Quite possibly because of its transcendent nature, ravioli has the ability to bring generations of family members around the dinner table without fail. It may just be that it makes great comfort food with the versatility of the fillings but when you switch out the ricotta for lobster, the dish becomes a delicacy.
This is the type of meal that we get accustomed to seeing on a menu, rather than in one’s own kitchen. When you flip to the seafood section in your favorite restaurant, the one you only go to on special occasions, the lobster ravioli with its light textures and creamy sauce calls to you personally by name. With these easy-to-follow steps, you’ll finally bring the experience home. Treat yourself and your guests to this gem and make any night a special occasion.
Lobster Raviolis with lobster coulis
Ravioli
2 Cups All Purpose Flour
2 Eggs (beaten)
2 Egg Yolks
Place the flour in a mound on a smooth work area.
Creating a well in the center.
Pour the 2 beaten eggs and 2 egg yolks into the well.
Slowly pull the flour into the eggs until it is all incorporated.
Finish kneading by hand, adding more flour if needed for a smooth consistency.
Divide the pasta in half and roll out each half or feed through a pasta roller until thin, number 6 setting on the machine.
Roll out as many sheets of pasta as possible
Lobster Ravioli Filling
2 ounces unsalted butter
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped shallots
20 ounces cooked lobster meat or the meat of two-2lb. and a 1/2 lb. lobsters (cooked in salt water-slightly under cooked)
2 ounces Cognac
2 ounces raw pureed scallops or shrimp for binder
pinch of salt
pepper to taste
2 tablespoons of fine bread crumbs
1 tablespoon chopped chives
one large whole egg, slightly beaten
For the lobster ravioli: In a large sauté pan, add the butter and melt. Add the garlic and shallots and sauté until golden brown. Add lobster, breadcrumbs, and chives and sauté 2 to 3 minutes. Add Cognac and reduce for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and cool for 30 minutes, until room temperature. Chop lobster mixture into small chunks. In a large bowl, combine lobster mixture and raw scallop mixture and mix well. Season with salt and pepper.
Lay out the first piece of pasta dough on the table and place 1/4-ounce mounds of stuffing 2 inches apart. Using a pastry brush, brush egg white around each bit of stuffing, making the dough damp not wet. Take the second piece and cover the bottom piece with the stuffing. Press around each ravioli being careful not to squeeze the stuffing out. Using a round ravioli cutter, cut each ravioli round and put on a sheet pan sprinkled with semolina. Gently place ravioli in boiling water and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, or until al dente.
Lobster Cream Sauce
2 ounces unsalted butter
1 tablespoon chopped shallots
4 ounces cooked lobster meat
2 ounces Cognac
5 ounces tomato sauce
10 ounces heavy cream
Salt
For the sauce: Using a 12-inch sauté pan at medium heat, add butter, shallots, and sauté until shallots are translucent.
Remove the sauté pan from the burner and add Cognac then place pan back on the heat to cook off the alcohol. (Please beware: the Cognac will create a large flame.) Once the flame stops, add the tomato sauce and cream with salt and cook until it reduces half way and becomes creamy.
Add the cooked ravioli to the sauce and let cook together for about 1 minute before serving. Garnish with chives.
