Homard à l'Américaine (Lobster à l'Américaine)

Ingredients

• 1 live lobster of 800 to 900 grammes
• salt
• pepper
• 4 spoonfuls oil
• 30 grammes butter
• 2 shallots
• crushed garlic
• 1 small glass cognac
• 2 décilitres white wine
• 1 décilitre and a half fish fumet
• 1 spoonful melted meat glaze
• 2 small tomatoes
• chopped parsley
• a point of Cayenne
• butter
• 100 grammes butter

Instructions

1. Take a live lobster of 800 to 900 grammes. Cut the tail into sections, detach the legs, break the claws, and split the body in two lengthwise.
2. Remove the sac at the level of the head; set aside the intestines and the coral.
3. Season the pieces with salt and pepper.
4. Heat 4 spoonfuls of oil and 30 grammes of butter strongly in a sautoir, put in the pieces and toss them until the flesh is well stiffened and the shell is bright red.
5. Draw off the fat by tilting the sautoir with the lid held on.
6. Scatter over 2 chopped shallots and the size of a pea of crushed garlic.
7. Add a small glass of cognac, flamed, 2 décilitres of white wine, 1½ décilitres of fish fumet, 1 spoonful of melted meat glaze, 2 small tomatoes pressed, peeled and chopped (or 1½ spoonfuls of tomato purée), a pinch of chopped parsley and a point of Cayenne.
8. Cover and cook in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes.
9. Lift the pieces onto a dish; take the flesh from the tail sections and the claws and put it in a timbale; stand the half-bodies on top, leaning one against the other, and keep hot.
10. Reduce the cooking liquor to 2 décilitres, add the intestines and coral chopped with the size of a nut of butter, cook an instant longer and pass through the étamine.
11. Heat this coulis without letting it boil and finish it off the fire with 100 grammes of butter in small pieces.
12. Pour it over the lobster and sprinkle with a pinch of chopped parsley.