How to Cook Lobster Blinchikis

Serves: 4

Preparation time: 45 mins

Cooking time: 1hour 20 mins

Ingredients needed to make Lobster Blinchikis:

For the lobster stuffing:

• 2 lobsters, cooked, shelled, meat removed and shells set aside
• 1 tsp tarragon, chopped
• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• 4 oz white wine
• 2 oz butter
• 2 oz heavy cream
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the lobster sauce:

• 1 carrot, finely chopped
• 1 celery, finely chopped
• 1 onion, peeled and chopped
• 6 tomatoes, finely chopped
• 1 whole head garlic
• Juice of 2 lemons
• 8 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 oz heavy cream
• Fish stock, as required
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

To assemble:

• 6 ready-made blini or crepes
• 2 tsp dill, chopped
• 4-6 mushrooms, sliced and sautéed
• 2 tsp chives, chopped

Cooking instructions for Lobster Blinchikis:

• Add a knob of butter into a large pot and melt it over moderately high heat.
• Toss the lobster meat into the pot, along with chopped shallots and sauté for a while.
• Pour in a splash of white wine, stir to mix well and cook over slightly reduced heat until reduced to half.
• Whisk in 2 oz heavy cream until mixed properly and fold in the chopped tarragon until they are distributed evenly.
• Add a dash each of seasonings to taste and turn off the heat; set aside to cool completely.
• To cook the sauce, heat 6 tbsp olive oil in a clean, large pot and toss the lobster shells into it.
• Sauté them for a while until they turn orange and drain them out into a plate; set aside.
• Throw in all the veggies and stir fry for 5-10 minutes or until they turn golden brown.
• Return the lobster shells into the pot and give them a nice stir to mix well.
• Drizzle 2 more tbsp of oil into the mixture and add a bout of brandy into it.
• Scatter the chopped tomatoes into it, followed by a splash of enough fish stock into the mixture so that it covers the veggies completely.
• Bring it to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes.
• Drain out the veggies as well as lobster shells into a bowl and continue to simmer until it is reduced to half.
• Stir in the heavy cream and simmer further for another 5 minutes.
• Tip the mixture into a blender, along with butter plus a splash of lemon juice and pulse until they blend thoroughly into a thick and creamy sauce.
• Adjust the seasonings if necessary and set aside.
• To assemble, spread a blini or crepe flat onto a working surface and spoon in a tsp of lobster meat mixture along one half of the blini.
• Roll it tightly into a cylinder and place it onto a serving plate.
• Make rest of the blinis in a similar fashion and transfer them onto serving plates.
• Sprinkle the chopped chives and dill on top, followed by sautéed mushrooms over them.
• Serve alongside lobster sauce.

Image credit: Wikimedia Commons