November 2008
Steamed Thassian Lobster with sorps in a white wine sauce

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Quotes from the books:

Thassian Lobster - Served boiled with drawn bosk butter and tospit juice. A very succulent and sensual meal for a special Master.

Sorp - Sorp is a shellfish, common esp. in the Vosk river, similar to an oyster; like an oyster, it manufactures pearls. Often used in making soups and stews. "Nomads of Gor" p. 20

Tospit - A bitter, juicy citrus fruit. Used to make wagers on the number of seeds (odd or even, or the number of odd seeds, since most tospits have and odd number of seeds) "The common tospit almost invariably has an odd number of seeds. On the other hand, the rare, long-stemmed tospit usually has an even number of seeds." Nomads of Gor, page 149
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If you are squeamish about cooking live seafood as I am, about 1 ahn before cooking place the lobsters in a shallow pan and pour 2 mugs of Sul paga in the pan. Place the pan of Lobsters in the chilla. The cold will soothe the crustaceans and allow them to breath in the fumes from the strong sul paga. After an ahn the creatures are "drunk" on sul paga and relaxed, this also helps in that their bodies are relaxed to ensure a sweet succulant meat.

Place a large pot of water over the hearth and bring to rapid boil. Add to the pot 1 tef each of red salt and minced rosemary, and 1 tospit fruit sliced into thin circlets. Add lobsters one at a time, cover and return water to boil. Steam for 15-17 ehn or until lobsters are a bright red and the long antennae can be pulled loose with ease. Remove steamed lobster with a hook and set the pot aside but save the liquid. Place the lobsters standing upright in a bowl to allow the excess water to drain.

Take a medium shallow pan and add a mug of the left over liquid to the pan. Wash and clean the sorps carefull being sure to discard any that show signs of being open already. Next, lay the closed sorps side by side in the pan. Place the lid on the pan and place it in the bread oven under medium heat. Check the pan every few ehn and remove from the heat once the oysters have opened.

While the sorps are baking mix up the sauces. For the lobster sauce place a small sauce pan over the hearth and add a mug of the left over liquid and bring to a boil. Add 6 spoonfuls of verr butter and 2 spoons of honey to the boiling water and stir until melted. The butter will mix with the rosemary and salt from the lobster steam merging the flavors. When everything is melted remove the pot from heat but keep it close enough to stay warm and melted.

Next is a very light sauce for the sorps. In a shallow pan heat a spoonful of palm oil and sauté 1 small onion and 3 garlic cloves until tender. Stir in a spoonful of ground sa tarna flour and then gradually add a mug of verr milk. Next stir in a mug of white wine, 4 shredded basil leaves and a spoonful of finely minced rosemary. Cook until the flour rises and the sauce thickens. Set aside and check on the sorps.

When the sorps are opened remove the pan from the oven. Next wrap your hands in bosk hide and using an ulo knife carefully separate the shells, discarding the meatless shell. Take a serving plate and lay a bed of fresh catch upon it. Place a bowl of sliced tospit fruit in the center of the plate and arrange the half shells around the bowl. Next take a spoon and drizzle the wine sauce over the sorps.

Place a clean pot of water on the hearth and bring it to a boil. Add 3 tefs of freshly picked pea pods. They should be crisp and thick. Boil for a few ehn until the color brightens to a vibrant green.
Remove from heat and rinse immediately with cold water to stop them from cooking further.

Finally take a large platter and lay a generous amount of fresh katch and tur-pah upon it. Take the Lobsters and lay them neatly on the platter. Grace the platter with several slices of tospit fruit, a twig of rosemary, and two small bowls of the butter sauce.

Serve with the white wine and some fresh golden sa tarna bread to sop up the flavorful juices and be prepared for a fun-filled trip to the alcoves.