Lobster is among the most popular seafood in seaside restaurants. In fact, there are seaside restaurants that mainly survive–and thrive–by serving this delicious seafood meat to diners. Also, lobster is considered some sort of specialty meat and is actually quite pricey. So it’s totally perfect for special occasions. Now, this Trilogy of Lobster: A Tasting of Maine Lobster—Lobster Cappuccino, Tempura Lobster, Lobster Cassoulet is the perfect set of dishes for a celebratory dinner with friends. It screams “We can afford expensive stuff now because I got a new job(or a promotion)!” Don’t you think so? Now, the Lobster Cappuccino might be a tad strange. But you know what they say, you should try things(however strange) at least once.
Serves: 4
Three 1½ –2-lb lobsters
LOBSTER CAPPUCCINO
1½ Tbsp olive oil
1 onion, medium, cut in half, sliced into 1/4 -in. slices
1 carrot, small, peeled, chopped into 1/2 -in. pieces
1½ tomato paste
3 Tbsp cognac
3/4 cup white wine
2 cups heavy cream
2 cups Lobster Essence
1 garlic clove
3 sprigs thyme
4 sprigs tarragon
4 Tbsp tomato sauce
To taste, salt
To taste, cayenne
2 Tbsp fava beans, fresh or frozen, blanched and outer skin removed
2 oz picked lobster meat
As needed, warm frothed milk
As needed, dry, pulverized lobster coral
LOBSTER CASSOULET*
2 cups dried great northern beans or other white beans
4 Tbsp butter
6 cloves, whole
1 onion, cut in half
2 cups Lobster Essence
2 cups Giancarlo’s Brodo
6 oz slab apple smoked bacon (unsliced)
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 bouquet garni**
2 shallots, diced small
1/4 cup clarified butter
1/4 cup carrots, blanched and diced
1/4 cup fennel, diced and cooked
1/2 cup Roma tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and diced
1/2 cup porcini mushrooms, diced
1 vanilla bean, split
4 Tbsp whole butter
1 lb picked fresh lobster meat, diced medium
8 white fresh or black truffles, sliced thin
1½ cups panko bread crumbs
TEMPURA LOBSTER
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 egg yolk
1 cup water
3 cups vegetable oil
*Begin preparing the cassoulet one day in advance.
**In a double-thickness cheesecloth square, tie together 2 bay leaves, 2 parsley sprigs, 2 thyme sprigs, 1/2 tsp coriander seeds, and 1 tsp peppercorns.
1. Blanch and remove the meat from the lobsters, reserving the shells. Reserve 4 claws for the tempura and the rest of meat for the preparations that follow.
LOBSTER CAPPUCCINO
1. Chop the reserved lobster bodies into medium pieces.
2. In a heavy-bottomed, stainless-steel soup pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the lobster shells and let cook, moving infrequently, until a crust forms on the bottom, 10–12 minutes.
3. Add the onion and carrot and cook until caramelized, about 10 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook for 4–5 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the cognac and deglaze, scraping the bottom to release the crust.
4. Bring the mixture to a simmer. Add the cream, broth, garlic, thyme, and tarragon. Bring to a boil, then simmer about 30 minutes.
5. Season with the tomato sauce, salt, and cayenne. Strain twice through a fine sieve.
6. At the last moment before serving, warm the fava beans and the lobster meat in the soup and spoon into cappuccino cups, topped with a little warm frothed milk and sprinkled with dry pulverized lobster coral (the red roe sometimes found in female lobsters).
LOBSTER CASSOULET
1. Cover the dried beans with 3 times their volume of water and let stand overnight.
2. Drain the beans well.
3. In a sauté pan, heat the butter and brown the bottom half of the onion very well. Stick the cloves in the onion halves.
4. In a large saucepan, place onions, beans, stock, brodo, bacon, garlic, and bouquet garni. Bring to boil, skim off any foam, cover, and simmer for 1 to 1½ hours or until beans are tender.
5. Drain, reserving cooking liquid. Remove bacon and cut into 8 pieces; set aside. Discard bouquet garni and onion.
6. Add diced shallots and butter to skillet; cook for 2 minutes or until tender. Add carrots, fennel, tomatoes, porcinis, and the reserved bacon. Cook 2–3 minutes more, then add the vanilla bean.
7. Combine this mixture with the beans and place in a 4-qt stainless casserole or Dutch oven. Cover with the reserved broth and butter and bake in a 360°F oven for 1 hour.
8. Remove from the oven. Discard the vanilla bean.
9. Divide about one-quarter of the beans among 4–6 small cast-iron pots or casseroles. Add equal amounts of lobster meat, then the truffle, and then fill with the remaining beans.
10. In a sauté pan, melt the butter and lightly sauté the panko crumbs. Top each pot with bread crumbs and pack firmly. Finish baking in a 360°F oven for 10–12 minutes and serve.
TEMPURA LOBSTER
1. Whisk flour and egg yolk together. Mix in water thoroughly.
2. In a wok or large deep pan, heat oil to 350 degrees.
3. Dip lobster tails you’ve set aside in batter, being sure to cover both sides.
4. Fry lobster tails in oil for four minutes, turning over halfway through cooking. Take from pan and serve.
As I’ve said, lobster is quite pricey, so you should be careful when cooking it. But if you can spare the dough, you can actually choose to practice with these recipes. Just be careful though. Lobster is among the most common food allergens out there. If you don’t have any food allergies, eating lobster meat 24/7 might make you develop one. Although, munching on the Lobster Cassoulet and Tempura Lobster might be so tempting that it could become addictive. Well, a Trilogy of Lobster: A Tasting of Maine Lobster—Lobster Cappuccino, Tempura Lobster, Lobster Cassoulet certainly sounds worth the pretty penny and the work. Just follow the recipe instructions and you’d probably do fine. I think. Bon appétit!