Lobster Thermidor

The Lobster Thermidor is a favoured French delicacy consisting of a creamy mixture of cooked lobster meat and cheese, stuffed into a lobster shell. The sauce used for the dish generally must always contain mustard.

Ingredients



1 whole lobster, about 500gms

1 pc lemon, quartered

1 onion, finely chopped

1 ½ tspgarlic, finely chopped

1 ½ cups full-cream milk

¼ cup butter

1 tbspyellowmustard

1/4 cup white vinegar

2-3 mushrooms, sliced

1/3 cup + 1 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

½ tspsugar

Salt and pepper to taste

1tspparsley,finely chopped (for garnish)



Procedure

Add the lemon to a pot of salted water and set to boil. Add the lobster to the boiling water and cook for 8 to 12 minutes. Remove the lobster from the boiling water and place in ice water. This will stop the lobster from cooking further.Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F or 190 degrees C. In a sauce pan, melt the butter. Stir in the flour and cook for 2 to 3 minutes for a light-brown roux. Add the onions and garlic and cook for 30-40 seconds. Stir in the vinegar and milk. Bring the mixture to a boil and reduce flame and let itsimmer. Cook for about 3 to 4 minutes or until the sauce coats the back of a spoon. Season the sauce (Béchamel) with salt and pepper and sugar. Remove the pan from the stove and stir in the mustard. Then, remove the lobster from the water and split the lobster in half. Remove the meat from the shell. Dice the meat and chopped mushrooms and fold the two in the Béchamel sauce, coating the ingredients generously. Stir in 1/3 cup of the cheese and season accordingly. Divide the mixture and spoon into the two lobster tail shells. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top of the lobster. Place the filled lobster on a baking sheet and place in the oven or salamander (a large broiler oven). Bake for about 8 to 10 minutes or until a golden brown layer tops the thermidor.

For presentation, place the cooked lobster on a large platter, and serve it with roasted potatoes, sautéed seasonal vegetables and buttered rice.Sprinkle chopped parsleytogarnishthelobster.

Scallops and Shrimp Lagniappe

The word Lagniappe is generally used to describe a gift given to a buyer by the merchant during the time of purchase. The Scallops and Shrimp Lagniappe, considered a Louisiana tradition from the old French Quarter can also be considered a gift that one to give to their tastebuds during a meal. You can't go wrong with it.

Ingredients



3 pcsscallops, diced in chunks

5 pcs shrimp(32 count),

3 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, diced ¾ of an inch

1 Red, green & yellow capsicum each, diced; about 50gms altogether

1tspgarlic, finely chopped

½ tsp black pepper, crushed

1 tsp paprika flakes

1 ¼ tsp Cajun seasoning

2-3 dried, whole, red peppers

2-3 mushrooms, quartered

1 lemon, juiced

4 tbspSaltz'sspecial teriyaki sauce

½ tsp sugar

Saltto taste

Lemon wedge garnish



Procedure



Clean the shrimps and scallops, and dice the latter into chunks and set aside. Heat the olive oil in a pan and add the garlic. Cook the garlic for 40 seconds and toss in the onions and the whole, dried, red peppers. Subsequently, keep adding the three colouredpepper, paprika flakes, crushedblack pepper, the Cajun seasoning, and the lemon juice in quick succession. Sauté for 4-5 minutes and allow the contents to simmer briefly. In another sauce pan, give the shrimps and scallops a brisk sauté to sear them, which should take about 3-4 minutes. Then transfer the duo to the pan with the vegetables and seasonings, and raise the flame to medium heat. Stir in Saltz's special teriyaki sauce and the quartered mushrooms to the mixture, and cook for 6-7 minutes. Add sugar and salt to taste. Spoon the Lagniappe on a plate and garnish with a lemon wedge. And there it is, ready to serve!