Baked Stuffed Lobster New England Style

Total Time: 45 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 25 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 2
• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted (for brushing)
• 1 medium onion, finely diced
• 2 sprigs tarragon, leaves picked and coarsely chopped
• 2 sprigs italian parsley, leaves picked and coarsely chopped
• 4 ounces peeled raw maine shrimp or 4 ounces raw scallops or 4 ounces cooked crabmeat or 4 ounces lobster meat, cut into 1/2-inch dice
• kosher salt or sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 2 hard shell select lobsters (1 1/2 to 2 1/2 pounds each)
• 3 ounces common crackers or 3 ounces oyster crackers or 3 ounces dried cornbread, crumbled

Recipe

• 1 preheat the oven to 425 degrees f.
• 2 melt 8 tablespoons butter in a 9-inch skillet over medium heat.
• 3 add the onion and cook for 5 minutes until soft but not browned.
• 4 stir in the tarragon and parsley.
• 5 if using raw shrimp or scallops, add them with the herbs and cook for 1 minute.
• 6 remove from the heat and let cool slightly.
• 7 if using cooked lobster or crabmeat, remove the pan from the heat as soon as you stir in the herbs, let cool, and then add the lobster or crabmeat.
• 8 season with salt and pepper.
• 9 with a cleaver of chef’s knife, split the lobsters in half lengthwise.
• 10 remove and discard the head sac and intestine.
• 11 remove the tomalley and the roe if present and place in a small bowl.
• 12 break into small pieces using a fork.
• 13 with the back side of a knife, crack the center of each claw on 1 side only.
• 14 season the lobsters lightly with salt and pepper.
• 15 on a large roasting pan or baking sheet, place the halves together to resemble a butterfly.
• 16 the tomalley and roe are optional for the stuffing.
• 17 if you want to include them, mix them into the seafood mixture.
• 18 gently fold the crumbled crackers into the mixture.
• 19 divide the mixture evenly between 2 lobsters.
• 20 if you are serving 1 lobster per person, spread the stuffing over the center so that the lobsters look whole again.
• 21 do not pack the stuffing tightly, or it will affect the even baking of the lobster.
• 22 brush the 3 tablespoons melted butter over the exposed meat tail, stuffing and claws.
• 23 bake until the lobster is cooked through and the stuffing is crisp and golden.
• 24 bake 17 minutes for a 1 1/2 pound lobster and 24 minutes for a 2-pound lobster.