Lobster Ketchup

Ingredients

3 pounds (1 1/2 kg) female lobster, boiled in water to cover for 10 minutes,
drained, body shell cut lengthwise in half, claws cracked with a mallet
6 salt anchovies
1 1/4 cup (300 ml) sherry or Madeira
1 teaspoon (5 ml) cayenne pepper
2/3 cup (150 ml) chili or shallot vinegar
3 1/2 cups (875 ml) shallot wine
black peppercorns

Instructions

Pick out all the lobster meat and pound the coral (roe) with the anchovy fillets in a mortar. When completely bruised, add the lobster meat; pound and moisten it wtih the remaining ingredients. Mix well, and put the ketchup into wide-mouthed jars. Put 1 teaspoon (5 ml) peppercorns into each jar. Close tightly. Refrigerated, the ketchup will keep for up to two months. Notes: Add 4 to 5 tablespoons (60 to 75 ml) of this ketchup to 1 cup (1/4 liter) of melted butter as a sauce for fish dishes. For chili vinegar, use 10 dried hot chilies. Shallot vinegar is made by steeping eight chopped shallots in 2 1/2 cups (625 ml) of wine vinegar for three weeks; shallot wine by steeping the shallots in dry white wine.