Wafered Lobster with Foie Gras of Duck

Serves 4

PARIS, 4 JANUARY 2006—A recipe from Jacques Le Divellec, one of  France's leading seafood specialists.

Ingredients

2 Lobsters of about 2 lbs apiece
4 scallops of fresh Foie Gras of duck of about 2 1/2 oz apiece
Flour
2 oz Butter
Juice of 1 Lime
2 fl oz Shellfish stock
2 oz mixed green Salad
1 tbsp chopped Chives
Salt
Pepper from the mill

For the Shellfish stock (see preparation)
1 1/2 lbs Mussels or other shellfish
1/2 oz Butter
1 1/2 oz Shallots
3/4 oz Onion
1/3 small clove of Garlic
2 glasses dry white Wine
1 small Bouquet garni

If you would like to order Jacque Le Divellec's book from A la Page, the French on-line book store, it is available for the price of
28.24

Preparation

1. Place the lobsters in the upper part of a steamer, above the boiling water, and steam for about 10 minutes (they should be barely cooked). Preheat the grill of the oven.

2. Halve the lobsters lengthwise. Remove the meat from the tails, crack the shell of the claws and extract the meat keeping it intact. Place the upper casings under the grill for a few minutes to finish the cooking.

3. Lightly flour the foie gras scallops and pan fry them in butter for two minutes turning them over half way through. Cut the lobster tails into thin slices. Place the scallops in the centre of each plate and surround them with the sliced tails, the claws and heads of the lobster.

4. Leave the pan on high heat and deglaze with the lime juice and shellfish stock. Remove from heat and blend in the remaining butter cut into tiny pieces using a hand whisk. Taste and rectify the seasoning, and top the lobster pieces with the sauce. Sprinkle with the chopped chives and decorate with a few salad leaves. (See photo for presentation).

A Recipe by Jacques Le Divellec
from his book "Mes Meilleures Recettes" (My Best Recipes), published by SOLAR, Paris (in French only).
192 pages - illustrated with 120 photographs by Nicolas Leser - of starters, single course dishes, recipes for shellfish and molluscs, for crustaceans and seawater and freshwater fish. Texts are clear, easy to follow and full of useful tips, including the preparation of basic stocks and sauces.

The great talent of Jacques Le Divellec, who is one of France's leading seafood specialists, has always been to keep things simple, whether he's preparing sardines or lobster. When the basic ingredients are of highest quality, there is no point in drowning them in un-necessarily complicated sauces; precise ingredients, short cooking times, original flavours are the hallmark of his recipes. This is a must for anyone who enjoys fish, and beginners will find the recipes easy to follow.

Restaurant Le Divellec
107 rue de l'Université,
75007 Paris
Tel : (33) 01 45 51 91 96

Read our archive interview of Jacques Le Divellec - The Man of the Sea.