The parts of Corsica that are not cultivated or forested are covered with a thick underbrush called the Maquis. It consists of diverse aromatic herbs that make the hillsides white with little flowers in the spring and inspire one of the island's nicknames, "the Scented Isle." A blend of these herbs, called herbes de maquis, is a flavoring for many seafood specialties, including this rich pasta and lobster dish. Many say that the most flavorful lobsters in the Mediterranean come from the waters off Corsica.
For reasons of food safety, it is essential to make the sauce and finish cooking the lobster immediately after the lobster has been boiled.
Recipe information
Yield
Serves 6
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Chop tomatoes. Bring large pot of water to boil. Add lobsters; boil 2 minutes. Using tongs, transfer lobsters to cutting board. Cut off claws and crack open. Remove meat from claws and cut meat into bite-size pieces. Cut off lobster tails. Cut tails crosswise into 4 pieces each. Cut each lobster body lengthwise in half. Remove coral (bright orange part) and tomalley (greenish part); finely chop.
Step 2
Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium heat. Add lobster body pieces (not tails or claw meat), onion and garlic; Sauté until onion is soft, about 10 minutes. Add lobster tail pieces, claw meat, coral, tomalley, tomatoes and reserved juices, vinegar, herbs and cayenne; bring to boil. Reduce heat; simmer until lobster is cooked through, about 8 minutes.
Step 3
Using slotted spoon, remove lobster tail pieces and claw meat and reserve. Add cream to sauce. Simmer 20 minutes. Using tongs, remove lobster body pieces and discard. Season sauce with salt and pepper.
Step 4
Meanwhile, cook pasta in pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite.
Step 5
Drain pasta and return to pot. Add lobster and sauce and toss to coat. Divide among plates.
Recipe notes
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