LOBSTER PIE

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

For the Topping:

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 tablespoons salted butter, melted
• 1/2 cup crushed Ritz-style (butter) crackers
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350° and set a rack to the middle position. Make the topping: In a small bowl, stir together the butter, crackers, paprika, and cheese. Set aside. 

For the Filling:

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons plus 5 tablespoons salted butter
• 1/4 cup dry sherry
• 2 cups (12 ounces) chopped cooked lobster meat
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups half-and-half
• 4 large egg yolks, lightly beaten
• Garnish: minced chives

Instructions

Next, make the filling: In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt 3 tablespoons of butter. Add the sherry and boil 1 minute. Add the lobster, stir, and remove from the heat. Strain the juices from the skillet into a liquid measuring cup (reserving the lobster). Set aside.

In a 3- to 4-quart sauce-pan over medium-low heat, melt the remaining 5 tablespoons of butter. Add the flour and cook, stirring, until the mixture looks smooth and glossy. Stir the half-and-half into the reserved lobster/sherry mixture; then whisk that into the butter/flour mixture. Increase the heat to medium-high and simmer, stirring continuously, until the sauce thickens, about 3 minutes.

Spoon ½ cup of the sauce into a small bowl. Add the egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add this mixture back to the sauce and stir over low heat until the sauce is smooth and thick, 3 minutes; don’t let it boil.

Remove from the heat and add the lobster. Pour the mixture into a medium-size casserole dish and sprinkle with the topping. Transfer to the oven and bake until golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes.

Serve hot, garnished with minced chives.