Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Lobster Ravioli in a White Peppercorn Wine Sauce

I HEART Ravioli!

I have a minor obsession with the making and eating of ravioli. OK, maybe not minor but an obsession all the same. ANYWAY, we NEVER go to a restaurant on Valentine’s Day. Other than dragging three kids with us, we are just not restaurant people. That is to say we do go out to eat, just not often and never on holidays. I tend to suffer from buyers remorse very time I leave a restaurant. Many restaurant foods taste the same, have small portions, no seconds and they want you to pay for it too. I put extra effort into cooking something special and different for holidays. I make sure to use the GOOD china and little decorations so the kids recognize that it is a special day and a special dinner. So what to have for Valentine’s Day dinner was my question, my quest, something to WOW the family. Lobster seemed the perfect answer to both. The kids love to watch the lobster in the tank at the market and the husband doesn’t get lobster cooked at home often. I was not ready for sharing with the kids the life lessons that come along with buying and cooking live lobster so, lobster tails seemed the best solution. Also, having grown up in South Florida, I know that in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area I’m not getting any seafood that was caught today or even this week, catfish excluded.

If you have never made ravioli, try it. They are very easy to make and always a hit. My kids even love to help make them. As the chef, there is nothing that you can’t put into and on ravioli, so you can really use your imagination when you create them.

Ravioli stuffing
4 Lobster tails
Gruyere Cheese

Cook the lobster tail. Peal the meat out of the shell.
Drop it into your processor along with the cheese. Fill your ravioli and set them aside to dry.


White Peppercorn Wine Sauce
White peppercorns
Shallots
White wine
White wine vinegar
Salt
Butter
Gruyere cheese

Sauté Peppercorns and shallots in a small amount of butter.
Add Wine and vinegar and reduce by almost half
While whisking, add salt and a lot of butter (a little bit at a time)
Finally, add a handful of cheese and allow to thicken a little.
Pour over the boiled, al dente ravioli.

We had our ravioli along side, roasted Prosciutto wrapped asparagus, Mozzarella cheese tray and a big salad.


This was a wonderful Valentine’s Day meal for us. Not only was the food great but also we all helped to make it. Be sure to check out the cheese tray my husband put together. NICE JOB!



8 comments:

Culinary Wannabe said...

Wow, homemade ravioli! That's really impressive, and lobster just makes it even more amazing. Looks like a beautiful dinner.

Lori Lynn said...

Sounds like a lovely evening. I never thought to make ravioli stuffing with just two ingredients; lobster and cheese. I'm gonna try this with some won ton wrappers I have on hand. Thanks for the inspiration.
LL

Maria said...

We love making homemade ravioli. I will have to try lobster next!! Looks amazing!

SUGAMAMA'S CAFE' said...

What a perfect meal.... My family will love this thanks!

Jennifer said...

HI there! I love that we both have 'thyme' in our blog names. I am allergic to lobster BUT this has reminded me to get back in the kitchen and to making ravioli-.

Donna-FFW said...

OH MY! These sound so delicious and so special. I must try homemade ravioli. I usually do manicotti. They look great!!

test it comm said...

This ravioli dish sounds amazing!

Stacey Snacks said...

don't you love those prosciutto wrapped spears?