Lobster Recipes for New Years Eve

New Years Eve is just around the corner and many of you will be planning special meals to ring in the new year.  For those of you interested in feasting on lobster for New Years, below are three of my favorite recipes.  Two of these three lobster recipes are simple to make and all are delicious and indulgent.  These three lobster recipes also go very well with champagne, which is an essential element to New Years dining (for suggestions on which champagnes to pair with lobster, click here)!

My favorite lobster recipes for New Years Eve:

1. Lobster Newburg: Lobster newburg is simple to make and absolutely delicious.  I have served it on many special occasions, including at my wedding reception.

Ingredients (for 2 people)

For the Lobster

• 2 lobsters (around 1½ pounds per lobster)
• 2 tbs. butter

For the White Sauce

• 2 tbs. butter
• 2 tbs. flour
• 1 cup milk
• nutmeg to taste
• red (cayenne) pepper to taste
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Use approximately one lobster per guest (around one and a half pounds per lobster). Cook the lobster and pick out the meat. Cut the lobster meat into bite-sized chunks and then place in a frying pan on medium heat with several large chunks of butter. Fry the lobster for about five minutes and then
take it off the heat but don’t drain.

In a saucepan, on medium heat, make your basic white sauce. To do this, place 2 tablespoons of butter in the saucepan. Once melted, add 2 tablespoons of flour and mix. Once mixed, add 1 cup of milk and whisk the ingredients until thickened. Add a dash of salt and pepper plus a dash of nutmeg and a dash of red pepper. Take the white sauce off the heat and then add in the lobster (including juice). Note, if you’re cooking lobster Newburg for more than four people, you’ll want to increase the amount of sauce.

Once you have combined the lobster and sauce in the saucepan, cook the lobster Newburg mixture in a double boiler on a very low heat for three to four hours so the sauce has a chance to really absorb the flavor of the lobster. The sauce will turn pinkish as it becomes increasingly flavorful.

When it comes time to serve, I usually toast saltine crackers in the oven until crisp and then pour some of the lobster Newburg over the crackers. While simple, this is how we’ve served lobster Newburg in my family for generations, and it tastes lovely. Spaghetti or linguine are great alternatives to crackers if you so prefer. I usually accompany the dish with peas.

2.  Lobster and shrimp fettuccine alfredo:  I made this very simple recipe in 20 minutes (using pre-cooked lobster meat) this summer.

Ingredients

• A handful of lobster meat (cooked and picked out from 2 lobsters)
• A bag of (thawed) frozen shrimp
• A package of Knorr fettuccine alfredo
• Additinal fettuccine pasta
• Butter

Directions

Sautee a handful of lobster meat and a bag of (thawed) frozen shrimp in melted butter for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare a package of Knorr fettuccine alfredo and cook some additional fettuccine pasta.
Once done, combine and add a dash of cayenne pepper, which always tastes good with lobster, to the top of the dish. If you have time, I'd recommend making your own fettuccine sauce.

3. Lobster Ravioli:  If you want to impress guests, lobster ravioli is a great dish. The simple combination of lobster, ricotta and chives, along with the champagne sauce, is just delicious. This recipe is a bit more complex to make given it is by a master chef,  Natalie Gingerich, but the final dish is divine!

Ingredients

• 2 tbs. chopped shallots
• 2 tbs. butter
• 1 cup mascarpone or ricotta cheese
• 1 cup cooked and chopped lobster meat2 tbs. chopped chives (any fresh herbs would work well)
• ¼ cup finely grated parmesan cheese
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 package wonton wrappers

Directions

Sauté the shallots in the butter and then add to a mixing bowl and allow to cool. Once cooled, add the mascarpone (or ricotta), lobster, chives and parmesan cheese and season with salt and pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Clear some counter space and then lay out the wonton wrappers. Brush all with egg and then place about a heaping teaspoon of the lobster filling in the middle of half of the wontons. Next, cover with another wonton and seal by wetting your fingertips with water, rubbing the edges of the wontons and pressing them together. In the process, make sure to press out any air bubbles. Repeat until you have used all the wontons. You will have extra filling most likely, which is great smeared on crostini. When ready to eat, simply boil the ravioli in salted water until ready. Serve with champagne sauce or in lobster butter.

Champagne Sauce

Ingredients

• 2 tbs. shallots
• 1 stick plus 2 tbs butter
• ½ cup champagne (or white wine if that’s all you have)
• 2 tbs. heavy cream
• salt and pepper to taste
• chives

Directions

In a saucepan, sauté the shallots in 2 tablespoons of butter. Then add the champagne and the cream and allow it to reduce over low heat for about 7 minutes. It will lose volume, which is what you want, but be careful to not over reduce. Then cut up your very cold stick of butter into pats and grab a
whisk. Turn down heat to very low. Slowly add one piece of butter at a time until all the butter has been incorporated. Turn off the heat. I know it takes a while, but it is worth it, I promise. Now taste and adjust seasoning with more salt and pepper if you like. Then add the chives. If you are serving with the ravioli, add them now, toss gently and serve. Don’t forget to drink the rest of
that champagne!

And one ore thing to note, if you plan to eat lobster on New Year's eve and are superstitious, just make sure you finish what's on your plate by midnight. One superstition states that, after the last stroke of the 12, lobster becomes bad luck, as lobsters scoot backward in the water and consumption on New Year's Day might cause life to back up uncomfortably.