Recipe - Dressed Lobster

1 2 One half pound Lobster; (Or Larger)
1 Bay Leaf or Fresh Parsley
: Sprig or Bouquetgarni H OPTIONAL
4 tablespoon Butter
2 teaspoon Fresh Lemon Juice
: Salt and White Pepper to
: Taste
: Dab of Mayonnaise;
: (Optional)
4 Fresh Lettuce Leaves for
: Presentation; (Optional)
: (up to 6)

There are few meals more romantic than lobster. The sweet, white meat with
a hint of fresh lemon juice and a daub of melted butter simply kisses the
lips with rich flavor that is readily acknowledged by the palette and your
special guest when you serve by candlelight on a cold Winter's night.

A complete feast starting with a small Caesar salad, dressed lobster,
boiled red potatoes and corn on the cob is difficult to refuse. Especially
when you prepare it for someone you adore. Try this recipe on your
Valentine this year as Romantic Recipe week(s) continue at
RecipeaDay.com.

To prepare a live lobster, take a sharp instrument and drive it through the
cross on the head. Grip the lobster firmly behind the head and plunge it
into a large kettle of boiling salted water. Add bay leaf, parsley or
Bouquetgarni as optional seasonings at this time. Boil the lobster for
15minutes per pound. A 2 One half pound lobster should cook for 30 to
45minutes.

When cool enough to handle, crack the large pincer claws with a small
hammer and remove the meat with a fork or skewer. Place the lobster on its
back and either cut it lengthwise from head to tail, using a sharp knife or
kitchen shears or cut down the right and left side from head to tail and
remove the entire underbelly. Remove the stomach bag on the right side of
the head and any spongy gray parts know as "dead man's fingers." Remove the
coral, or roe and retain for garnish or discard. At this point you may
remove the head and discard it or retain it with the antlers for
decoration.

Remove all the meat from the shell. Keep the green liver meat, which is
edible, or discard. Flavor the white lobster meat with 1 or 2 tsp. lemon
juice and season with salt and white pepper or a dab of mayonnaise, and
return to the shell. Add meat from the claws and serve on a platter of
lettuce with drawn butter for dipping.

Kitchen Staff Tip: What's Bouquetgarni? (French) A bunch of fresh herbs
traditionally including fresh parsley, thyme, and bay leaf, tied with a
string and dangled in a pot of boiling liquid. Dried Bouquetgarni is
bundled in a cheesecloth or muslin bag. The herb bundle provides the base
flavors to a stew, soup or stock.

Posted to dailyrecipe@recipeaday.com by The Cook & Kitchen Staff
dailyrecipeowner@recipeaday.com on Feb 03, 1998