Home-style lobster stew: A simple, sustaining supper

Choosing seafood that’s sustainable can be tricky, but you can’t go wrong with North American lobster, says Jasper White in The Chefs Collaborative Cookbook (Taunton). Thanks to decades-old regulations, lobster “may be the greatest example of a sustainable marine resource.”

For this simple stew, “there’s no need to buy large, expensive lobsters; small chicken lobsters are perfect.” The trick is cooking them right. Don’t boil them “unless you can fill a pot with fresh ocean water.” Gentle steaming results in more tender meat. For even cooking, the pot should allow a gallon of space per lobster.

“How long to cook depends on the lobster and its shell.” Soft-shell lobsters, caught in the summer and early fall, take about 6 minutes. In late spring and summer, females, with harder shells and full of roe, take a few more minutes.

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Recipe of the week

Lobster Stew

• 3 live hard-shell (or 4 new-shell) chicken lobsters, about 1 lb each, or 14 oz cooked lobster meat
• ¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter
• 1 small leek, white and light green parts only, cut into ¼-inch dice
• ½ cup diced celery root, in ¼-inch dice
• 1 small tomato, peeled, seeded, and diced
• 1 tsp sweet Hungarian paprika
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 4 cups whole milk
• ½ cup heavy cream
• Salt
• 1 tbsp chopped chives
• 1 tbsp chopped chervil or flat-leaf parsley

Fit a 3- or 4-gallon steam pot with a rack, inverted colander, or 3- to 4-inch layer of rockweed. Add about 1 inch of water, cover tightly, and bring water to a boil. Let the pot fill with steam before adding the lobsters.

Add lobsters to the pot; replace lid quickly. Let steam 8 minutes for hard-shell lobsters and 6 minutes for soft-shelled lobsters. Transfer lobsters to a platter and let cool.

When lobsters are cool enough to handle, remove tail, knuckle, and claw meat, reserving any liquid. Cut meat into ¾-inch chunks. Remove any roe from female lobsters, coarsely chop it, and add to lobster meat. (You can also pick meat from carcasses and legs; otherwise, wrap both and freeze for later use.)

One hour before serving the stew, drain lobster and roe in colander set over a bowl; reserve juice. In a deep 10- or 12-inch frying pan, warm butter over medium heat until foamy. Add meat and roe. Sizzle gently for 2 minutes, turning once. Remove meat. Add leek and celery root; increase heat and sauté until slightly softened. Add tomato and cook briefly. Return meat to the pan; sprinkle with paprika and freshly ground black pepper. Reduce heat to low and cook 1 minute more. Add milk, cream, and lobster juice, and heat slowly until stew is hot but not boiling, 5 minutes.

Remove pan from heat; let sit for at least 30 minutes. Season to taste. Ladle into warm bowls; sprinkle with chives and chopped chervil or parsley. Serves 4.