Submitted by Lynn Wheeler

About the cook: I am a 43 year old self taught chef who has worked in restaurants for 25 years and been cooking professionally for the past 12 years. I have been executive chef of restaurants in New York City, New Jersey, and Florida. I currently own and operate Duck Truck Gourmet a mobile food and catering concept.

About the dish: Perfect for dinner parties and elegant enough to be served in a restaurant.

National Origin: American

Serves: 8

Estimated Time: 30 to 60 Minutes

Ingredients:

Fondue:

1-1 1/2 pounds lobster
2 medium shallots
4 plum tomatoes
2 jalapeños (optional)
6 cloves garlic
2 tbsp olive oil
8oz cream cheese, room temperature
8oz goat cheese, room temperature
8oz pepper jack, grated
1 cup white wine
2-3 tbsp heavy cream
3 tbsp chopped chives plus more for garnish
Salt & Pepper to taste
Assorted Bread/toast/crackers for dipping

*Lobster:

1/2 cup lemon juice
1 tsp pepper corns
2 bay leaves
3 tbsp white wine

Preparation:

For the lobster

If you’re cooking the lobster yourself place the lemon juice, wine, bay leaves, and pepper corns large pot and fill about 3/4 with water and bring it to a boil. Using the tip of a sharp chef’s knife pierce the head of the lobster through to the cutting board to kill it humanely. Place the lobster in the pot and put the lid on tightly. Cook for about 15 minutes until the shell is bright red. Remove and immediately submerge it ice water to stop the cooking. Once cooled allow it to drain well and remove all the meat from the claws, legs, and tail and chop it up. While it is cooling make the fondue.

For the fondue

Filet the tomatoes – quarter them and remove the seeds and flesh and discard. Cut the tomatoes into a fine dice. Remove the seeds and ribs from the jalapeños if using and dice them the same size as the tomatoes. Mince the shallots and garlic and chop the chives – I use a pair of kitchen scissors to cut chives it works quickly and perfectly.

Heat the olive oil in a medium sauce pan and sauté the shallot and garlic with a little salt and pepper for 2-3 minutes until softened slightly. Add the jalapeños and tomatoes and sauté another 2 minutes. Add the white wine and reduce to about 1/3 cup. Stir in the cream cheese and goat cheese and allow them to melt completely. Stir in the pepper jack and allow it to melt. Add the chopped lobster meat and chives stirring to combine. Add the heavy cream one tablespoon at a time to loosen if needed. Taste and adjust seasoning to your liking.

Pour the fondue into a slow cooker set on low or into a fondue pot and keep it warm. Garnish with more chopped chives and serve with assorted toast and bread – I even like it with hard Bavarian type pretzels. Or place it in individual ramekins with toast on the side.

The fondue can be made a day or two in advance and refrigerated until you plan to serve it. Allow it to cool completely before covering and refrigerating. Reheat it on the stove top and portion – or put it into a casserole dish and bake for 20 minutes at 350 – to serve family style if you don’t have a fondue pot or slow cooker.

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