shells, removing the innards and scraping the gills. Reserve the shells to make stock for the cream sauce.

For the Vegetables: Blanch the carrots, zucchini, potatoes and onions in boiling water until they are almost tender; do not cook them all the way because they will finish cooking in the pie when it is baked. The carrots will need 6 to 8 minutes, the zucchini 2 to 3 minutes, the potatoes about 8 minutes, the onions 2 to 3 minutes.

Peel the onions and place them in a small skillet with the broth or water and the sugar. Cook over medium heat until the liquid is reduced and the onions are tender and start to brown from the sugar caramelizing, 10 to 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, lightly sear the mushrooms in the butter in a small skillet over high heat until they begin to color, 2 to 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and add to the onions. Add the carrots, zucchini and potatoes and set aside.

For the Pie Dough: Sift the flour into the bowl of a mixer. With the mixer on low speed, drop the butter into the flour, a few chunks at a time. Season the mixture with salt. Add the water slowly just until dough forms; do not overmix. Shape the dough into 2 disks and refrigerate for 1 hour.

For the Truffle Mushroom Cream: Place the flour in a saucepan and whisk in the truffle butter over medium heat to make a roux, cooking until the raw flour taste is gone and the mixture smells nutty, about 6 to 7 minutes.

Sear the lobster shell pieces in the vegetable oil in a skillet over high heat until they turn red, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the onions, reduce the heat to medium and cook until tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook 5 minutes.

Add the brandy and wine to the pan and cook, scraping up any browned bits, until no liquid remains in the pan. Add the cream, shallots, bay leaf, coriander seeds and peppercorns. Bring to a simmer and cook until the liquid is reduced by half, 30 minutes.

Strain the mixture, discarding the solids, and place the liquid in a saucepan. Whisk in the truffle roux and cook over medium-high heat until the mixture thickens, about 2 to 3 minutes.

For Assembly: Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Divide the spinach in half and arrange it on the bottom of 2 (3-cup to 1-quart) baking dishes. Divide the reserved vegetables and add to the dishes. Arrange the lobster on top of the vegetables by crossing the claws over the tail. Divide the Truffle Mushroom Cream Sauce and pour over the vegetables and lobster.

Roll the pie dough out so it is slightly thicker than 1/8-inch and place it on top of each dish. Trim the dough so that it is about 1/2-inch wider than the dish and seal or flute the edges. Brush the tops with the beaten egg and cut 2 to 3 slits in the top of each pie. Bake the pies until heated through and the tops are browned, 45 to 50 minutes. Serve immediately.

This recipe yields 4 to 6 servings.

Each of 6 servings: 441 calories; 496 mg sodium; 125 mg cholesterol; 25 grams fat; 13 grams saturated fat; 37 grams carbohydrates; 15 grams protein; 5 grams fiber.

Source:
The Los Angeles Times, 04-10-2002

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