Ingredient of the week: Lobster

As Valentine’s Day approaches, you might be looking for a special dish to prepare. That’s why this week’s ingredient of the week is lobster.

Seattle Kitchen host Thierry Rautureau says one of the best tools you can use when cooking lobster is fat.

Not fat exactly, but when he’s going to cook up tender lobster, the secret is a lot of butter. So much butter, in fact, that it may cost you more than your lobster.

First, make sure that you’re not going to cook your lobster at high or boiling temperatures. Thierry cooks lobster in “beurre monte” to create a butter poached lobster.

Start with a quarter-cup of butter or water at the bottom of your pan and bring it to a boil.
Then, incorporate a couple of pounds of butter slowly, but surely while your heat is on.

“That becomes your poaching liquid,” says Thierry. “Instead of using water or wine – you’re using butter.”

That “couple pounds” of butter doesn’t have to go to waste. Thierry said that if you strain the butter and remove the fish particles you can use it for poaching again, or use it to make a hollandaise, or simply clarify it.

For lighter fair, Thierry suggests lobster in a salad. Toss with greens, grapefruit and a ripe avocado. Sure the avocado is more fat, but the citrus of the grapefruit brightens the pallet of the dish.

And remember, if you’re using frozen lobster, Tom Douglas says to thaw it by placing it in the refrigerator the night before.

Whole Foods Market is a proud sponsor of Seattle Kitchen’s ingredient of the week.