Bucatini in Lobster and Chorizo Cream Sauce
Prep time
30 mins
Cook time
50 mins
Total time
1 hour 20 mins
A rich dish that's ideal for cold nights. Note that this recipe calls for the use of (minimum) 2 or (maximum) 3 cooking pots.
Recipe Type: Pasta
Serves: Serves 4-6
Ingredients
- 2 fresh lobsters of about 1-3/4 pounds each (or alternatively, 4 lobster tails)
- 1 cup reserved lobster cooking water or lobster stock
- 3 tablespoons butter
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- ⅓ cup dry white wine (alternatively, use Chardonnay or sherry)
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 4 garlic cloves, chopped
- 2 fresh tarragon sprigs
- 2 fresh flat-leaf parsley sprigs
- a few strands of Spanish saffron
- 4 cups whipping cream
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 or 4 links chorizo sausages, sliced
- 1-1/4 pound long pasta, such as spaghetti, linguine, or bucatini (bucatini is my favourite for this recipe)
- flat-leaf parsley for garnish (optional)
- smoked paprika for garnish (optional)
- micro greens for garnish (optional)
- grated Grana Padano cheese for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a hard boil, then turn the heat to low Add the lobster to the pot one at a time and cover with a lid. Turn the heat to low and let the lobster gently simmer for 10 minutes. Repeat step with other lobster. If using lobster tails, simmer all 4 at the same time for 10 minutes.
- Transfer whole lobster (or lobster tails) to a dish and let cool. Reserve some of the lobster cooking water.
- When cool enough to handle the lobster, snip with kitchen shears the shells of the tail down the "backbone" and along the claws to retrieve meat. Also save any roe in the body and set aside in a separate bowl. Discard tomalley (green stuff). Reserve the lobster shells and set aside.
- Melt butter in a heavy pot over high heat. Add reserved lobster shells and sauté for 3 minutes in the butter.
- Reduce heat to low and add tomato paste. Stir for 3 minutes.
- Add wine, vinegar, garlic, and the whole sprigs of tarragon, parsley, and saffron. Let it come to a medium boil, about 2 minutes.
- Pour the cream and boil on medium heat for another 2 minutes.
- Add some lobster water or stock from the first simmer, about ¼ to ½ cup, depending on how "loose" you want the sauce to be.
- Reduce heat to medium low again and simmer until the lobster flavour infuses the cream, about 20 minutes. Keep adjusting the heat so as not to let the sauce go on a hard boil.
- Strain the sauce through a sieve into a large bowl. The strained sauce will be reheated at a later time. This will yield about 4 cups of lobster sauce.
- Clean the pot used for the sauce or prepare a new pot. Heat some olive oil.
- Sauté the chorizo sausage slices until just cooked and no longer translucent.
- Add the strained lobster sauce to the chorizo. Simmer in very low heat and add the reserved lobster meat into the sauce.
- Gently poach the lobster meat and chorizo in the sauce for 5 minutes, adjusting the heat so that it simmers only and not boil.
- Meanwhile, prepare another large pot of salted boiling water and cook the pasta to al dente.
- Drain the pasta and return to the same pot.
- Ladle the lobster and chorizo cream sauce on to the pasta. Gently toss until each strand is coated in the sauce. If the sauce seems too strong or thick, you can loosen it by mixing in some of the remaining lobster cooking water. Add 2 tablespoons at a time when adjusting.
- Serve warm.
