Astakos Plaki - Lobster in Tomato Sauce with Saffron Rice
2 Lobsters (about 2 lbs each) 4 Sun-dried tomatoes (in oil)
- (live, or recently dead) - pounded to a paste
25 Saffron strands; soaked in 1/2 c White wine
1/4 c Hot water 1/4 c Orange juice
1/4 lb Finely chopped onion 1 Bay leaf
1 md Leek; washed, finely chopped Salt & freshly ground Pepper
8 tb Fruity olive oil 1/2 c Finely chopped Fennel
3 Garlic cloves; minced 1/2 c Minced flat-leaf Parsley
1 lb Tomatoes; skinned, seeded, 1 tb Finely chopped fresh Mint
- and finely chopped Saffron Rice
If you have live lobsters, plunge them into a pan of boiling water
for 1 minute, then into cold water.
To prepare the lobsters, break off the claws and crack them open with
a hammer. Cut off the tip of the tail (with the fins), then sever
the tail where it joins the head with a heavy knife. Cut the tail
into rings, slicing through the shell between the ribs.
Split the head open lengthwise with a hard blow of a knife and remove
and discard the gritty stomach sac. Pour the coral (if any) and the
green matter (which is the liver) into a stainer over a bowl,
sprinkle with salt and pepper, and reserve. Put the saffron to soak.
In a heavy-bottomed pan big-enough to contain the lobsters and sauce,
fry the onion and leek gently in 3 tablespoons olive oil until
translucent. Add the garlic, chopped tomatoes, tomato paste and
liquid, wine, orange juice, and bay leaf. Season and simmer,
covered, for 15 minutes.
Add the fennel, parsley, mint, saffron and liquid, and lobster tail
pieces and claws with their shells (but not the legs) and simmer,
covered, for 10 minutes.
In the meantime push the coral and liver of the lobster through the
strainer and beat the pure with the remaining olive oil. When the
lobster has simmered for 10 minutes, ladle out about 1 cup sauce and
beat this into the coral pur‚e. Pour this back into the pot, stir,
and simmer for another 10 minutes. Serve with saffron rice.
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