Originally posted on August 30, 2012
I ALWAYS see long weekends as a blessing. I work so hard every weekday, doing event coverages, arranging and attending to shoots, writing the stories, preparing the dummy for the next issue of FLAVORS Magazine, following up with columnists, copy-reading and editing, etc., that the two days of the weekend always turn out to be too short for family bonding, domestic chores, and personal relaxation and pursuits. Well, two weekends with an extra day or two off work allowed me to clean up part of the clutter around the house and to whip up dream dishes that I’ve been longing to personally whip up and not just taste – right in my kitchen. Lucky for me, too, that a chef-friend from Iloilo, Chef Rafael ‘Tibong’ Jardeleza II, had a trip to Manila about a week prior and brought me a generous amount of fresh lobsters, prawns and soft-shell crabs – gourmet ingredients that cost a lot in the concrete jungle of Metro Manila.
Well, the long weekends gave me the time and opportunity to cook my dream gourmet dishes. For one, I turned one of the lobsters into a delicious Lobster Thermidor, a French dish served plated in French and Continental fine dining restaurants. Imagine how triumphant I felt after doing so. So, thanks, Chef Tibong, for the lobster and turning one of my gourmet dreams into a truly flavorful reality.
1 to 2 pcs. small lobsters
2 tbsps. unsalted butter
1 pc. small onion, chopped
1 pc. small carrot, finely diced or chopped
1/2 stalk celery, finely diced or chopped
1/4 cup flour
2 to 2-1/2 cups milk
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 tbsp. dried tarragon
pinch of ground chili pepper
pinch of ground nutmeg
1 egg yolk
½ cup heavy cream
1/4 cup grated Cheddar cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1. Wash lobsters well. Lay them on heatproof plate, head up. Steam just until lobsters change color. Using kitchen shears, carefully cut the lobster shell open in half, keeping the tail segment intact. Gently pry open to loosen the meat from the shell, devein and chop lobster meat into small chunks. Set aside.
2. Heat saucepan, melt butter, and sauté onion, carrots and celery until onion turns translucent. Add flour, stirring well until flour is completely incorporated into the mixture. Pour in milk gradually, whisking well with each addition. Season with salt, pepper, dried tarragon, chili pepper and nutmeg. Simmer for a few minutes.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together egg yolk and cream.
4. Take sauce off heat. Temper the egg in the egg-and-cream mixture by pouring some of the hot mixture into the egg-and-cream mixture and whisking them together. Then pour everything back to the sauce and whisk well. This will be the béchamel sauce.
5. Pour half of the béchamel sauce into the lobster meat chunks and mix well.
6. Lay lobster shells on baking tray lined with baking paper. Scoop lobster chunks into the empty shells. Spoon remaining béchamel sauce on top of the lobster meat. Sprinkle with grated Cheddar and Parmesan cheeses.
7. Bake in 425ºF oven for 10 to 15 minutes or until the cheese melts and turns golden brown in color.
