Authentic New England Seafood Recipes From The Venus de Milo Restaurant in Swansea Massachusetts

Authentic New England Seafood Recipes From The Venus de Milo Restaurant in Swansea Massachusetts

Lobster A La Nage

Note: A popular way to steam lobsters is with a court bouillon or strained vegetable stock. A court bouillon imparts a light aroma and fresh flavor to seafood sauces. A Nage is a court bouillon, which is not strained. Normally the vegetables are cut into ornamental shapes and served around the entrée. Along with the vegetables a Court Bouillon is seasoned with a Bouquet Garni which is a cheese cloth sack, filled with a variety of fresh herbs. The visual presentation of this entrée is very important so cut your vegetables neatly and evenly.
Preparation Time: Approx. 2 hours
Yield: 2 servings

Ingredients:
2 each 1 and 1/4 lbs. lobsters
2 cups Court Bouillon (recipe below)
1 small carrot, fine julienne
1 small leek, fine julienne
2 scallions finely sliced
1 medium shallot, minced
2-3 sprigs rough chopped Italian parsley

Method:
Bring half the Court Bouillon to a boil in a covered stockpot. Prepare and steam lobsters in the court bouillon. While the lobsters are steaming, poach the carrots, leeks, scallions, and shallots in the remaining Court Bouillon until the carrots begin to tender. When the lobsters are cooked, remove and crack the claws and cut the bodies in half lengthwise and remove the stomach sacs. Place the lobster halves in a soup bowl meat side up. Remove the claw meat from the shells and place in the body cavity. Place the lobsters in a warm oven while the sauce is being prepared. Strain the lobster stock and add to the vegetable and broth mixture. Add the chopped parsley and simmer for about 3 minutes. Spoon the vegetables over and around the lobster halves and then pour the remaining liquid over the lobster halves. Serve at once.

Court Bouillon
Ingredients:
1 large Spanish onion
1 small carrot
1 celery stalk
2 tablespoons butter
1 large clove of garlic
1 bouquet garni (recipe below)
1 quart cold water
1/2 cup white wine
2 tablespoons Champagne vinegar

Method:
Peel and rough dice the onions, carrots and celery. Sauté the vegetables and garlic in the butter for about 10 minutes taking care not to let the vegetables brown. Allowing the vegetables to brown or caramelize will completely ruin the bouquet of the stock. Add the bouquet garni and the cold water and simmer for about 10 minutes. Add the wine and vinegar. Bring back to a simmer and remove from heat. Allow to cool then strain out the vegetables.

Bouquet Garni
Ingredients:
1 sprig Italian parsley
2 large bay leaves
1 sprig fresh dill weed
3 sprigs fresh thyme
1 teaspoon black peppercorns Method:
Remove stems from parsley. Wash the fresh herbs. Lay the herbs on a square of cheese cloth. Make a sack and tie it off with some butchers twine.