Wasabi Lobster Terrine わさびとロブスターのテリーヌ

If there is one dish that is a constant favorite at the parties I host, it is certainly this one. And once you get past the lobster preparing part, it is easy! Not to mention you can make it way ahead of the party so no rushing around in the hours before the party starts. Without any further ado, let me jump right into it.

• 1 c light cream 生クリーム
• 1 1/2 tsp powdered gelatin ゼラチン
• 3 Tbsp hot water お湯
• 2 tsp wasabi (powdered, but paste is ok too) 山葵
• 1 live lobster ロブスター
• 1 tsp olive oil  オリーブオイル
• 2 Tbsp cognac コニャック

Ergh, live lobster? That's kinda what I said first time I looked at this one. I've witnessed this wee bit daunting and queasy-ish task before, when growing up. But I figured if mom and dad could do it, then so could I. Making this recipe was the first time as an adult that I was on my own with the crustacean, and I had to come to terms with the lobster assassination I was about to do. So off to YouTube I went to figure out what I was going to be doing!

After a tiny bit of investigation, I'd say that "dispatching" the lobster is the way to go. That's when you take a sharp knife and end the lobster's misery in one fell swoop, rather than boiling or steaming them to death. Hey, if I were to go, I would want it to be swift.

For this recipe, I ask for the smallest lobster there is. The thing is, this dish doesn't need a whole lot of lobster but boy does the dish go a long way at a party!

Here, my lobster is just over 1 1/2 pounds, which I can get away with purchasing at usually somewhere under $20. Just before I dispatch it, I give it a quick rinse. For a strange reason, I've always had the urge to take those rubber bands off of the lobster - it looks so constraining - but wait, I can't empathize with the thing, I am going to be its demise. Plus, I'd be in trouble if those bands came off too early!

I get my sharp but thickest, heaviest knife for the job. The Wusthof all-purpose chef's knife. I steer away from Japanese knives for the occasion because although I know in my head that German knives as a general rule are softer bladed and Japanese knives are harder bladed, I'm feeling somewhere viscerally that the Japanese knife will break or chip if I cut into that hard shell with it. There's nothing scientific about my analysis, by the way.

When the deed is done, I clean (remove liver and head sac) and then split my lobster into four pieces: 2 claws, and then the length of the body, split vertically down the center. Into a pan it goes.

I add just a small teaspoon of olive oil to the pan, then set it on about medium heat. Let it go for a minute or two, and it'll already start turning a brighter red from the cooking. Now for the cognac. I add the cognac to the pan (some say remove from heat before pouring alcohol into the pan). With one of those long-necked lighters, I set the cognac alight. Did I mention that the cognac does wonders? It not only adds aroma but all arrows point to the umami wallop that the cognac and lobster combo creates.

Already, I can smell the lobster and the cognac marrying together into a fragrant melody. Once the flame goes out, I cover the pan with a lid and close it tightly. A few minutes like that and I take a peek. Done? Looks pretty red to me. My lobster comes off the heat and is allowed to cool down before I try to get at the meat.

While that's cooling, I take a few tablespoons of the cream and add the powdered gelatin to it to allow the gelatin to bloom. I also add the powdered wasabi. The rest of the cream gets poured into a small saucepan to heat up, just short of a boil. Once the cream is nice and hot, the gelatin mix goes in. If I'm using a wasabi paste, I make sure that the paste is broken up and mixed into the cream as well as I can get it before adding to the saucepan. Mix, mix, mix! I make sure all of the gelatin is dissolved. At this point, it's off the heat. If the gelatin's having a hard time dissolving, I'll put it back on the heat again (but not to let it boil).

Remove all the meat from the lobster. This is seriously a lot of meat! All of this with just a cup of cream? I chop it up into about 1/2" pieces so it's easy to scoop out of the terrine later.

Sometimes I make "terrine shots" and that's when I make individual terrines in 2 oz. shot glasses. Or I use square or circular ramekins to create a more traditional terrine where you mold the thing and then get the terrine to pop out of the mold by turning it upside down. Whatever floats my boat that day.

I place the lobster pieces in the mold (shot glasses or ramekins) and pour the warm cream over it. Into the fridge they go for a few hours.

And then, voila! You have an amazing dish with which to wow your party guests.