Recipe courtesy of Roland Passot

Butter Poached Lobster, Muscade de Provence Ravioli, Truffle Butter Sauce

Getting reviews...
  • Level: Intermediate
  • Total: 2 hr 23 min
  • Prep: 1 hr 15 min
  • Cook: 1 hr 8 min
  • Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

Lobster:

Beurre fondue:

Muscade de Provence ravioli:

Truffle butter sauce:

Salad:

Directions

  1. To make the lobster: Have ready a large bowl filled with ice. Fill a very large wide-bottomed pot with water and add the vinegar, carrots, onion, celery, anise seed, fennel seed, coriander seed, bay leaf, and cayenne. Bring to a boil, submerge the lobsters (cook one at a time if they don't all fit) in the pot and cook for 5 minutes. Remove the lobsters and immediately place in the ice bath to stop further cooking.
  2. Lay a lobster on a towel; pull the legs off and snap off the knuckles. Remove the thin part of the claws and the bone inside the claw meat by twisting and pulling it out. Lay the claw flat on a towel, cover, and gently pound with a wide mallet or heel of a knife. Use your fingers to gently push the meat through the large opening at the other end. Lay the tail meat flat and use shears to cut in half lengthwise through the middle. Remove the vein running through the inside of the tail but leave the meat inside the tail.
  3. For the knuckles, cut off the top joint of each knuckle and use scissors to cut away the shell along the smooth outside edge of the knuckle. Use your finger to open up the shell and remove the meat. Reserve the meat on a paper towel, cover, and refrigerate.
  4. For the body, pull back and discard the sack behind the head. Save the dark green roe for a sauce and the body and legs for a stock, if you want. Discard the tomalley and lungs.
  5. To make the beurre fondue: Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook until translucent, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the anise seed, fennel seed, star anise, cayenne, and coriander, and saute for a few more minutes. Add the wine; bring to a boil for 2 minutes. Add the butter pieces gradually and whisk consistently to obtain and emulsify the beurre fondue. Strain out the shallots. Add the tarragon. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
  6. To make the muscade de Provence ravioli: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  7. Split the pumpkin and remove the seeds. Set the pieces on a roasting rack in a roasting pan. Dab pieces of the butter on the individual pieces of pumpkin. Drizzle the honey over the pieces, season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg, and set the cinnamon stick on one of the pumpkin halves. Pour the water in the pan and cover with aluminum foil. Bake until the pumpkin is very soft, about 1 hour. Let cool in the pan, reserving the liquid in the pan. Scrape the flesh from the rind; discard the rind and the cinnamon stick. Blend the pumpkin with the remaining liquid in the pan, strain, and refrigerate until ready to use.
  8. Lay out a wonton wrapper, brush with the beaten egg, and place 1 teaspoon of muscade de Provence filling in the center of the wrapper. Cover with a second wrapper and press down the edges around the filling, making sure to push all air bubbles away from the center towards the outer edges. Press on the edges to seal. Use a cutter in order to shape the ravioli or trim the edges to the desired from. Dust with flour to prevent sticking, and chill until ready to use.
  9. To cook, blanch the ravioli in boiling water for 1 minute.
  10. To make the truffle butter sauce: Mix 1 1/2 cups of the beurre fondue with the truffle and veal stock, if using.
  11. To make the salad: In a bowl, mix together the frisee, celery root, microgreens, almonds, and apples. Toss with the vinaigrette. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
  12. To serve: Immerse the lobster in the warm beurre fondue and leave for 2 minutes, off the heat, just long enough to warm up the lobster and finish the cooking. Put a spoonful of truffle butter sauce on the bottom of a plate to make a circle. Put the warm ravioli on top. Season with salt, pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Then set the lobster on the ravioli, pulled somewhat out of its shell. Add the salad on top, tucking it in some of the lobster shell.