Lobster is not exactly associated with a low-fat diet, thanks to the drawn butter that often accompanies it. Crème caramel doesn't have many low-fat associations either. But the dinner menu that follows lets you indulge in both.

The meal begins with a clear, elegant mushroom soup enhanced with Marsala and garnished with sautéed, sliced shiitakes. White mushrooms are used to flavor the stock before they are strained out. For the entrée, chunks of lobster are served in a rich tarragon-infused sauce with rice and haricots verts, thin French green beans, though other green beans can be substituted. The lobster flavor is intensified by sautéing the shells--a technique to remember any time you're preparing lobster stock. 

For dessert, luxurious coffee crème caramel is made with evaporated skim milk and a little heavy cream instead of hefty amounts of cream and whole milk. The silky custards are topped with a no-fat caramel sauce and decorated with hardened caramel pieces that are very easy to make. 

Each meal of mushroom soup, lobster américaine and crème caramel contains less than 18 grams of fat (28 percent of the recommended daily intake). 

 

Published February 1995