cut sides down, and claws on buttered
baking sheet. Repeat procedure with
remaining lobsters. Chill lobsters in refrig-
erator until ready to cook, up to 2 hours.
(If desired, use poultry shears to cut off
legs, and place in a steamer basket over
simmering water. Steam 4 minutes, and
serve as an appetizer.)
- Preheat oven to 450°F. Melt 2 table-
spoons cubed butter in a large saucepan
over medium. Add shallots, and cook,
stirring often, until shallots are translu-
cent, 4 to 6 minutes. Stir in wine, and
bring to a rapid boil over high. Reduce
heat to medium-high, adjusting heat as
necessary to maintain a vigorous simmer;
cook until wine is reduced to just below
top of shallots, 30 to 35 minutes. Reduce
heat to low, and cook, whisking in remain-
ing cubed butter, a few cubes at a time,
until sauce is creamy and thickened.
Remove from heat; stir in lemon juice and
salt, and cover. Set beurre blanc in a
warm spot until ready to use, up to 30
minutes. - Transfer lobsters to preheated oven,
and roast 5 minutes. Carefully remove
from oven, and use tongs to flip lobster
tails cut sides up. Return to oven, and
roast until lobster shells are bright red
and meat is opaque and plump, 3 to 5
minutes. Working quickly, transfer baking
sheet to stovetop. If desired, drizzle
lobsters with bourbon, and carefully
ignite the vapor with a long match or long
multipurpose lighter. Let stand until
flames disappear. Line a warmed platter
with hot cooked linguine; using tongs,
place lobsters on pasta. Tent platter with
aluminum foil. - Pour liquid drippings from baking sheet
into a large skillet over medium; discard
white albumen on baking sheet. Add
reserved roe to skillet, and cook, whisking
constantly, until roe begins to turn bright
red and is the texture of soft scrambled
eggs, about 30 seconds. Remove skillet
from heat, and whisk in beurre blanc and
chives. If sauce is very thick, whisk in
water, 1 tablespoon at a time, to reach
desired consistency. Season with salt to
taste. Remove and discard foil from lob-
sters, and pour beurre blanc over lobsters
and pasta. Serve immediately.
—MARY-FRANCES HECK
MAKE AHEAD Lobster may be butchered
up to 2 hours before cooking. Keep chilled
in refrigerator.
WINE Racy, citrusy Albariño: 2018 Eighty
Four Wines Napa Valley Carneros
NOTE Frozen raw Maine lobster tails are
available from Luke’s Lobster in the
freezer section of Whole Foods.
Red Wine Venison Stew
PHOTO P. 108
ACTIVE 1 HR 50 MIN; TOTAL 4 HR
SERVES 8Made with venison, this stew is intensely
flavored and has a silky, thick sauce that
clings to the vegetables and meat as they
slowly cook together. Beef chuck roast
works very well here, too, but may add
more fat, so be sure to skim the final stew
before serving.(^1) / 4 cup all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp. kosher salt, plus more to
taste
(^1) / 2 tsp. black pepper, plus more to
taste
1 (4-lb.) boneless venison or chuck
roast, trimmed and cut into 2-inch
cubes
7 to 8 Tbsp. bacon drippings (from
about 1 lb. thick-cut bacon, cooked)
or vegetable oil, divided
8 thyme sprigs
4 whole cloves, crushed
8 juniper berries, crushed
3 bay leaves
3 (2-inch) lemon peel strips plus 3
Tbsp. fresh lemon juice (from 2
lemons), divided
3 medium-size yellow onions, large
diced (about 5 cups)
4 medium carrots, peeled and large
diced (about 1^1 / 2 cups)
10 oz. sliced fresh cremini mushrooms
(about 3^1 / 2 cups)
4 large garlic cloves, chopped
1 (28-oz.) can whole peeled plum
tomatoes, crushed
4 cups beef bone broth (such as
Brodo)
11 / 2 cups full-bodied, robust red wine
(such as Cabernet Sauvignon or
Syrah)
Cooked egg noodles
Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley and
sour cream, for serving
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Toss together
flour, salt, and pepper in a large bowl; add
venison, and toss to coat. - Heat 2 tablespoons bacon drippings in
a large Dutch oven over medium. Working
in 4 batches, add venison, and cook, turn-
ing occasionally, until well browned, about
15 minutes per batch. Transfer venison to
a plate. Add more bacon drippings, 1
tablespoon at a time, between batches as
needed. (If necessary, deglaze the Dutch
oven with water [save this water and
return to pan when adding broth], and
wipe clean. Then start next batch with 2
tablespoons bacon drippings.)