Best Stuffed Lobster For Two Recipes

EASY AND ELEGANT BAKED STUFFED LOBSTER

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients. Preheat the oven to 400 F.
• To instantly kill the lobster , place the lobster flat on a cutting board and plunge the tip of a sharp knife straight down just behind the lobster's eyes to cut the spinal cord. (Alternatively, you can freeze the lobster for 30 to 60 minutes.)
• Flip the lobster over on its back. Using a sharp knife or kitchen shears , cut the lobster's body cavity open all the way down to the end of the tail but not all the way through.
• Remove and reserve the tomalley (yellowish-green colored liver).
• Remove the stomach and intestines, being careful not to rupture them, and discard.
• Rinse the lobster cavity and set aside.
• In a mixing bowl, combine the cracker crumbs, melted butter, celery, onion, 1 tablespoon of the Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, lemon pepper, and salt to taste.
• Add the tomalley from the lobster and mix gently.
• Pack the cracker mixture into the lobster's body cavity.
• Sprinkle with the remaining tablespoon of Parmesan cheese and dust lightly with paprika.
• Bake the stuffed lobster in an uncovered 2-inch-deep baking pan for 30 minutes. If needed, place under the broiler and broil for another 2 minutes to brown the stuffing. Serve the stuffed lobster immediately with melted butter on the side, if desired.

LOBSTER-STUFFED POTATOES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F; position an oven rack in the middle of the oven.
• Poke holes in the potatoes, then place them on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until just soft, about 45 minutes.
• Meanwhile, place the lobsters in the freezer for 15 to 20 minutes-this will put the lobsters to sleep and calm them down so they're not so acrobatic when you try to finish them off. Fill a large pot with water and add enough salt so the water tastes like seawater, then bring to a boil. Fill a very large bowl with ice and water.
• Working with one lobster at a time, in one decisive motion, plunge a chef's knife into and all the way through the lobster's head so the head is halved vertically-this kills it quickly. Break down the lobster by removing the claws and the tail. Discard the lobster carcasses or save them to make lobster stock later.
• Add the lobster tails to the boiling water and cook for 3 minutes, then add the claws and cook for an additional 6 to 7 minutes. Remove the lobster from the boiling water and set aside. Once cool, crack the claws and tails and remove the meat. Quarter the tails lengthwise and chop. Cut the claw meat in half and chop it into pieces the same size as the tail meat.
• Let the potatoes cool slightly; leave the oven on. Carefully, without breaking the skin, slice the potatoes in half and scoop the flesh into a bowl. Reserve for later.
• In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat and cook until the milk solids sink to the bottom of the pan and turn hazelnut brown and the butter starts to smell nutty, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the rosemary and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the scallions and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the scooped potato flesh, salt and pepper to the saucepan and stir to combine. Add the chopped lobster, creme fraiche and 3/4 cup of the Gruyere. Mix until thoroughly combined.
• Spoon the potato-lobster mixture into the potato shells and place them in a 9-by-13-inch baking pan or on a quarter-sheet tray. Sprinkle the potatoes with the remaining 1/4 cup Gruyere and bake until the potatoes are hot and bubbling, 12 to 15 minutes. Top with the scallions, and serve.

STUFFED LOBSTER FOR TWO

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a rapid boil. Add the lobster and cook for 8 minutes. Remove from the water and set aside to cool slightly.
• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (220 degrees C). When the lobster is cool enough, split it in half lengthwise using a large chef's knife. Remove the dark strip if present. Remove the tomalley to a bowl and mix with the bread crumbs, butter, salt, pepper and tarragon. Stuff this mixture on top of the lobster meat still in the shell and place lobster halves in a baking dish. Drizzle oil over the top.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the stuffing is browned, about 20 minutes.

BAKED STUFFED LOBSTER

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• Place a little water in a large pot and bring to a boil.
• Cut open the lobster by inserting your knife just underneath the head and the cutting down, splitting the belly (body and tail). Remove the "inners" (heart, guts, etc., but not meat). Steam the lobster for 7 to 10 minutes and then remove from the pot.
• Stuff the Seafood Stuffing in the lobster's opening and top with the crabmeat.
• Place the stuffed lobster, belly-side-up in a roasting pan. Add the lemon juice and a little water to the bottom of the pan to keep the lobster moist while cooking. Bake for 7 to 10 minutes, or just until the claws begin to split. Do not allow the lobster to dry out.
• In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter and then add all the seafood and saute until tender, about 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
• Mix in the crackers, and add lemon juice, wine, and salt and pepper, to taste.

