Recipes » Fish » Lobster Pot Stew

Ingredients

• For lobsters and stock
• 4 qt water
• 4 (1 1/4- to 1 1/2-lb) live lobsters
• 2 tbs unsalted butter
• 3 carrots, chopped (1 cup)
• 2 celery ribs, chopped (1 cup)
• 1/2 fennel bulb, stalks discarded and bulb chopped (1 cup)
• 3 large garlic cloves, minced
• 2 fresh tarragon sprigs
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup dry white wine
•  
• For stew
• 2 medium tomatoes
• 2 tbsp kosher salt
• 18 baby carrots (3 bunches), peeled, trimmed, and halved lengthwise if large
• 6 oz haricots verts cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces (1 cup)
• 1 cup shelled fresh peas (from 1/2 lb in pods) or thawed frozen baby peas
• 1/3 cup chopped shallot
• 6 tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into tbs. pieces
• 1 fennel, stalks discarded and bulb cut into 1-inch pieces (2 cups)
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice
• 2 tsp chopped fresh tarragon

Preparation

Cook lobsters: 2 lobsters headfirst into boiling water, cook, covered, 8 min. from time they enter water. Transfer to roasting pan; cool. Cook remaining 2 as above, reserving Remove meat, catching juices in pan. Cut meat into 1/2-inch pieces and chill, covered. Cut lobster bodies in half lengthwise, then transfer to cooking liquid along with shells, tomalley, and juices from roasting pan.
Stock:
Heat butter or oil in a heavy skillet; med. high heat until foam subsides; add carrots, celery, fennel, garlic, tarragon, salt. Reduce, cook vegs. covered, stirring occasionally, until tender but not browned, about 15 minutes. Remove lid and add wine, then boil over high heat until most of liquid is evaporated, about 7 minutes. Add vegetable mixture to lobster-shell mixture and bring to a boil, skimming foam. Boil, uncovered, until reduced to about 8 cups, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
Discard lobster bodies; pour stock through a sieve to a large bowl, pressing on and then discarding solids.

Prepare vegetables for stew:
Cut an X in end opposite stem of tomatoes and immerse in a pot of boiling water 10 seconds. Transfer tomatoes to  ice water. Peel/seed tomatoes; cut into 2- by 1/4-inch strips.
Add salt to boiling water, cook carrots until just tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer to ice water. Cook haricots verts and peas until crisp, about 4 minutes, then ice water. Drain and pat dry the vegs. 

Make sauce:
Cook shallot in 3 tbsp butter in a 4- to 5-quart heavy pot over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until shallot is softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Add fennel, salt and pepper, until fennel is golden and tender, about 15 minutes.
Add 7 ½ cups lobster stock to fennel along with tomato strips and bring to a simmer. Whisk cornstarch and remaining ½  cup stock til smooth, then whisk into sauce. Simmer, whisking, until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes, then whisk in remaining 3 tbsp butter until incorporated. Stir in lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste. Add blanched vegetables, lobster, and tarragon and gently simmer, stirring occasionally, just until heated through, 4 to 5 minutes.