Pan-Roasted Lobster Brown Butter, Hazelnuts and Lemon Thyme

Serves 2

Joe Faro says his mother, Rose Faro, is “the matriarch of the family’s food traditions. The only thing she loves more than cooking simple, fresh Italian food is watching her nine grandchildren enjoy it!”

For this dish, we prefer the hard-shell lobsters from Maine for their briny flavor.

Ingredients:

2 1½-pound live, hard-shell lobsters

¼ cup olive oil

½ stick butter

1 lemon, cut into 6 wedges

2 sprigs fresh thyme

¼ cup chopped hazelnuts

Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Bring 8 cups of water to a boil. Remove the claws from the lobster and cook in rapidly boiling water for 7 minutes. Split the lobsters in half (your fish monger can do this if you prefer).

2. Heat a 14-inch sauté pan over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. Place the lobster halves in the pan and sear until bright red. Once the meat starts to cook, add the butter and let it brown.

3. Add the juice of 2 lemon wedges, thyme and hazelnuts, and spoon mixture over the lobsters. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from the pan and garnish with lemon.