Lobster Tail and Aspargus Tart

Max learned tonight that lobster is his favorite food. Jim was up in Valley Forge last night to attend a GE old-timers event. I went out to dinner with Elaine to the Chinese restaurant across from the gate. This AM he visited our old farmer’s market in Wayne, PA and said hello to our friends the Alderfer’s and had breakfast. When we lived in PA we went to the market every Saturday AM. Jim had breakfast and I shopped; stacking the bags at his feet while he ate. It was and, he says still is, a great place to buy fresh food. He brought some great looking bread home. On his way back he was stopping at Costco to buy gas and called to ask if we needed anything. I initially said no and then I thought, I’d like lobster tonight. I found a recipe for broiled lobster tail with buttery Pernod sauce. I accompanied this with a Martha Stewart recipe for Asparagus-Parmesan Tart. Jim served Champagne. Very elegant Saturday night.


The Lobster recipe came from Le Cordon Bleu, Complete Cook; Home Collection. The sauce was to die for and the directions for cooking the lobster tails were perfect. Yes, we gave Max a couple bites of lobster and that was a big mistake. Jim bought very large tails and so I gave him some of mine as I could not finish it. After the first bite, Max tried to climb into Jim’s lap to obtain more.

Tart
1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
AP flour for dusting
1 egg, well beaten
10 medium asparagus spears, tough ends trimmed, shaved into thin strips using a vegetable peeler
2 t EVOO
Salt and pepper to taste
½ C finely grated Parmigianino-Reggiano cheese
bPreheat the oven to 400 degrees. Roll out dough on a lightly floured work surface, just until the creases are smooth to a 10” sq. Lightly score a ½” border on all four sides. Place in the freezer for 15 minutes.
Whisk 1 egg and brush the borders of the pastry. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes. Toss the shaved asparagus with the EVOO, salt, and pepper. When the pastry is baked, take a spatula and press down the center of the pastry. Arrange the asparagus and bake for 8 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the cheese. Bake 5 minutes more and cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes before cutting into 4 pieces. This was good and elegant looking with the lobster.

Next for the lobster, start with the sauce.
1 star anise
½C water
2T Pernod
¾ C unsalted butter, cubed
Place the anise and the water in a small pan and bring to a boil. Reduce to low and cook for about 10 minutes to reduce the water to 2T. Add the butter in small amounts whisking as you add to melt. Add ½ the Pernod. Add salt and pepper to taste. Place the sauce over warm water. If kept on the stove it will separate. I put the sauce pan in a bowl of warm water and put it on a turned off burner. Remember the oven was on and later the broiler would be on. It kept perfectly. Right before serving, add the second T of Pernod.

For the lobster tails, bring a pot of water to a boil on the stove. Add the tails and boil for 2 minutes. Remove and drain. With the meat side down cut the shell but not all the way through the meat. Open and brush the meat with butter. Preheat the broiler on high. Place the tails meat side down and broil for 5 minutes. Turnover and broil for an additional 5 minutes. I had my oven rack on the second notch down from the broiler.

The lobster and sauce were fabulous. Jim said this is better than butter. I answered it is good, but it does contain a stick and ½ of butter.

We had a vintage 1992 Jacquart Champagne, Blanc de Blancs, Reims. It was cold, dry, crisp and perfect with the lobster.