2 quarts water 2 egg yolks
1 tsp salt 1 quart light cream, or 2 c light
Two 1½- to 2-pound live lobsters cream and 2 c milk
or a 3- to 3½-pound live lobster ¼ tsp ground white pepper
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Bring 1 quart of water and the salt to a boil over high heat in a heavy
casserole large enough to hold the lobster or lobsters comfortably. Place
the lobsters headfirst into the boiling water, cover tightly and cook
briskly for 30 to 35 minutes for a 3- to 3½-pound lobster or 15 to 22
minutes for the 1½- to 2-pound lobsters. To test for doneness, remove one
of the lobsters from the pot and grasp the end of one of the small legs at
either side of the body. Jerk the lobster sharply. If the leg pulls away
from the body, the lobster is done. If the leg remains attached, boil the
lobster for 2 or 3 minutes longer. With tongs, transfer the lobsters to a
platter. Pour the cooking liquid into a heavy 4- to 5-quart casserole and
set aside.When the lobsters are cool enough to handle, twist off the claws at the point where they meet the body and crack each claw in two or three places with a nutcracker. Split each lobster in half lengthwise and remove and discard the gelatinous sac (stomach) in the head and the long white intestinal vein attached to it. Pick out and save the greenish tomalley (liver). Discard the red coral (roe) if there is any. Remove all the meat from the claws, body and tail, cut it into ½-inch pieces and set aside.
Chop the shells into 2-inch pieces and add them to the reserved cooking liquid. Pour in the remaining quart of water, bring it to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat to low and simmer partially covered for 30 minutes. Strain the entire contents of the pan through a fine sieve lined with a double thickness of dampened cheesecloth and set over a bowl. Discard the shells. Return the broth to the saucepan and cook briskly uncovered until it is reduced to about 2 cups. Meanwhile, rub the tomalley through a fine sieve into a bowl with the back of a spoon. Add the egg yolks and beat togethet with a fork until thoroughly blended.
Pour the cream, or cream and milk, into the reduced broth and cook over moderate heat until small bubbles form around the edge of the pan. Stir about ½ cup of the hot cream into the tomalley-egg mixture and add it to the simmering cream, stirring constantly. Add the lobster meat and the white pepper and continue to stir until the lobster is heated through. Do not let the liquid come to a boil or it will curdle.
Taste for seasoning, ladle the lobster stew into a heated tureen or individual soup plates and serve at once. Lobster stew is traditionally accompanied by pilot crackers, but any unsalted soda crackers will do. Serves 6.
