Lobster

None of us expected to fall in love with this dish when we tested it, but we all did. Most Thermidor recipes yield something that tastes stodgy and heavy, but this version, by 1940s Gourmet chef Louis P. De Gouy, is almost sleek.

(Arrossejat de Fideus amb Llagosta) This Catalan specialty could be described as a pasta cooked like a rice dish. Arrossejat is Catalan for "golden" and refers to the technique of sautéing noodles in oil until golden brown before simmering them in fish stock. The dish is usually prepared in a glazed earthenware casserole known as a cassola, but you can substitute an ovenproof skillet or saut0an with great results. The base of our intensely flavored dish is a sofregit~©on slow-cooked with tomatoes and often garlic and herbs'% foundation for almost every sauce and stewed dish in the region's cooking. Active time: 1 1/2 hr Start to finish: 2 hr

A 1980 charter signed by 11 restaurants (7 in Marseille) dictates what kinds of fish form the basis of an authentic local bouillabaisse. These are generally unavailable here, so we suggest using the freshest nonoily fish you can get, preferably three to five different kinds. As long as we were taking liberties, we also added lobster and used fennel fronds in place of pastis. And though the broth and croutons are usually served separately from the fish itself in Marseille, we enjoyed everything together. Active time: 1 1/4 hr Start to finish: 1 1/2 hr

Can be prepared in 45 minutes of less.

The parts of Corsica that are not cultivated or forested are covered with a thick underbrush called the Maquis. It consists of diverse aromatic herbs that make the hillsides white with little flowers in the spring and inspire one of the island's nicknames, "the Scented Isle." A blend of these herbs, called herbes de maquis, is a flavoring for many seafood specialties, including this rich pasta and lobster dish. Many say that the most flavorful lobsters in the Mediterranean come from the waters off Corsica. For reasons of food safety, it is essential to make the sauce and finish cooking the lobster immediately after the lobster has been boiled.

If you can't find fresh lobsters, frozen lobster meat can be used.

This is a sophisticated first course. The soup is also nice without the lobster. Uncork a Chardonnay or a French Sancerre.

This one is delicious made with shrimp and/or scallops, too. If using lobster, garnish the plates with the empty shells.

Marinated vegetables from the supermarket salad bar and potato chips are nice with the sandwich. Chocolate cake is a great ending.

You will need three pots for this recipe.

Accompanied by Champagne, this beautiful and delicious appetizer starts the meal on a sophisticated note.

A great dish from Dalvay By The Sea.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Substituting cooked chicken for the lobster also yields excellent results.

Todd English — the chef/owner of Olives and the four Figs restaurants, all in and around Boston — was named Best Chef in the Northeast by the James Beard Foundation. He's also the author of two cookbooks. For his "clambake" extravaganza, you'll need a grill with a lid.