Lobster with Tomato and Cognac Sauce

Name: Lobster with Tomato and Cognac Sauce (Homard à L’américaine)
Yield: Makes 4 main-course or 8 first-course servings
Cuisine: France
Ingredients: 1 cup [250 ml] chicken or fish broth or water; chervil sprigs, fennel fronds, or chopped parsley (optional); 4 lobsters (1½ to 2 pounds [675 to 900 g] each); 3 tablespoons olive oil; 1 medium-size onion, chopped fine; 3 garlic cloves, chopped; 4 medium-size tomatoes, seeded and chopped, or 1 can (28 ounces [800 g]) whole tomatoes, drained, seeds squeezed out, chopped; pepper; 1 medium-size bouquet garni; ½ cup [125 ml] white wine; 2 teaspoons coarsely chopped fresh tarragon (chopped at the last minute); ¼ cup [60 ml] heavy cream; ¼ cup [60 ml] Cognac; 4 tablespoons butter; salt

Homard à L’américaine

Preparation info

Makes
4
main-course

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

Glorious French Food

By James Peterson

Published 2002

About

Ingredients

4 lobsters (1½ to 2 pounds [675 to 900 g] each)
3

Europe
France
Fish course
Starter
Pescatarian
Mediterranean
Gluten-free

Method

To Cut up the Lobsters

Rinse the lobsters under cold running water, holding them by the back of the head. Place them, one at a time, on a cutting board—with the tall to your left if you’re right-handed—and place a large chef’s knife directly in the center of the head on top. Plunge the knife quickly straight down through the head all the way to the cutting board, and then bring the kn