Every time I go up to Bangor, Maine to visit my parents, we go to Captain Nick’s… a great seafood restaurant that has been there forever and one of my Dad’s ‘local’s”. They have the best Lobster Rolls in the world. Anyway, last time I was up there, we bought some super fresh lobster meat (lobsters from that day, cooked and picked right then for us) which ended up being the inspiration for this recipe. I couldn’t find a website for Captain Nick’s, but here is their Facebook Page.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons butter
2 shallots, finely diced
2 cups lobster stock (see ‘how to make lobster stock‘)
1 1/2 cups water
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 1/2 cups diced celery
1 1/2 cups diced carrot
2 cups cubed potatoes (1/2-inch)
1 tablespoon chopped chives
1 tablespoon chopped parsley leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups whole milk
16 ounces (1 pint) heavy cream
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound fresh lobster meat, coarsely chopped into 2-inch pieces
1/3 cup sherry
1 puff pastry sheet, thawed
1 egg, lightly beaten with 1 tablespoon of water added for egg wash
Directions
In a stockpot, melt the butter over low heat until bubbling. Do not burn. Add the onion and caramelize over medium heat; do not let them brown.
Add the lobster stock, water, cayenne, celery, carrots, potatoes, chives and parsley. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat and simmer until the potatoes are cooked, (soft but hold up), about 15 minutes. Add the milk and cream and bring to a boil. Immediately turn down the heat.
While the cream and milk are warming, add the extra-virgin olive oil to a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Once the oil is smoking add the lobster meat and season with salt and pepper, to taste. When the lobster meat is warm, deglaze the pan with the sherry. Add the warmed lobster meat and juices to cream mixture. Re-season with salt and pepper, if needed. Keep warm.
Preheat oven to 350F.
On a well floured surface, roll out puff pastry to size. If making individual pot pies, the stew is enough for 6 4-inch ramekins, so roll the dough to a 12 x 8 inch rectangle and cut into 4-inch square pieces with a pizza cutter or sharp knife. If making one large pot pie, roll the dough to fit your oven-proof pan. Fill containers equally and form the puff pastry over each. Cut a few vents in the pastry dough, brush with egg wash and place on a baking sheet.
Bake for 15-25 minutes for ramekins, 30-25 minutes for a larger pie, or until the crust is golden. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.