CHEF JOHN'S LOBSTER THERMIDOR

Steps:

• Cut bottom shell of lobster tails using kitchen shears along each side where it meets the top shell; do not remove the shell at this point.
• Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Place lobster tails cut side down in the butter. Cook, covered, about 3 minutes. Turn lobster tails over (they are curved so will lean to 1 side); cover and cook 1 minute. Lean them to the other side; cover and cook 1 minute more.
• Remove from heat. Transfer lobster tails to a bowl. Remove any shell pieces from the skillet.
• Place 1 tablespoon butter in the skillet over medium heat; add shallots and pinch of salt. Cook and stir until pan starts to deglaze and shallots soften, 3 to 4 minutes. Add mushrooms; cook stir until golden brown, 5 to 6 minutes. Add flour; stir until mushrooms are coated and cook for 2 minutes. Pour in cognac; use a kitchen torch to flame cognac to burn off alcohol. This will take just a few seconds. Add milk; cook and stir until pan is completely deglazed and milk begins to thicken and turn bubbly, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in creme fraiche. Let cool.
• Remove lobster meat from the shell, leaving top shell intact. Remove any bits of bottom shell from the meat.
• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Line a baking pan with crinkled up foil. Make 4 channel-like indentations in the foil to hold and stabilize the lobster tails as they bake.
• Slice lobster meat down the middle and check for and remove any dark veins. Chop into 1/2-inch pieces. Transfer meat to a mixing bowl. Add cooled sauce, tarragon, pinch of salt, and cayenne pepper. Stir gently until well blended.
• Divide mixture among the lobster tail shells; place in prepared foil-lined pan. Sprinkle each lobster tail with about 1/2 teaspoon bread crumbs and 1/2 teaspoon grated cheese. Drizzle melted butter on the stuffed shells.
• Bake in preheated oven until nicely browned and heated through, about 10 minutes. If you like, you can turn on the broiler and broil 1 minute until tops are golden and crispy.

STUFFED LOBSTER

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
• Place lobsters in pan and chill in freezer for 15 to 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, place 1 layer of river rocks* in the bottom of a wide pot and fill with 1-inch of water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Spread herbs across rocks, then quickly place lobsters on top. Cover and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove and place in ice bath to halt cooking.
• Lay paper towels across a cutting board. Bring one lobster to the board and using your chef's knife, cut the lobster straight down the center, from head to tail. Remove tomalley and discard. Remove legs and claws. Using a rolling pin, roll over legs to extract the meat. Roughly chop the meat.
• Move claws to pan and roast for 4 minutes.
• Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the onions and stir to coat. Follow with the lemon zest and scallions. Once onions are translucent add the leg meat. Then add the crackers and toss, off the heat, until all the liquid has been absorbed.
• Spoon filling into the open body cavities. Brush tail meat with olive oil and place upright on the pan along with the claws. Roast 10 to 14 minutes or until the stuffing browns and tail meat becomes opaque.
• Crack claws and remove the meat. Serve on top of stuffed lobster with extra-virgin olive oil on the side for dipping.
• *Smooth river rocks are available from your local landscape company

BAKED STUFFED LOBSTER NEW ENGLAND STYLE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Melt 8 tablespoons butter in a 9-inch skillet over medium heat.
• Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes until soft but not browned.
• Stir in the tarragon and parsley.
• If using raw shrimp or scallops, add them with the herbs and cook for 1 minute.
• Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.
• If using cooked lobster or crabmeat, remove the pan from the heat as soon as you stir in the herbs, let cool, and then add the lobster or crabmeat.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• With a cleaver of chef’s knife, split the lobsters in half lengthwise.
• Remove and discard the head sac and intestine.
• Remove the tomalley and the roe if present and place in a small bowl.
• Break into small pieces using a fork.
• With the back side of a knife, crack the center of each claw on 1 side only.
• Season the lobsters lightly with salt and pepper.
• On a large roasting pan or baking sheet, place the halves together to resemble a butterfly.
• The tomalley and roe are optional for the stuffing.
• If you want to include them, mix them into the seafood mixture.
• Gently fold the crumbled crackers into the mixture.
• Divide the mixture evenly between 2 lobsters.
• If you are serving 1 lobster per person, spread the stuffing over the center so that the lobsters look whole again.
• Do not pack the stuffing tightly, or it will affect the even baking of the lobster.
• Brush the 3 tablespoons melted butter over the exposed meat tail, stuffing and claws.
• Bake until the lobster is cooked through and the stuffing is crisp and golden.
• Bake 17 minutes for a 1 1/2 pound lobster and 24 minutes for a 2-pound lobster.

BAKED STUFFED LOBSTER FOR TWO

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450F degrees.
• When lobster is cool enough to handle, split in half lengthwise.
• Remove dark strip if present.
• Remove the coral and liver to a medium bowl.
• To coral, add bread crumbs and butter, salt, pepper and taragon.
• Put mixture in cavaties of lobster, drizzle with vegetable oil.
• Bake for 25 minutes or until browned.