LOBSTER AND VEGETABLE PIE

Lobster and Vegetable Pie image

Provided by Marian Burros

Time 1h30m

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 8

4 live lobsters, about 1 pound each
2 cups assorted prepared vegetables such as baby carrots, fennel, cucumbers, pearl onions and baby turnips, cut in 2-inch pieces
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
Salt (sea salt recommended)
48 grinds white pepper or 1/2 teaspoon
4 tablespoons heavy cream
4 3-inch rounds of pastry (see pate brisee recipe)

Steps:

Boil lobsters 2 minutes in large quantity of water, stirring. Remove to an ice water bath to stop cooking. Cool, drain and remove all meat from claws, tails and knuckles. Reserve tomalley and roe, if present. Cut meat into bite-size pieces.
Cover lobster shells with water and bring to boil. Simmer 20 minutes. Strain and reserve the stock in a saucepan, setting aside 1/2 cup. Discard shells.
Force tomalley through a strainer and chill. Poach roe in reserved stock until bright red. Dry on paper towels and force through a strainer.
Prepare vegetables, parboiling the root vegetables 7 minutes, and set aside.
Divide butter between two large saucepans and melt over low heat. Raise heat to medium and add half the vegetables to each pot with lemon juice; toss lightly.
Raise heat again and add lobster meat, salt and pepper. Saute 1 minute; add reserved 1/2 cup stock and the cream. Bring to slow boil and stir ingredients until liquid is reduced to consistency of heavy cream.
Reheat pastry rounds at 350 degrees 5 minutes.
Spoon lobster mixture onto plates. Dribble pureed tomalley over lobster mixture and sprinkle with sieved roe. Place warm pastry rounds on top and serve.