Cooking On The Couch: Lobster Tails
Time to break out of your shell and plan a romantic Valentine's Day evening.
Mackenzie Arrington of GetMaineLobster.com has also been named "Maine Lobster Chef of the Year" - twice.
More: NYC's 7 Best Lobster Rolls
He stopped by The Couch to show us how to prepare a succulent and sexy lobster dish for you and your significant other.
More: NYC's 10 Best Seafood Sandwiches
For more information, click here.
Lobster, cauliflower, brown butter, mushrooms and bacon
YIELD 2
PREP TIME 30 minutes
COOK TIME 15 minutes
CATEGORIES Dinner, Entree, Seared
DIFFICULTY LEVEL Simple
INGREDIENTS
Main Components
Lobster tails, split (2 ea)
Lobster claw and knuckle meat (4 ea)
Brown butter (1 pt)
Cauliflower puree (1 pt)
Maitake mushrooms, cleaned (1 head)
Butter (2 Tbsp)
Bacon, thick slice (2 ea)
Apple cider vinegar (1 tsp)
Chervil (½ bunch)
Salt
Black pepper
Cauliflower Puree
Cauliflower, roughly cut (2 ea)
Water
Butter ( 2-3 Tbsp)
Salt
METHOD
Cooking of lobster
1. Cook your claw and knuckles and tails in boiling water seasoned with salt (should taste like the sea they came out of!)
2. Cook time for tails ~ 3 minutes.(We will fully cook them in the pan.)
2. Cook time for claws ~ 7 minutes.
3. Shock them in ice water and then remove the claw and knuckle meat from the shell for the final preparation.
4. Split the tails in the shellf length wise and store cold for searing later.
Cauliflower puree
1. In a wide pot over medium heat sweat the cauliflower with a little oil and salt.
2. Once the cauliflower starts to cook ~3 minutes, add enough water to just cover the cauliflower and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cover. Cook the cauliflower until it is very mushy. Add more water if needed.
3. The time of cooking will depends on the size of your cuts on the cauliflower.
4. One the cauliflower is cook strain it and reserve the liquid.
5. Add the cauliflower to a blender and blend on high until the mixture is smooth. Use a little of the cooking liquid if the puree is too try to blend.
6. Once the puree is smooth slowly blend in cubed butter on high and season to taste.
7. This will create a nice smooth emulsifed puree.
8. Pass through a tamis if you have one to create an even smoother puree.
9. Hold warm for plating.
Main components
1. Place lobster claws and knuckles into warm brown butter or drawn butter and allow them to heat through while you are preparing the rest of the dish.
2. In a pan over medium heat add a couple drops of oil and place your mushrooms in. Once they start to get a little color on one side and start to release liquid flip them. Once the mushrooms are tender season with salt and toss a knob of butter into the pan, toss the mushrooms or baste them with the butter. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon hold warm while we finish the rest of the ingredients.
3. In a pan over medium heat add a little oil and add in the bacon. The goal is to create a sear on the bacon but not make it super crispy. Once the first side has began to brown drain out some of the fat and flip the bacon. When the second side is begining to develop nice color deglaze the pan with apple cider vinegar and continue to cook until the vinegar reduces down to a nice glaze. Toss the bacon to fully coat it and remove from the pan on a dry towel. Hold warm while we finish the rest of the ingredients.
4. Heat a small amount of oil over medium heat in a saute pan. Season the lobster tails with a little salt and add into the pan once the oil is hot meat side down. Cook for about 2-3 minutes until the meat has started to get a nice seared color. Add in a knob of butter and baste the shells until they become a nice red. At this point the lobster meat will be warm. Remove them from the pan.
5. Remove the meat from the shell and brush with brown butter and sprinkle with salt.
6. On a plate or in a shallow bowl make a nice base of the cauliflower puree. Cut the bacon in half and now layer lobster, mushrooms and bacon alternating on the puree.
7. Using a slotted spoon remove the claw and knuckle meat from the brown butter and place them around the layered ingredients on the plate.
8. Drizzle brown butter as a sauce and top with chervil.
9. Serve and wow your significant other with your culinary skills.
EQUIPMENT
· Large pot and bowl for lobster cookery
· Wide pot
· 2 saute pans
· Blender
· Tamis or mesh strainer
· Slotted spoon
· A date for Valentines day.
Oysters, lemon, mignonette, and horseradish
What better starter for a romantic Valentines Day than oysters and champagne?
YIELD 2 servings
PREP TIME 10 minutes
COOLING TIME 2 hours
CATEGORIES Appetizer, Cold
DIFFICULTY LEVEL You can do it with your eyes closed.
INGREDIENTS
Main Components
Oysters, chucked 12 ea
Mignonette Sauce 4 oz
Horseradish, grated ¼ cup
Lemon, cut into wedges 1 ea
Hot sauce 1 bottle
Mignonette Sauce
Shallots, minced 2 ea
White vinegar ¼ cup
Rice vinegar(optional) ¼ cup
Salt ¼ tsp
Sugar tiny pinch
Black peppercorns , crushed ½ Tbsp
METHOD
Mignonette Sauce
1. In a glass or plastic bowl combine all ingredients and refrigerate for 2 hours to allow the vinegars to break down the shallots and all of the flavors to combine properly.
2. Can be made well in advance. It will hold for a few weeks under refrigeration.
Serving
1. Shuck your oysters and present them over some crushed ice with small containers of mignonette, grated horseradish and lemon wedges on the side.
2. Serve with your favorite hot sauce as an topping option.
3. Scoop desired ingredients on each oyster and shoot them back!
EQUIPMENT
· Oyster knife for shucking
· Plastic or glass bowl
· Microplane or cheese grater
· Pepper mill
