Lobster with Champagne Vanilla Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 cup champagne or sparkling wine
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
- 3 tablespoons minced shallots
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon white pepper
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, in all
- 1 1/4 pounds freshly cooked lobster meat, the tails cut into 1-inch chunks and the claws left whole
- Combine the champagne, lime juice, vanilla bean (including the pasty insides and the pod), shallots, and sugar in a medium skillet over high heat. Bring to a boil, breaking up the vanilla bean pasta with a whisk to disperse it into the liquid, and simmer until the liquid is reduced by about half.
- Stir in the cream, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thick enough to coat a spoon, for about 5 minutes. Whisk in 1 tablespoon of the butter, remove the skillet from the heat, and whisk until the butter is thoroughly incorporated. Strain through a sieve or cheesecloth, and keep warm until ready to serve. Makes 1 cup.
- Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over high heat. When the butter is half melted, add the lobster and sauté, tossing occasionally until the lobster meat is just warmed through, for about 1 minute. Remove the skillet from the heat, add the chives, and toss to mix well.
- To serve, pour 1/4 cup of the sauce into each of 4 dinner plates. Divide the mushroom salad into 4 equal portions and heap it in the centre of each plate. Divide the lobster meat into 4 equal portions and arrange it around a fresh green salad.