Stuff your fresh spinach ravioli with a lobster filling, and slather them with lobster sauce and saffron emulsion. Serve with classic Italian sides for a complete Italian-style dinner.
Preparation:
1hr30mins
Cooking:
1hr21mins
Total:
2hrs51mins
Serves:
4
Ingredients
1¼lblobsters(2 pieces)
For Browned Lobster Stock Reduction:
2lobstersbodies and shells
2tbspvegetable oil
½tomatochopped
1tbsptomato paste
½cupbrandy
1yellow onionsmall, peeled and sliced
1clovegarlicpeeled and crushed
1leekcleaned and sliced
1celery stalkcleaned and sliced
1green onioncleaned and sliced
2branchesbasil
2sprigsthyme
¼vanilla bean cleaned and scraped
saltto taste
ground black pepperto taste
For Saffron Emulsion:
1parsnipmedium-sized
½tbspolive oilextra virgin
1tbspunsalted butter
½clovegarlicpeeled and crushed
1shallotsmall, peeled and sliced
½leekroots and greens removed, cleaned, and washed
1sprigthyme
2Kaffir lime leavesfresh
½tbspblack peppercorns
½tbspsaffron threads
¼cupwhite wine
1cupfish stock(or shellfish/vegetable stock)
salt to taste
ground white pepperto taste
4tbspunsalted butter
For Spinach Ravioli Dough:
½lbItalian 00 flour
2eggslarge
1ozspinach pureed
¼tspolive oilextra virgin
salt to taste
ground white pepperto taste
For Ravioli Filling:
1tbspunsalted butter
1tbspolive oilextra virgin
1shallotpeeled and minced
1garlic clovepeeled and minced
1celery stalkpeeled and minced
¼tspthymechopped
¼tsptarragonchopped
salt to taste
ground black pepperto taste
tomalleyreserved
lobster tailsreserved, chopped
¼cupCognacor Armagnac
2tbsplobster stock
¼cupbriochediced into small pieces
1egg yolkwhisked
1tbsppumpkin seed oiltoasted
4sprigschervil
Instructions
Bring an adequate amount of water to a boil in a large pot. Then, add the lobsters. After some time, turn off the heat and let them steep for 2 minutes.
Remove the lobsters and separate the tails and claws from the body. Afterward, return the claws to the water and steep them for 7 more minutes.
Remove the claws and allow them to cool for 5 minutes.
Next, remove the shells from the claws and tails. Cut the tails in half and reserve.
Reserve the shells for your browned lobster stock and the tomalley for the ravioli filling.
Browned Lobster Stock Reduction:
Preheat a large roasting pan in an oven heated to 450 degrees F.
Clean and chop the lobster bodies with a cleaver while the pan heats up.
Add half of the oil to the roasting pan as well as the lobster bodies. Then, return the pan to the oven and roast the lobster bodies for 10 minutes. Turn them over occasionally until they start to caramelize.
Add the chopped tomato. Return the pan to the oven once more, stirring every 5 minutes until the tomatoes start to caramelize.
Add the tomato paste and caramelize for 5 more minutes. Afterward, remove the roasting pan from the oven and deglaze it with brandy. Be cautious as brandy is flammable.
Slowly sweat all the other ingredients for the stock in the remaining oil in a separate stockpot on the stove. After that, add the roasted lobster bodies and cover them in water.
Bring the mixture to a simmer for 30 minutes and skim off the top of the stock.
Remove the dish from the heat and strain it through a chinois or cone-shaped sieve. Then, return it to heat and reduce the mixture until it achieves a syrup-like consistency. Season with salt and pepper, then set aside.
Saffron Emulsion:
Rub the parsnip with oil and roast it in the oven until it's done. Allow it to partially cool, then rub to remove the skin. Chop and set aside.
In a medium saucepan, cover and sweat the garlic, shallots, and leek in butter.
Next, make a sachet containing thyme, Kaffir lime leaves, and peppercorns.
Add the sachet, parsnips, saffron, and white wine to the saucepan. Then, cover the pan and simmer its contents for 5 minutes. Afterward, add the stock and simmer for another 10 minutes.
Remove the pan from heat and transfer the sachet to a blender. Purée it completely and strain it using a fine sieve.
Return the pan to heat, adjust the seasonings, and add butter. Froth the pan's contents using a hand blender until the butter is emulsified and very foamy.
Spinach Ravioli Dough:
Place the Italian 00 flour in the bowl of an electric mixer. Make a well and add the whisked eggs, spinach puree, oil, salt, and pepper.
Attach the paddle and mix until the dough is formed. Continue mixing for at least 4 minutes to develop the gluten.
Make sure that the dough is lightly soft, elastic, and is nothing more than faintly damp to the touch. If the dough is wet, continue mixing and add the all-purpose flour. Do this until its texture has improved.
Remove the dough from the bowl. Then, wrap it in plastic and store it in the refrigerator. Let it rest for at least 1 hour.
Remove the dough from the refrigerator. Using a pasta machine, roll out the pieces of dough until they become very thin.
Lay the sheets out on a cutting board. Then, using a large circular cutter, cut out 8 large disks (approximately 3 inches) to make the ravioli. Cut 4 of the disks 1 size bigger than the others, so they can act as tops that need to be stretched down around the filling during assembly.
Lastly, lay the disks on parchment paper and refrigerate.
Ravioli Filling:
In a small saucepot, melt the butter with the oil. Then, add the shallot, garlic, celery, thyme, and tarragon. Season with salt and pepper, and let them sweat.
Add the tomalley and lobster to the mixture, and flame with cognac.
After that, add the lobster stock and reduce. Stir in the brioche, adjust the seasoning, then remove it from heat and cool.
Lay out the 4 smaller ravioli pasta disks. Divide the filling into 4 even parts and roll them into balls.
Place the balls in the middle of the pasta disks and brush the circumference of the dough with egg yolk.
Place the 4 large ravioli disks over the fillings and stretch them down. Use a fork to press the circumferences of the disks together and seal the ravioli.
Preheat a large pot of boiling salted water and gently add the ravioli.
After some time, turn down the water to a simmer and cook the ravioli for 3 to 4 minutes. Then, remove the ravioli from the water, dry them, and serve.
Plate the ravioli, drizzle them with lobster reduction, and spoon the saffron emulsion all around them. Lastly, garnish with a drizzle of toasted pumpkin seed oil and chervil.
Serve immediately and enjoy!
Recipe Notes
For making the fresh pasta, make sure to dust the formed dough with flour to ensure it doesn’t stick to the pasta machine.
For making the lobster ravioli sauce, you can also replace the brandy with vodka or dry white wine.
Don’t simmer the lobster stock for more than 30 minutes or it will turn bitter.
You may add cream or butter to the lobster sauce if you wish.