Lobster Wellington
- serves 4
1# lobster meat
1.5 c cream (half and half, beurre montee...)
3-4 sprigs of thyme
1/4 c bread crumbs
2/3# chanterelles (hen of the woods, shiitake...)
3 tbsp butter (or equivalent EVOO or fat rendered from bacon)
2 stalks celery, chopped
1/2 tsp thyme
1 pkg puff pastry
1 egg (mixed with 1 tbsp water)
1. Chop a couple claws very finely. Save for sauce.
2. Poach lobster meat gently in cream and 3-4 sprigs of thyme. After 10 minutes, remove from heat. Discard thyme. Set aside most of the cream for sauce; should be nearly 1 cup. Mix bread crumbs into lobster.
3. Saute chanterelles and celery in butter, thyme, s+p until slightly wilted.
4. Roll out two sheets of puff pastry and cut each in half. Mound a goodly amount of lobster on the pastry, then mound a goodly amount of mushrooms on top of it. Dab pastry with egg wash, fold over and tuck under, apply egg wash over all, and cut a slit or two for air to escape.
5. Bake at 400* for 30 minutes.
Lobster Sauce
2 tbsp flour
2 tbsp butter
1/2 c white wine (brandy, broth...)
1/2 c half-and-half
1/2 tsp tarragon
1. Make a pale roux using butter and flour.
2. Mount the sauce with the wine, then half-and-half and the reserved poaching cream (above).
3. Add the reserved meat (above) and tarragon.
4. Keep warm and stir occasionally until ready to serve.
