Crystal’s brother-in-law Jim is a native of Maine, and he has a passion so strong for lobster that we have nicknamed him “Lobster Boy.” We have joked that if he were rich, he would eat lobster in some form or fashion every day—lobster rolls, lobster omelets, and even lobster casseroles. This casserole salutes you, Lobster Boy! We recommend serving it over buttered egg noodles that have been tossed with poppy seeds for color and a bit of a crunch.

　　

Ingredients

makes 4 to 6 servings

　　7 tablespoons unsalted butter

　　1 medium shallot, thinly sliced

　　1 pound meat from cooked lobster tails (4 tails), cut into bite-size pieces (see tip)

　　3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

　　1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

　　Salt and freshly ground black pepper

　　2 cups light cream

　　3 tablespoons sherry

　　3 slices white bread, crusts removed and slices torn into small pieces

　　1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs (see page 196)

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

　　

Step 2

Melt 4 tablespoons of the butter in a sauté pan set over medium heat. Add the shallot and cook for 3 minutes or until translucent. Add the lobster meat and cook for 2 minutes or until the lobster is heated through. In a separate bowl, combine the flour and dry mustard, and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the mixture over the lobster and toss to coat well. Add the cream slowly, stirring constantly, and cook until it thickens, about 6 minutes. Add the sherry and bread, and stir well.

　　

Step 3

Grease a 9 x 13-inch casserole dish with 1 tablespoon of the butter and pour in the lobster mixture. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and stir in the bread crumbs, then sprinkle on top of the casserole.

　　

Step 4

Bake for 30 minutes or until the casserole is bubbly and browned on top.

　　

notes

Step 5

If you don’t want to be the one to do the deed, most fish markets will cook the lobster to your liking. All you’ll need to do is take it home, remove the shells, grease your casserole dish, and get cooking!

　　

Step 6

Sherry versus cooking sherry: When cooking with high-quality ingredients such as fresh seafood, we recommend that you opt for the real thing! Cooking sherry is high in salt, and the quality just isn’t good enough to stand up to the lovely buttery lobster in this dish.

　　From The Casserole Queens Cookbook by Crystal Cook & Sandy Pollock. Copyright © 2011 by Crystal Cook and Sandy Pollock; Food photographs copyright © 2011 by Ben Fink. Published by Clarkson Potter/Publishers.Crystal Cook and Sandy Pollock, the Casserole Queens, have been delivering casseroles in Austin, Texas, since 2006; they also teach cooking classes at Whole Foods stores in the area. They have been featured on Food Network's Throwdown! with Bobby Flay and Bobby Flay Radio on Sirius XM, as well as on television news and radio talk shows.