Recipe: Coquille of Lobster Savannah

I adapted this lobster recipe from a recipe in a charity book I bought in the 70’s…. the cover has long fallen off…. some pages are speckled with so many splatters from over the years you can hardly read some of the recipes….This recipe was credited to Charlene Bentien…. I have no idea who she is… but she has one heck of a great recipe for lobster meat.

The first part of the recipe makes 1 pint of a béchamel sauce. You only use 1 ¼ cups of it…. my suggestion is to refrigerate the leftovers and use it for a base for a cheese sauce to accompany a vegetable on another night…. it’s probably just enough for that….. I actually like recipes like that… this way I can get a jump start on another evening.

This can be made ahead…. a wonderful plus when serving this for a dinner party. This recipe can be doubled for a larger party.

Enjoy!

Coquille of Lobster Savannah Recipe:

All you need:

¼ cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons flour
¼ teaspoon pepper
2 cups hot milk
1 ½ tablespoons butter
1 green pepper, diced
6-8 large mushrooms, quartered
½ cup sherry
1 teaspoon paprika
1 pound lobster meat, diced
¼ cup cream
1 (4 oz) bottle pimentos, diced
6 tablespoons Parmesan cheese

All you need to do:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Put the ¼ cup softened butter, salt, flour and hot milk in a blender. Cover, and turn the blender on low first and gradually to high for 30 seconds.

Pour the mixture into a saucepan and simmer over low heat for 15 minutes.

This will make about 1 pint of béchamel sauce. Set aside.

In a saucepan, melt the 1 ½ tablespoons butter. Add the green pepper and mushrooms. Toss lightly.

Cover and cook over moderate heat for 5 minutes.

Add the sherry, paprika and cook uncovered over high heat until the sherry is reduced by half.

Add the lobster meat, cream and 1 ¼ cups of the reserved béchamel sauce. Stir to mix and heat to boiling. Take immediately off the heat.

Add the pimentos.

**If you are making this ahead…. stop at this point. When ready to serve…. reheat and pick-up the recipe here.

Divide the mixture into 6 scallop shells or ramekins.

Sprinkle each with a tablespoon of Parmesan cheese.

Bake for 10 minutes in a 400 degree oven.