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1
Preheat the oven to 525 degrees.
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2
Put one tablespoon of the butter in a saucepan and add the shallots.
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3
Cook briefly, stirring.
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4
Add the wine and the two 2-inch lengths of vanilla bean.
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5
Cook down, stirring, until the wine is almost evaporated.
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6
Add the fish broth and cook down over high heat, stirring, until reduced by half.
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7
Add the cream and cook the mixture about two minutes, to about one cup.
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8
Split the remaining piece of vanilla bean and add it.
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9
Strain the sauce through a fine sieve, pressing with the back of a wooden spoon or rubber spatula to extract most of the juices from the solids.
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10
Discard the solids.
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11
Return the sauce to a saucepan.
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12
Add salt and pepper and bring to the boil.
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13
Remove from the heat and swirl in two tablespoons of butter.
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14
Place the live lobsters close together in a casserole and place in the oven.
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15
Bake 15 minutes.
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16
Meanwhile, pick over the spinach to remove and discard any tough stems or blemished leaves.
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17
Pick over the watercress to remove the leaves.
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18
Discard the stems.
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19
Heat the remaining two tablespoons of butter in a skillet and add the spinach and watercress.
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20
Cook, stirring, until wilted.
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21
Split the hot lobsters lengthwise down the center.
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22
They will not be fully cooked at this point.
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23
Arrange the halves split side up on a baking dish and return to the oven for about one and one-half minutes.
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24
Crack the claws and arrange them in another baking dish.
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25
Bake about two minutes.
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26
Remove the meat from the lobster tails.
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27
Spoon the spinach into the center of a serving dish.
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28
Arrange the lobster tail meat over the spinach.
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29
Arrange the cracked claws around in a symmetrical pattern.
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30
Garnish, if desired, with one lobster carcass split in half.
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31
Spoon some of the sauce over the lobster tails and serve the rest on the side.
