21: Butter Braised Lobster with Baby Leeks and Champagne Sauce |
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Butter Braised Lobster with Baby Leeks and Champagne Sauce
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 '21' (New York, NY) combines prohibition era intrigue, creative dishes, and outstanding wine. Today's recipe, "Butter Braised Lobster with Baby Leeks and Champagne Sauce" is equally appealing. Baby leaks are prepared in a flavorful white lobster stock, combined with dill, chervil, and new potatoes to form the perfect accompaniment to delectable butter braised lobster with a champagne sauce. '21' Executive Chef John Greeley says he likes this dish because "it's true to '21's culinary legacy of simple preparation married to the best ingredients available." It is also simply divine!
Butter Braised Lobster with Baby Leeks and Champagne SauceChef John Greeley
Lobster Braise
- 4 1.5 pound Maine lobsters par cooked and cleaned*, see recipe below
- 2 qts. clarified butter (buy clarified butter, or clarify 4 pounds unsalted sweet butter over a double boiler)
- 2 Meyer lemons (cut off peel and reserve, and slice)
- 4 sprigs fresh tarragon
- 1 - 4 qt. Pot
Baby Leeks
- 1 pound baby leeks (ends trimmed, split in half, washed in cold water; substitute with the white parts of large leeks if unavailable)
- 2 cups white lobster stock, see recipe below
- 2 tbs butter
New Potatoes
- 1 pound new potatoes (cook in salted simmering water until just done, remove and let cool, approx. 3 potatoes per plate.)
- ½ c. fresh dill, chopped
- ½ c. chervil, chopped
Champagne Sauce
- 1 cup Champagne sauce, see recipe below
1. Warm clarified butter on low heat in pot with lemon and herbs to 160 degrees. Add lobsters, and let them cook slowly until just done, when lobster meat is just opaque. This only takes a few minutes. Turn off heat and let sit for a few minutes; this will allow you to get the garnish ready.
2. In a frying pan, add leeks and lobster stock. Cook down until almost all the stock has evaporated, then turn off heat and stir in the chilled butter so the leeks get really creamy. Keep warm.
3. In a fry pan on the stovetop, roast the par-cooked potatoes in a little oil. When heated through and golden, turn off the heat and add the dill and chervil.
4. Heat the champagne sauce, and foam up using an emersion blender.
Plating tips
On four hot plates, place a few of the braised leeks in the center, then arrange the lobster tail meat on top of the leeks, along with the lobster claws. Arrange some of the potatoes around the lobster. Last, drizzle some sauce over the lobster meat and around the plate. Garnish with sautéed morels or chanterelle mushrooms if available.
Serves 4
Lobster Preparation - Par-Cooking InstructionsChef John Greeley
- 4 1.5 pound Maine lobsters
- 2 gallons water
- ¼ cup kosher salt
- 1 tbs. white vinegar
- 1 large lobster pot
- 1 pair long tongs
- 1 strainer
- 2 kitchen towels
- 1 pair Joyce Chen scissors
1. Boil water in the lobster pot with the salt and vinegar, turn off heat and add the whole lobsters and cook for 4 minutes.
2. Remove the lobsters with tongs and place in a strainer in a clean sink.
3. Using kitchen towel to protect hands break off the claws, knuckles and the lobster tail. Add the claws, and knuckles back to the hot water for an additional 7 minutes.
4. Remove claws from water and let cool in strainer in sink.
5. Split the lobster tails with knife and clean out the veins, trim ends with scissors and set aside on a clean plate. Crack the lobster claws and knuckles with a pair of lobster crackers and cut shell with scissors to remove meat, place on a clean plate and reserve.
6. Save all lobster bodies for lobster stock.
Champagne SauceChef John Greeley
- 2 cups white wine
- 1 cup shallots (minced)
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 pound butter (cut into cubes)
- 1 cup Champagne
- 1 tsp. sugar
- 1 pinch cayenne
1. In 2-quart saucepan add shallots and white wine; reduce until almost dry, add heavy cream and bring to a boil.
2. Add chilled butter a cube at a time and emulsify into sauce with a hand held immersion blender. Strain through a chinois and season with salt, sugar, and cayenne.
3. Finish sauce by adding Champagne. Keep warm, and foam up sauce with immersion blender just before serving.
4 servings
White Lobster StockChef John Greeley
- 3 tbs. canola oil
- 4 lobster bodies, sack removed, gills removed and split, washed 3 times in cold water
- 2 cups onion, peeled and sliced
- 2 cups fennel, sliced thin
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- 4 carrots, peeled, sliced thin
- 4 Roma tomatoes, whole
- 1 Bay leaf
- 1 sprig tarragon
- 6 qt. cold water
1. In a large stockpot add 3 tbs. oil; sauté lobster bodies until a light golden brown, then add onion, fennel, carrot and garlic. Cook 5 minutes on medium low heat.
2. Pour in the water and turn up heat to high and bring to a boil; turn down heat to a simmer and skim surface of stock, add remaining ingredients and let cook for 45 minutes.
3. Strain through a chinois two times. Cool and refrigerate.
About '21'
 Once a glamorous speakeasy, today '21' is one of the most celebrated restaurants in New York City. In addition to its two restaurants, the Bar Room and 'Upstairs', this four-story townhouse features ten private dining rooms, including the legendary Prohibition-era Wine Cellar.
'21' Club
21 West 52nd Street,
New York, NY 10019
Tel: 1 (800) 721 CLUB
Reservations on-line.
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