American Cooking

Lobster Newberg

Cava de Guarda Superior Paraje Calificado sirviendo.png

Cava de Paraje Calificado is produced from vines in a small area which is distinguished from others by its specific characteristics (location and terroir). A superior Cava, synonymous with exceptional quality.

1 Hour

Difficulty

2 people

Seafood

Lobster Newberg is a legendary dish with many stories surrounding it. Many culinary figures have laid claim to inventing Lobster Newberg, but it is thought that the first restaurant to serve this delicacy was the Delmonico Restaurant in New York.

According to legend, Lobster Newberg was created by a salesman working in the Caribbean fruit trade, a man called Ben Wenberg. In 1876, while dining at the Delmonico, Wenberg asked the owner, Charles Delmonico, to let him demonstrate a recipe for lobster that he had discovered on his travels. The demonstration was a success and the dish was added to the menu at the Delmonico with some slight modifications by the chef, Charles Ranhofer.

Sometime later, so the story says, Ben Wenberg and Charles Delmonico fell out and the dish disappeared from the menu. However, it was still requested by customers and was put back on the menu as Lobster Newberg (New from New York and Berg from Wenberg).

Later, chef Charles Ranhofer published a recipe for Lobster Newberg in his cookery book, "The Epicurean”. But similar recipes also appeared in French cookery books, as well as recipes with slightly different names such as Delmonico Lobster or Newberg Lobster. There are even references to the hotel Fauchere in Milford, Pennsylvania, built by a former chef from the Delmonico, as the origin of Lobster Newberg.

Although it is hard to disentangle the truth from legend, we do know that traditional Lobster Newberg is made with freshly cooked lobster, butter, cream and sherry. The sauce is seasoned with cayenne pepper and thickened with egg yolk and a splash of Cognac. It is usually served on toasted bread.

At the Cava Regulatory Board, we recommend discovering this dish in its traditional form and enjoying it with a splendid Cava de Paraje Calificado (more than 36 months).

Ingredients

1 freshly boiled lobster tail, approx. 800 g (28.2 oz)

4 slices of bread without crusts

150 g (5.29 oz) butter

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 ½ tablespoon Cognac

1 ½ tablespoon dry sherry

2 egg yolks

⅓ cup single cream

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

½ teaspoon salt

A pinch of ground black pepper

You will also need

Una cuerda o cabo fino

Instructions

The first step in preparing this delicious dish is to boil the lobster so you can use the meat. If you do not have boiled lobster you can do it yourself: Tie the lobster so that it cannot move. Put it in a saucepan and fill with water until the lobster is covered and add salt, leek, celery, laurel, onion, black peppercorns and some star anise. Boil the lobster until it turns red, about 20 minutes per kilo of lobster. Take the lobster out of the pan and leave it to cool before removing the meat and entrails. Cut the lobster into medallions and put to one side. Put the shell to one side, keeping it as intact as possible.

Butter the slices of bread and put them in the oven until golden.

Melt the remaining butter in a frying pan and brown the lobster medallions and add Cognac, dry sherry, salt and black pepper. At this stage it is important to mix all the ingredients well, but also to take care not to break the lobster medallions. Cook for around 2 minutes.

Mix the egg yolks in a bowl with the single cream and cayenne pepper.

Then add this to the frying pan and cook for a further minute and a half. Now it is ready, it should be served immediately.

Plate up the dish with the lobster on top of the bread. Then pour the sauce from the frying pan over the top.

Now enjoy with a glass of Cava de Paraje Calificado (more than 36 months).

According to François Chartier, an expert in aromas and author of a study into the harmonious aromas of cava, the pairing of Lobster Newberg with a cava de Paraje Calificado (more than 36 months) allows you to enjoy the dish’s stand-out ingredients: lobster, butter, Cognac and cayenne pepper.

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