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Recipe Detail Page
Lobster in a Saffron Broth with Baby Bok Choy, Tomatoes & Noodles
Summer 2014
Yes, it is possible to produce a sumptuous seafood noodle soup in less than half an hour for a Friday night treat. Pick up cooked lobsters on your way home or boil lobsters while the broth simmers away. Finish off the dish by offering guests little bowls of fresh basil leaves, chili garlic sauce and lime wedges for them to add the final trimmings to the broth.
Serves 2 to 4
7 cups (1.75 L) chicken broth or 2 containers (each 900 mL) of chicken broth, preferably sodium-reduced
½ tsp (2 mL) saffron threads (see TIP)
¼ cup (60 mL) fish sauce
2 tbsp (30 mL) dry sherry (optional)
1 to 2 tsp (5 to 10 mL) Asian chili garlic sauce
2 cooked lobsters, each about 1½ lbs (750 g)
⅓ to ½ of a 400-g pkg rice-stick noodles, about ¼ inch (5 mm) wide
8 oz (250 g) mixed coloured cherry tomatoes, about 1 cup (250 mL)
8 baby bok choy
1 cup (250 mL) roughly torn Thai basil leaves or coarsely chopped fresh coriander
1 Pour about ½ cup (125 mL) of broth into a bowl. Crumble in saffron and set aside. Pour remaining broth into a large saucepan and add fish sauce, sherry (if using) and 1 tsp (5 mL) chili garlic sauce. Bring to a boil. Cover, then lower heat and simmer to develop flavour while preparing remaining ingredients.
2 Meanwhile, crack lobster shells, holding them over a bowl to catch the juices. Remove meat from the shells and see TIP, or discard shells. Slice meat into large chunks and refrigerate. Add juices to the simmering broth.
3 Place noodles in a large bowl and cover with boiling water. Stir to separate and set aside to soften, stirring occasionally. When noodles are al dente, after 10 to 15 minutes, drain off the water.
4 Slice tomatoes in half. You will need about 1 cup (250 mL). Trim bok choy and slice in half if larger than bite-size.
5 After broth has simmered 15 minutes, taste and add more chili garlic sauce if needed. Increase heat and stir in tomatoes, bok choy and saffron mixture. Boil gently until bok choy is tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in drained noodles.
6 When hot, ladle into large deep bowls. Dividing evenly, place lobster pieces on top of soup and scatter with basil.
TIPS
If you do not have saffron, a blend of ½ tsp (2 mL) turmeric and 2 tsp (10 mL) ground cumin produces a lovely-
tasting broth.
Flavour Booster: After removing lobster meat from the shells, add large pieces of shell to the broth and simmer along with the broth for 15 minutes. Just remove them or strain broth before adding vegetables.
Serves 2 to 4
