Mrs. Hook’s Lobster Newburg Sauce
Makes 4-6 servings
1 Pint of hot milk
1/3 cup of butter
1/4 cup of flour
3 egg yolks beaten
1/4 cup of heavy cream
4 tbsp sherry
2 tbsp brandy
Salt and a few grains of red pepper
2 pounds lobster meat
Using a wire whip, blend flour and butter in an iron skillet over a low flame. Stir constantly
while adding hot milk. Remove skillet from flame, add beaten egg yolks and cream. Return to
flame long enough for eggs to cook. Season. This sauce will not seperate and can be stored in the refrigerator.
Sherry, brandy and lobster meat are added to sauce immediately before heating in preparation for serving.
Uncle John’s Lobster Thermidor
Serves 8
8 tablespoons butter
1/2 pounds sliced mushrooms
3 tablespoons flour
2 cups heavy cream or milk
1/4 cup dry sherry
4 cups cooked lobster meat
Salt
1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Butter a shallow baking dish. Melt 5 tablespoons of the butter in a saucepan. Add the mushrooms and cook until they are softened. Remove and set aside. Melt the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter, stir in flour and cook until smooth and blended. Slowly stir in the cream or milk and cook over low heat, stirring until the sauce is smooth and thickened. Add the sherry and cook 1 minute more. Remove from the heat and add the lobster and salt to taste. Spoon into the baking dish, sprinkle with cheese, and bake about 10 minutes, until the cheese is melted and lightly browned.
Serve over rice or puffed pastry with peas on the side.
Lobster Pie
5 lobsters (1 pound each) or 1.5 pounds of lobster meat
1/2 pound butter
2T lemon juice
3 cups crushed Ritz crackers
Parsley
Lemon wedges
Steam the lobsters in salted water 12-15 minutes, or until done. Let cool. Over a bowl that can hold the juices, pick out the meat from the tails, knuckles and claws. Reserve tomalleys. Melt the butter in a frying pan. Stir in the tomalleys and lemon juice. Remove from the heat. Stir in the crushed crackers. Add enough reserved lobster juice so the mixture is moist and thick, somewhat like turkey stuffing.
Divide the lobster meat among 4 individual casseroles. Cover the cracker mixture, patting it on evenly. Bake at 425 degrees until the top begins to brown, about 10 minutes. Garnish with parsley and lemon wedges.
Makes 4 servings
Easy, Perfect Baked Haddock
4 Haddock fillets
1/2 stick of butter, melted
3/4 roll of Ritz crackers, crushed
dash of black pepper or lemon pepper to taste
1 T (1/3 squeezed) lemon juice to taste
1/2 t dried or fresh parsley (optional)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt butter in a small glass bowl, add Ritz cracker crumbs and combine gently. Spray shallow baking pan with cooking spray, put a few cracker crumbs on the bottom of pan. Lay haddock in pan, cover with remaining cracker crumb mixture, squeeze lemon and sprinkle parsley over fish. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes, watch closely, as fillet size varies greatly! Don’t overcook! Remove when fish is white and flakes easily.
Makes 4 servings
Broiled Scallops
2 pounds bay or sea scallops
1 1/2T garlic salt
2 1/2T melted butter
2 1/2T lemon juice
Turn broiler on to preheat. Rinse scallops and place in a shallow baking pan. Sprinkle with garlic salt, melted butter and lemon juice. Broil 6-8 minutes or until scallops start to turn golden. Remove from oven and serve with extra melted butter on the side for dipping.
Makes 4 servings
Shrimp Scampi
1 1/2 pounds jumbo shrimp peeled and deveined
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2T unsalted butter
2 t minced garlic
1/4 cup dry white vermouth
1T freshly squeezed lemon juice
2t finely chopped parsley leaves
1/4 t grated lemon zest
Put the shrimp on a large pie pan or plate and pat them completely dry with a paper towel. Arrange the shrimp so they lay flat and are evenly spaced. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper. Add butter to the skillet. When the foaming subsides, raise the heat to high and invert the plate of shrimp over the pan so the shrimp fall into the pan all at once. Cook the shrimp without moving them for 1 minute. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Turn the shrimp over and cook 2 minutes more. Transfer the shrimp to a bowl. Return the skillet to the heat and pour in the vermouth and lemon juice. Boil the liquid until slightly thickened, about 30 seconds. Scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Stir the zest and parsley into the sauce. Pour the sauce over the shrimp, season the salt and pepper to taste and toss to combine.
Makes 4 servings
Steamed Mussels
4 pounds mussels
2T olive oil
1 shallot, minced
2 garlic cloves, shaved
4 sprigs fresh thyme
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 lemon, juiced
1 cup chicken broth
Pinch of red pepper flakes
1 tomato, peeled, seeded and cut in large dice
1/2 cup roughly chopped parsley
2T butter
Rinse the mussels under cold running water while scrubbing with a vegetable brush. Discard any broken shells. Heat oil in a 6 to 8 quart stockpot. Sauté the shallot, garlic and thyme to create a base flavor. Add the mussels and give them a good toss. Add wine, lemon juice, chicken broth and red pepper flakes. Cover the pot and steam over medium-high for 5 minutes until mussels open. Toss in the tomato, parsley and butter. Re-cover the pot and steam for another minute to soften. The tomatoes should keep their shape. Serve with plenty of grilled garlic bread to soak up the broth.
Makes 4 servings
How To Care For Your Lobsters
Refrigerate the lobsters when they arrive, either in the crisper or loosely on the shelf. Cook the lobsters
even if they appear motionless. After cooking, the tail should curl up under the body and the meat should be firm. Eat the lobsters as soon as possible, the fresher the better.
Do not put the lobsters in the bathtub or sink with tap water. They will drown in fresh water.
Lobster Cooking Instructions
1. Boil water in a large pot.
2. Add sea salt seasoning.
3. Place live lobsters in pot.
4. When water begins to boil again, cover and cook according to weight chart.
5. Melt some butter for dipping and enjoy!
Cooking Chart
1 – 1.5 lbs 10-12 mins
1.5 – 2.0 lbs 13-14 mins
2 – 3 lbs 16- 18 mins
3 – 4 lbs 20 -22 mins
4 – 6 lbs 23 – 25 mins
7 – 10 lbs 30 – 35 mins
10 – 15 lbs 40 – 45 mins
Steamer Cooking Instructions
1. Rinse steamers carefully in cold water.
2. Put 1 inch of fresh water into a large pot.
3. Place steamers in pot and cover with lid.
4. Boil on high heat until the shells fully open.
5. Melt some butter for dipping and enjoy!