Description
When you read the list of ingredients in this recipe—lobster, cognac, butter, buttery crackers—you just know it is going to be delicious. As is typical of so much of his cooking, Stephen from The Bee-Hive Tavern really does the ingredients justice with this delicious and elegant combination.
Methods/steps
Method
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Bring large pot of water to a boil. Add lobsters and cook for 5 minutes. Remove lobsters, cool and remove meat from claws, tails and body while reserving shells. Set lobster meat aside (it will be a little undercooked at this point). Break up lobster shells into pieces and reserve.
Heat 6 oz butter in heavy bottomed pot over medium-high heat.
Add onion, carrot, celery and lobster shells to pot and cook, stirring often, until vegetables start to brown. Add tomato paste and continue cooking and stirring for two minutes. Add cognac and sherry, bring to a simmer and reduce for a few minutes. Add wine and water, bring to a boil and reduce by half. Remove from heat and strain stock through a fine sieve.
Return stock to a clean pot and add cream. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and reduce again by half. Remove from heat and whisk in 2 oz butter. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Let cool briefly and fold in lobster meat.
Place lobster mixture into ovenproof casserole.
While stock is reducing, melt remaining 2 oz butter.
Place crackers, paprika, sherry and melted butter in food processor and process to make a fine crumb topping.
Spread crumb mixture over the top of the lobster.
Bake in oven just to heat though–about 10 minutes.
Serve immediately.
© 
Additional Tips
Wine Recommendation: This is a rich and decadent dish, and although Chardonnay is used in the recipe, we though it might be over the top to pair it with such a full-bodied wine. Instead, we chose an Australian Viognier, which has the creamy texture to match the weight of the dish, yet a lovely balance of acidity to refresh your palate. Try: D’Arenberg The Hermit Crab McLaren Vale Viognier Marsanne (Australia) $17.99.