Raspberry Lobster

• 11 tablespoons butter (unsalted as always). 10 tablespoons should be chilled until the last minute, then chopped into small pieces.
• 2 cups raspberries
• 1 vanilla bean, split in half
• 1/3 cup pink peppercorns – black will work too; pink just have a nice complimentary sweetness to them.*
• 1 Tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
• 1 1/2 cups white wine or sake
• 1 1/2 cups white grape juice**
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 one-pound lobsters (chicken lobsters)

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a 4- or 5-quart pot over medium heat. Add raspberries, vanilla, peppercorns, and ginger; stir. Pour in wine and grape juice; add salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a low boil and cook for 25 minutes. Strain the liquid, pour it into a clean pot, set it over low heat, bring it to a boil, and reduce it by half. Remove from the heat and set it aside until just before you serve the lobster.

Steam the lobsters as you usually would. (It took approximately 45 minutes for our four lobsters.)

Bring the raspberry broth back to a boil over medium heat. Whisk in the remaining butter one small piece at a time, until the sauce thickens (don’t worry if it separates; it’ll still taste good). Strain the sauce again and serve in ramekins with the lobsters.