Nob Hill Lobster Pot Pie

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My husband and I had this for dinner after our wedding at the MGM Grand, Las Vegas 10 years ago- and I still dream of it! I don't know that I'll ever actually make it myself, but I'm glad I found the recipe anyway.

"This is not a recipe for the faint of heart. Requiring significant amounts of time, an excess of expensive ingredients, and more calories than any reasonable person should consume in a single sitting- this recipe is a commitment. Yet, when the cooking is finished, and you sit down before a beautiful golden crust hiding creamy sweet lobster and tiny vegetables, commitment is no longer the correct word. Lobster pot pie becomes a declaration of love. Each bite is a blend of supreme comfort and indulgence, something you would not wish to share with mere acquaintances, but instead save for those whom you treasure. If you are looking for an over-the-top way to say 'I love you' at home, this lobster pot pie is a memorable way to do it."

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Ingredients

  • Lobster Cream:
  • Lobster Pot Pie (Printable Recipe)
  • Serves 10 (What, you don’t love 10 people? No fear, cut the recipe in half or by more depending on how many people you want to serve.)
  • Adapted from Michael Mina, Nob Hill
  • 10 lobster bodies (I used only 4 with good results, but 10 would be awesome)
  • 3 Tablespoons olive oil
  • Mirepoix
  • 2 white onions, chopped
  • 1 fennel bulb, chopped
  • 1 leek, chopped
  • 1/2 bunch celery, chopped
  • 1 celery root, chopped
  • Broth
  • 2 cups brandy
  • 4 Tablespoons tomato paste
  • 5 thyme sprigs
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 3 quarts (12 cups) heavy cream
  • Roux
  • 4 Tablespoons butter
  • 4 Tablespoons flour

Preparation

Step 1

Directions:
1.) Cook the lobsters. Place a large pot lined with a steamer basket and filled with several inches of water over high heat. Place the lobsters in the pot, cover with a lid, and steam for 2 minutes or until the lobster is just cooked. Transfer the lobsters to a cutting board and let cool. Once the lobsters are cool, clean them by pulling the outer shell away from the legs and inside meat. Scrape away the lungs, reserving the tomale and roe for another use. Save all of the shells for the lobster cream and set the meat aside for the filling.
2.) Make the mirepoix. Place a large stockpot over medium heat. Add the olive oil and lobster shells to the pot. Sear the shells until they turn a rich red color, about five minutes. Add all of the mirepoix ingredients to the pot and cook until the vegetables are softened, about five minutes.
3.) Make the Broth. Stir tomato paste into the mirepoix, and cook for another five minutes. Deglaze the pan with the brandy, scraping up any bits stuck to the bottom of the pot. Add the thyme, bay leaf, and heavy cream into the pot. Bring the liquid to a gentle simmer and cook for 45-60 minutes, until the broth reaches your desired depth of flavor. Strain the broth through a fine mesh sieve into a large bowl. Clean the pot and return it to the stove.
4.) Make the Roux. Place a small pot over medium heat and melt the butter in the pot. Whisk in the flour, and stir constantly until the roux turns a tan color, and the flour is cooked, about 6-7 minutes.
5.) Make the Lobster Cream. Return the strained broth to the stockpot and bring it to a simmer over medium heat. Vigorously whisk in the roux a bit at a time until the broth reaches your desired thickness. Turn off the heat, and let the lobster cream cool before assembling the pot pies.
Pie Dough:
Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs All Purpose flour
1 lb butter, small dice
1 cup ice water
1 teaspoon salt
Directions:
To make the pie dough, sift the flour into a large Cuisinart style mixer fitted with a blade attachment. While briefly pulsing the blade, drop small pieces of slightly chilled butter into the flour. Season the mixture with salt. Slowly pour the water into the mix while pulsing until just incorporated with the flour. Do not over mix the dough. Remove the pie dough from the mixer, pat it into a disk, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use (up to 2 days ahead).

Pot Pie Filling & Assembly:
Ingredients:
Reserved lobster meat, cut into bite sized pieces
1 cup pearl onions
1 cup sliced carrots
1 cup English peas
1/2 lb turnips, peeled, blanched, and cut into 1″ pieces
Lobster Cream
Pie Crust
Directions:
Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Remove the pastry dough from the fridge, to take a bit of the chill off while you fill the pot pies. Place 3 ounces of lobster cream broth in the bottom of each 8-10 ounce ramekin or oven safe dish. Evenly distribute the cooked lobster and vegetables between the ramekins. Do not overfill the dishes, you may have some lobster cream and filling leftover. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface, until it is 1/4 inch thick. Set a ramekin on the pastry and using a knife, trace around the bottom of the ramekin, adding about 1″ to the edge, so the dough will overhang the ramekin. Repeat until 10 pastry circles are cut out. Gently cover the top of each ramekin with a pastry, pinching the edges of the pastry to seal the top. Set the ramekins on a rimmed sheet pan, and bake for 14-20 minutes, or until the crust is a light golden color. Let cool for five minutes before serving.
Note: The pot pies can be completely assembled 1 day ahead of time, and baked straight from the fridge. You will need to add 5-10 minutes to the cooking time to account for the chilled ingredients if you are cooking the pot pies this way.

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