Sauteed lobster in vanilla vodka sauce

To honor his mother during Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Executive Chef Colin Ribble of Harrah’s Ak-Chin Casino Resort shares his recipe for sautéed lobster in vanilla vodka sauce.

“It’s something my mother would eat, something that’s done for my mother,” Ribble said.

Ribble’s mother was diagnosed with cancer in 2010. He has been beside her through the whole process, cooked for her and helped shave her head even as he shaved his own.

“I would go over and make dinner for my mom, so it was one thing she didn’t have to worry about,” he said. “Food was always something that connected us.”

Lobster in a Vanilla Vodka Sauce, by Chef Colin Ribble

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
1 clove garlic, minced
1 shallot minced
2 tablespoons capers
½ cup vanilla vodka
1 raw lobster tail, cut into small pieces
½ cup plum tomatoes
½ cup heavy cream
sea salt to taste
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
French Baguette Sliced and grilled

Melt the butter in a large sauté pan (12-14 inches). Stir in the red pepper flakes and cook about 1 minute over medium heat. Add the garlic/shallots and cook until soft. Stir in the capers and cook 1 minute longer. Raise the heat to medium high and add the vodka; allow most of it to evaporate. Stir in the lobster and lower the heat to medium. Add the tomatoes and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Slowly pour in the cream along the side of the pan and cook over low heat for an additional 5 minutes.