Sauce Cardinale is a classic French Compound Sauce made from a Béchamel Sauce flavored with Fish Stock and Truffle Essence seasoned with cayenne pepper and finished with lobster butter.
For what I did, we used leftover lobster shells, bodies, tamale and all, mushroom stems, tomato paste, sherry and heavy cream. The cost in minimal and the rewards are great!
Lobster Cardinale Sauce
½ lb. Mirepoix (50% Red Onion, 25% Celery and 25% carrot, all rough chopped)
2 oz. Mushroom stems
1 tsp. Black Pepper Corns
1 lb. Lobster body/shell/etc.
1 quart water
1 Tbsp. Tomato Paste
1 C Sherry
2 C Heavy Cream
Method:
- Place the mirepoix, lobster shells/body/etc. mushroom stems and water into a large pot and bring to a boil.
- Once you achieve a boil, reduce heat to a simmer. Then mash and crush the shell/body/etc. mix with a potato masher and cook the mix until almost all of the liquid is cooked off, stirring occasionally.
- Once the liquid is mostly cooked off add the sherry and the tomato paste and bring back to a boil. Stir the mix for a few minutes and let it reduce by about 3/4.
- Add the heavy cream and bring back to a boil and stir to combine well. Reduce to a simmer and cook until about half the liquid is reduced.
- Strain through a fine strainer into a sauté pan and reduce until the liquid coats the back of a spoon.
- Adjust seasoning with salt & pepper
