Title: Astakos plaki - lobster in tomato sauce with saffron rice
 Categories: Greek, Seafood
      Yield: 4 servings
 
      2    Lobsters (about 2 lbs each)
           - (live, or recently dead)
     25    Saffron strands; soaked in
    1/4 c  Hot water
    1/4 lb Finely chopped onion
      1 md Leek; washed, finely chopped
      8 tb Fruity olive oil
      3    Garlic cloves; minced
      1 lb Tomatoes; skinned, seeded,
           - and finely chopped
      4    Sun-dried tomatoes (in oil)
           - pounded to a paste
    1/2 c  White wine
    1/4 c  Orange juice
      1    Bay leaf
           Salt & freshly ground Pepper
    1/2 c  Finely chopped Fennel
    1/2 c  Minced flat-leaf Parsley
      1 tb Finely chopped fresh Mint
           Saffron Rice
 
  If you have live lobsters, plunge them into a pan of boiling water
  for 1 minute, then into cold water.
  
  To prepare the lobsters, break off the claws and crack them open with
  a hammer.  Cut off the tip of the tail (with the fins), then sever
  the tail where it joins the head with a heavy knife.  Cut the tail
  into rings, slicing through the shell between the ribs.
  
  Split the head open lengthwise with a hard blow of a knife and remove
  and discard the gritty stomach sac.  Pour the coral (if any) and the
  green matter (which is the liver) into a stainer over a bowl,
  sprinkle with salt and pepper, and reserve.  Put the saffron to soak.
  
  In a heavy-bottomed pan big-enough to contain the lobsters and sauce,
  fry the onion and leek gently in 3 tablespoons olive oil until
  translucent. Add the garlic, chopped tomatoes, tomato paste and
  liquid, wine, orange juice, and bay leaf.  Season and simmer,
  covered, for 15 minutes.
  
  Add the fennel, parsley, mint, saffron and liquid, and lobster tail
  pieces and claws with their shells (but not the legs) and simmer,
  covered, for 10 minutes.
  
  In the meantime push the coral and liver of the lobster through the
  strainer and beat the pur‚e with the remaining olive oil.  When the
  lobster has simmered for 10 minutes, ladle out about 1 cup sauce and
  beat this into the coral pur‚e.  Pour this back into the pot, stir,
  and simmer for another 10 minutes.  Serve with saffron rice.