Baked Stuffed Lobster au Gratin

Serve this delicious dish when you have company and you'll have everybody wanting the recipe.

Lobster Sauce

Add vinegar to water and bring to a boil in a large pot. Placing head first into the pot, par-boil lobsters for 3 minutes. Remove from water, break off the claws and place them back in boiling water for another 5 minutes.
When cool, remove knuckles and cut lobsters from head to tail, in half. Remove lobster tail meat and rinse the body shells of any tamale. Clean the claws and knuckles and cut all the meat into large dice.
Preheat an electric skillet to 150ºC (300ºF).
Crush lobster shells in a stand mixer with a dough hook, or in a tea towel using a meat mallet.
In the preheated skillet, sauté the lobster shells in olive oil; add onions, carrots, celery and shallots. Cook until tender.
Add garlic, orange peel and diced tomato. Stir to distribute. Add tomato paste and cook for a few minutes to incorporate. Push all ingredients to one side of the skillet. Add brandy direct to the pan and flambé.
After alcohol has burned off, mix ingredients, then deglaze with white wine and allow to reduce by half. Add vegetable or chicken stock. Season with salt and pepper and simmer for 1 hour.
Mix the clarified butter with the flour to make a beurre manié (kneaded butter). Whisk a little at a time into the stock until it has thickened. Cook for another 10 minutes to alleviate flour taste.
Strain sauce and reserve.

Baked Lobster

Preheat electric skillet to 175ºC (350ºF).
Preheat toaster oven on broil.
In preheated skillet, add butter and sweat off shallots until translucent; add mushrooms and cook until tender.Push all ingredients to one side of the skillet. Add brandy direct to the pan and flambé. After alcohol has burned off, add lobster sauce and incorporate well. Add cream and reduce to a thick consistency. Add lobster meat and heat through, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add chopped parsley and season to taste.
Mix Gruyère cheese with Parmesan cheese.
Spoon lobster mixture into lobster shells and top with cheese mixture, spreading evenly.
Place lobsters in toaster oven and broil until cheese is golden brown.

Tips:

GAY LEA - Butter Sticks – Salted

SALERNO - Grated 100% Parmesan Cheese