Decadent Lobster Stew with Chardonnay
This sensual lobster stew is a perfect warm-up on a cold winter evening. It features the aphrodisiacs of lobster, saffron and Chardonnay wine and the richness of a touch of cream.
Ingredients
- 2 lb Live lobster
- 6 tbsp Unsalted butter
- 2 Medium yellow onions finely chopped
- 3 cloves Garlic coarsely chopped
- 1 cup Celery cut into thin slices, then halved
- 1 cup Carrot cut into rounds, then quartered
- 1 cup Fennel finely chopped
- 3 tbsp Brandy
- 28 oz Canned plum tomatoes with the juice
- 1 cup Donelan Nancie Chardonnay or your favorite oaked Chardonnay**
- 2 cups Chicken stock
- 2 Sprigs thyme
- 2 Dried bay leaves
- 1/2 tsp Saffron threads
- 2 Medium round white potatoes peeled and cubed
- 1/2 cup Heavy cream
- Sea salt
- Freshly ground white pepper
Instructions
- Bring 3 cups water to a boil in a large pot.
- Add lobster and cook until shells are red but meat is not yet cooked through, about 5 minutes.
- Remove with tongs to a rimmed baking sheet, save cooking liquid.*
- When cool enough to handle, crack the shells over a bowl, saving as much juice as possible. Extract the tail and claw meat, chop it into 1 or 1/2 inch chunks, and reserve.
- In a second, medium-sized stock pot, melt the butter and add the onion, garlic, celery, carrots, and fennel over medium heat.
- Sauté the vegetables for about 10 minutes or until they are soft.
- Remove pot from heat and add brandy, return to heat and cook until brandy is almost evaporated.
- Add 1 cup of the lobster cooking liquid,* the plum tomatoes and juice and bring the mixture to a simmer.
- Add the Chardonnay, chicken stock, bay leaves, thyme and saffron.
- Bring the mixture to a simmer; cover it and cook for about 40 minutes.
- After the 40 minutes is up, add the potato and cook until the potato is soft. Remove the bay leaves.
- Remove the soup from the stove and let it cool.
- Just before serving, return the soup to the stove and slowly bring it to a gentle simmer.
- Stir in the heavy cream, cooked lobster and season to taste with sea salt and ground white pepper.
- Immediately ladle into warm soup bowls.
- Serve hot, paired with a glass of the Chardonnay used to make the stew.
Notes
*Be sure to save the juices in the pan as well as the pot. Combine these juices, along with any that drip when you're shelling the lobster. You're going to combine this liquid with enough of the lobster cooking liquid to make one cup of lobster cooking liquid.
**See the notes on choosing a Chardonnay in the introduction if you are not sure what is meant by an oaked Chardonnay.
**See the notes on choosing a Chardonnay in the introduction if you are not sure what is meant by an oaked Chardonnay.