Lobster Pasta

Fresh Maine Lobster in cream sauce; garlic, lemon and white wine reduction

Spaghetti, Red Pepper Flakes, Basil, Thyme – and of course Lobster – come together in a creamy, lemony white wine reduction to make an exquisite meal

Murder in the Kitchen: An Homage to Alice B. Toklas

Ingredients 

1. 4 Lobsters (about 1.5lbs each; that’ll get you about a pound of meat, 4oz per person) 
2. 2 lemons; zested & juiced 
3. 1 more lemon, halved
4. 4 tbsp butter 
5. Drizzle Extra Virgin Olive Oil (2-3 tablespoons) 
6. 1 large Shallot, halved 
7. 1 tablespoon capers 
8. 1 Basil sprig 
9. 1 Bay leaf
10. Handful (5-ish)Thyme sprigs 
11. 4 Garlic Cloves, finely minced
12. Zest of 1 lemon 
13. 2 teaspoons Red pepper flakes (I really like Aleppo Chili in this dish)
14. 1.5 cups Dry White Wine (half a bottle)
15. 2 Cups Heavy Cream 
16. 1 lb pasta cooked according to package directions 
17. 1/4 cup Chiffonade Basil (10 – 15 large leaves, rolled up and then diced into ribbons) 
18. 1/4 cup Parsley, finely minced
19. Squirt lemon juice from 2 lemons
20. Parmesan Cheese, for serving

Instructions

Bring enough water to submerge 4 lobsters to a heavy, rolling boil in the largest stock-pot you’ve got

Kill (yeah, I know) the lobsters by plunging a sharp knife, point first into the X behind the lobster’s head, and then driving the rest of the blade down toward the lobster’s head.

This will instantly eliminate any unlikely flicker of consciousness the lobster had (assuming it was there in the fist place) – it will continue to move around, but trust me – it’s long gone. The lobster will release a lot of water which may contain bacteria, so be sure to do this near a sink with lots of paper towels, and clean any nearby surfaces well.

Okay – the worst is over.

Drop the lobsters in the pot of boiling water; Steam or boil lobsters (11 minutes for a 1.25lb lobster)

While lobsters are steaming, do the following (keep an eye on the lobsters and make sure they don’t boil over; they’ll produce a lot of foam:

• Combine the following in a small mis-en-place or prep bowl:
  • Zest of 2 lemons (use a microplane zester for this task)
  • Minced garlic cloves
  • 2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
  • 1 tablespoon capers
• Halve shallot, leaving the root end in tact
• Locate basil sprig, thyme sprigs

Shuck lobsters, removing the tail and claw meat (this is a messy task, but just go for it – it doesn’t need to be pretty; we’re not making Lobster Thermidor here).

Reserve meat in a bowl; cover and refrigerate

Clean out lobster carapaces (bodies) and rinse, reserving all the shell bits and legs but disposing of the green gunk (tamale)

Melt butter with Extra Virgin Olive Oil; add shallots and halved lemons, cut side down with lobster parts, thyme sprig, basil sprig, bay leaf, capers. Sauté 5 (ish) minutes over medium low heat, stirring occasionally

Add garlic, lemon zest, red pepper flakes and capers from small bowl – stir, and sauté until very fragrant, 1-2 minutes

Add white wine – reduce for 5 minutes or until raw wine smell begins to dissipate and the alcohol is cooked off

Add cream – reduce heat and simmer at the barest of simmers, with only a bubble or two coming to the surface every so often, until 1.5 – 2 cups remain (45 minutes), stirring occasionally when cream begins to solidify on the top

While cream is infusing/simmering, cook pasta of choice according to package directions

Reserve 1/4 cup of pasta water and return to the pot you cooked the pasta in off heat

Drain the pasta and return to the pasta pot; cover to keep warm but do not return to heat

After 45 minutes or so, fish lobster bodies, thyme sprig, bay leaf, basil and lemon halves out of the cream reduction

Strain sauce through a fine mesh strainer, pressing down with a wooden spoon to extract all the goodness

Add strained cream to pot with cooked pasta

Stir in lobster meat, Parmesan, parsley, Chiffonade basil and juice of 2 lemons

Pass additional Parmesan at the table as desired