Langouste à la Vanille

Name: Langouste à la Vanille
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 2 whole lobsters, about 700 g each; 1 fine salt, for the cooking water; 2 unsalted butter; 2 shallots, finely chopped; 2 garlic, minced; 2 medium ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced; 1 vanilla bean; 1/2 dry white wine; 3/4 heavy cream; 1/2 fine salt; 1/4 ground white pepper; 1 fresh lime juice; 2 fresh parsley, finely chopped

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Langouste à la Vanille

AuthorDanCategoryComoros, Fish & Sea Food, Main CourseDifficultyAdvanced

Tender lobster in a fragrant vanilla cream sauce.

Comorian langouste à la vanille, lobster prepared with fragrant vanilla

Yields4 Servings

Prep Time25 minsCook Time30 minsTotal Time55 mins

Use a whole vanilla bean for the cleanest floral aroma. Do not boil the lobster after adding it to the sauce, or the meat can become tough.

Lobster and vanilla sauce

2 whole lobsters, about 700 g each

1 tbsp fine salt, for the cooking water

2 tbsp unsalted butter

2 shallots, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 medium ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced

1 vanilla bean

½ cup dry white wine

¾ cup heavy cream

½ tsp fine salt

¼ tsp ground white pepper

1 tbsp fresh lime juice

2 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped

Directions

Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a rolling boil. Add the lobsters, cover and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until the shells turn bright red.

Transfer the lobsters to a tray and cool until easy to handle. Remove the tail and claw meat, discard the intestinal vein and cut the meat into large bite-size pieces.

Melt the butter in a wide skillet over medium-low heat. Add the shallots and cook for 4 minutes until translucent but not browned, then stir in the garlic for 30 seconds.

Add the tomatoes and cook over medium heat for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they soften into a light sauce and most watery liquid evaporates.

Split the vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape the seeds into the skillet; add the pod and wine. Simmer for 4 to 5 minutes, until the wine reduces by about half.

Lower the heat and stir in the cream, salt and white pepper. Simmer gently for 5 minutes until the sauce lightly coats a spoon; do not let it boil hard.

Add the lobster meat and warm it gently in the sauce for 2 to 3 minutes, turning once, just until heated through.

Remove the vanilla pod, stir in the lime juice and parsley, and taste for seasoning. Serve immediately with rice or bread.

Ingredients