Colossal Lobster Tails with Duchess Potatoes
Servings
4Cuisine
AmericanPrep Time
20 minsCook Time
45 minsIngredients
2 colossal lobster tails thawed
Smoked paprika
2 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
½ cup clarified butter
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
¼ tsp lemon zest
4 drops hot sauce
Duchess Potatoes:
2 ½ lbs Yukon gold potatoes , peeled and diced into 1 ½-inch portions
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 Tbsp butter, divided
4 cloves garlic, finely minced
3-4 Tbsp half and half
½ cup (slightly packed) finely shredded parmesan cheese
4 large egg yolks
Minced fresh parsley, for garnish (optional)
Finely grated parmesan, for serving (optional)
Directions
To prepare duchess potatoes:
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Boil potatoes: Add potatoes to a large pot. Cover with cold water (covering the potatoes by about 1-2 inches) and season with 1 Tbsp of salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover pot with lid and allow to simmer until very tender, about 15-20 minutes (they should nearly fall apart when pierced). Drain potatoes well.
- Sauté garlic in butter: Meanwhile, dice 4 Tbsp of the butter into 1 Tbsp pieces and add to a small saucepan. Melt over medium heat then add garlic and sauté until lightly golden and softened, about 1-2 minutes.
- Stir in half and half: Remove from heat, stir in 3 Tbsp of the half and half then pour mixture into a small bowl (so the garlic doesn’t burn) and set aside.
- Mash potatoes: Pour drained potatoes into a large mixing bowl. Mash well with a potato masher until there are no longer any lumps (or press through a potato ricer).
- Stir in cheese and butter mixture: Stir in parmesan cheese and warm butter/garlic mixture with a wooden spoon and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Blend in yolks: Let mixture cool a few minutes then quickly stir in egg yolks one at a time with a wooden spoon. At this point if mixture is very thick you can add remaining 1 Tbsp half and half if needed.
- Pipe into domes: Transfer mixture to a large piping fitted with a large star tip that’s about ¾ inch wide at tip (or you can just spoon mounds onto baking sheet vs. piping). Pipe into 12 mounds spaced evenly apart, about 2 ½-inches wide by 2 ½-inches tall. Gently brush with remaining 2 Tbsp butter, melted.
- Bake: Bake in preheated oven until golden brown, about 16-19 minutes. Serve immediately garnished with parsley and parmesan if desired.
To prepare clarified butter:
- In a small heavy saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Simmer until solids separate from fat, about 10 minutes, but do not allow butter to brown. Remove from heat; skim and discard surface foam.
- Slowly pour clear yellow liquid through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 months or in the freezer for up to 6 months.
To prepare lobster:
- Use kitchen shears to cut the top of the shell right down the center all the way to the fanned tail, then stop. You can also cut the bottom along the same route. Wiggle your fingers around the connective tissues to loosen the meat. Gently pull it up through the incision and set on top of the shell. Setting it on top is not only aesthetically pleasing, it allows the warm air to circulate around the meat to cook evenly. Repeat with remaining tails.
- In a small saucepan, heat clarified butter with lemon juice, lemon zest and hot sauce over very low heat, just enough to keep it in liquid form.
- Preheat broiler.
- Place lobster tails on a broiler pan or rimmed baking sheet about 6-9 inches away from the broiler coils while keeping a watchful eye. Broil for approximately 3-4 minutes. Time will vary greatly depending on size of the lobster tail, your oven and distance from the heating mechanism. Lobster tails are done when the meat has turned an opaque white and the shells a brilliant red.
- Baste the top of the lobster tails with clarified lemon butter and sprinkle with smoked paprika and parsley.
- Remove and serve immediately with a side of clarified lemon butter and Duchess potatoes