GOURMET’S CHOICE: Fabulous Septembher Recipe from Languedoc
By Margaux Cintrano
Photos supplied by M. Cintrano
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Relais Du Silence Disini Hotel Montpellier – Castries
1 Rue de Carriers
Castries, Languedoc
Reservations highly suggested: 33. 467 41 97 86
Website: http://www.disni-hotel.com/
During a recent visit to Montpellier and Séte, my younger twin daughter and I had celebrated our birthdays over lunch at The 15 Room Boutique, Relais Du Silence Disni Hotel´s Restaurant, in the enchantingly historical town of Castries, Languedoc, best known for its Roman aqueduct.
The combination of autumn´s luxuriousness and the late summer´s refinement, that characterizes and hints of the season ahead, provided us with a most extraordinary lunch as the two seasons began to fuse with each other at the close of summer. We had shared a sublime foie gras with truffles and hibiscus followed by a stunning Homard au Currí, a curried lobster. The memorable conclusion was a flawless rustic goat cheese.
Culinary artist David Bilcot had been more than honored to provide us with the recipe for the Homard au Cari.
RS Disini’s irresistible lobster
Sublime foie gras
Flawless rustic goat’s cheese
Homard au Carí
Ingredients:
1 lobster per person
1 / 2 stick of French butter
1 cup finely minced shallot
1 1/2 tablespoons of powdered curry
1 tablespoon of very finely minced Lavender Garlic
1 tablespoon of fresh Provençal red tomato blended
1 / 4 cup Calvados
Salt and freshly ground black, rose, green and white pepper to taste
1 cup dry white wine
3 Fresh thyme sprigs
1 bay leaf
3 Fresh parsley sprigs
A pinch of dried thyme and a pinch of dried parsley
2 tablespoons of unbleached natural flour
2 large bottles of Perrier or similar sparkling water
Reserve the lobster shells and their fluids in a large crystal glass bowl
Preparation:
1. Bring a large stockpot of sparkling water to medium to high simmer.
2. Place the lobsters gently into the boiling water, covering the pot for 8 to 9 minutes.
3. With a pair of tongs, remove the lobsters and to a large crystal bowl of cold sparkling water.
4. Strain the lobsters.
5. Working over the large crystal bowl, gather the lobster’s own liquid, and take off the claws and tails.
6. Extremely carefully take out the lobster meat from their shells.
7. Crack the claws carefully, removing the lobster meat.
8. Reserve the lobster meat taken from their shells in a crystal bowl with all their fluids collected.
9. Melt 1 tablespoon of French butter in a heavy large sauté skillet over a low to medium flame.
10. Place the finely minced shallots, curry powder, and minced garlic and sauté all the ingredients for 2 minutes stirring occasionally clockwise with a large wooden spatula.
11. Now, add the tablespoon of fresh tomato purée, then the Calvados, the shells of the lobster that were removed, and the 4 or 5 cups of the lobsters´ fluids.
12. Additionally, add the wine, the thyme sprigs, and dried thyme, the parsley sprigs & dried parsley and the bay leaf.
13. Lower the flame, and slow simmer the sauce until it is reduced to 1 and 2/3 cups, about 40 to 45 minutes.
14. Now, strain the sauce into a medium sized skillet and remove all the solids, the shells and sprigs etcetera.
15. Combine 2 tablespoons of French Butter, and the unbleached flour in a medium sized crystal bowl.
16. Heat the curried sauce once again on a low simmer for 3 minutes, whisking the sauce without stopping in a ” clockwise ” motion.
17. Put the Butter Flour whisked mixture into the sauce and whisk thoroughly in clockwise motion.
18. To conclude, now place 1 tablespoon of French butter in another medium sized skillet and place the lobster ( whole or in medallions ) in the sauté skillet.
19. Sauté for 1 minute per side ..
20. Share the sauce between 2 plates and arrange the medallions or whole lobster on large square white porcelain plates.
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Prices:
Accessible, ranging from 19 Euros to 25 Euros for lunch. Tasting menus from 25 Euros to 70 Euros. Menus include beverages, wine, coffee and dessert.
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