Hello everybody!

Today’s recipe is a French classic and probably one of the fanciest recipes I shared with you so far. If you’re a fan of lobster this might just be the perfect recipe for you! Lobster A L’armoricaine is a dish from Brittany, in the North-West of France, and is a real treat! First of all let’s explain the word “armoricaine”.

“Armoricaine’ comes from Armorique which was the ancient name of the territories between Seine and Loire (2 major rivers in France) during the Gaul period, and this territory also included Brittany. In the region, fish and seafood are commonly cooked in a sauce called “armoricaine” which contains tomatoes, white wine and cognac. This is a very flavorful sauce and it definitely is perfect with seafood and especially lobster.

This recipe has many steps but the result is fantastic. The lobster infuses in all the aromas while cooking in the sauce and it results into a very soft and flavorful lobster meat. Now one thing that may seem unusual, if you are from North America, is to eat the parts located in the head of the lobster. In Brittany, we don’t waste anything and in fact the head parts are some of our favorites in my family.

It’s very creamy and flavorful and it’s a great addition to any sauce. I think that the sauce of the dish is truly what I love the most as this is the combination of so many flavorful ingredients such as the lobster head parts, wine, onion, shallots, cognac and herbs. This is a great recipe for a special occasion and since Thanksgiving is around the corner, that may be a great alternative to the turkey this year!

Let’s start cooking!

Ingredients (For 2 Persons):

• 2 lobsters
• 2 onions
• 2 shallots
• 2 carrots
• 4 tomatoes
• 6 tbsp olive oil
• 100 g butter
• 2 shot glasses of cognac
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 280 ml white wine
• 2 tsp flour
• 280 ml water
• Salt & pepper
• 2 Bay leaves
• 2 stems of thyme

Preparation:

1- Dice the onions, shallots, carrots and tomatoes. Reserve on the side.

2- Detach the heads of the lobsters and then the claws. Cut the tails in pieces by cutting between each scale. Break the claws a bit so it will be easier to eat afterwards.

3- Cut the lobsters’ heads in half and remove the gills. Keep the creamy parts (usually a green/brown color) aside.

4- In a deep frying pan, add 3 tablespoons of oil and cook the lobsters until it becomes red, then put it aside.

5- Add the rest of the oil and 80 g of butter in the pan. Add the diced onions and carrots and cook for about 3 min.

6- Add the diced shallots and the pieces of lobsters in the pan. Cook for a couple minutes and add 2 shots of cognac. Cook for 3 min.

7- Add in the diced tomatoes and the tomato paste. Mix well and cover with the white wine and water. Add the bay leaves, thyme and salt and pepper to your taste. Cover and cook for 20 min.

8- Remove the lobsters pieces from the frying pan and place them on a plate.

9- Reduce the sauce of 1/3. Strain and pour in a smaller saucepan.

10- Mix flour with the rest of butter and add the creamy parts that were in the lobsters’ heads. Mix well and add it to the saucepan. Heat up the saucepan on medium heat and mix until the sauce is thicker and unctuous. Pour the sauce on the lobster, serve and enjoy!

This recipe is a bit complex but absolutely amazing and completely worth the effort! Lobster cooked this way is so flavorful and it can be served with a side of rice or potatoes. I like to keep the vegetables from the sauce and serve them as a side as well.

I hope you will enjoy this recipe! Let me know in the comment section what you think about this recipe and if you liked it.

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