Baked Maine Lobster On A Potato Gallette With Corn Tomato And Dolce Salad Food

LOBSTER & POTATO SALAD

Steps:

• Place the potatoes in a large pot and cover with water by 1 inch. Add 1 tablespoon salt and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 15 to 25 minutes, depending on the size of the potatoes, until just tender. (I use a small bamboo skewer to test them.) Drain in a colander, cover the colander with a clean kitchen towel, and allow the potatoes to steam for 5 to 10 minutes. Cut them in quarters or halves, depending on their size, and place them in a large bowl.
• Meanwhile, whisk together the vinegar, mustard, garlic, egg yolk, 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. While whisking, slowly pour in the olive oil, making an emulsion. Stir in the wine and capers. While the potatoes are still very warm, pour half the vinaigrette on the potatoes and toss them gently, allowing them to soak up the vinaigrette. Stir in the scallions, celery, red onion and lobster and add enough vinaigrette to moisten. Reserve any remaining vinaigrette. Add the zest and juice of the lemon, the tarragon, 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper and toss carefully. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour to allow the flavors to blend. Taste for seasonings and add more vinaigrette, if necessary. Serve at room temperature.

BAKED MAINE LOBSTER ON A POTATO GALLETTE WITH CORN, TOMATO AND DOLCE SALAD

Steps:

• For the oil: In blender, puree chives with canola oil and sea salt until infused and there is a consistent color.
• For the lobster: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large oven-safe saute pan, place oil and heat until smoking. Slice potatoes thinly (either with a mandoline or chef's knife) and layer in pan into a circle and season with pink peppercorn, salt and chives. Season outside of lobster with salt and pink pepper and chives and drizzle with chive oil place in pan on top of potatoes. Lay 2 strips of bacon on top of lobster. Place pan in oven for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, remove lobster from shell and place on crisp potato on plate and add another tablespoon of chive oil. Plate with Corn Tomato and Dolce Salad.
• In separate saute pan, heat canola oil, garlic and bacon. Saute until bacon browns. Add leeks and sweat for 1 minute, then add corn. Saute for another minute. Add tomatoes and dolce and end of cooking and toss.

SAUTEED MAINE LOBSTER WITH SWEET CORN AND ROSEMARY GINGER VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Kill lobster and remove claws and tail. Cook in boiling water for 2 minutes or until they just begin to turn red. Remove from water and cool under running water. Remove from the shell. In a heavy bottom saute pan heat olive oil and butter. Add the corn and cook for 1 minute. Add the lobster and cook until opaque, salt and pepper, to taste.
• Divide between 4 shallow bowls. Drizzle with vanilla oil. Drizzle the rosemary ginger vinaigrette and garnish with cracked pepper and ro
• Combine vanilla bean and seeds from vanilla bean in glass container with oil and let stand for at least 1 ho;
• Chop ginger, rosemary and garlic in food processor. Add vinegar, soy, honey and continue to blend. Drizzle in peanut and sesame oil while process

POACHED LOBSTER OVER CORN AND CHERRY TOMATO SALAD

Steps:

• For the lobster: Fill an 8-quart stockpot halfway with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the wine, lemon juice, coriander, thyme, garlic and enough salt to taste like the ocean. Boil for 10 minutes.
• Add the lobster, cover the pot and cook for 8 minutes. Remove and let cool. Crack the lobster and remove the meat from the claws, knuckles and tail; cut the tail meat in half vertically. Toss the lobster meat with a splash of red wine vinegar and olive oil. Set aside.
• For the salad: Drizzle some olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat, swirling to coat the pan; heat until shimmering. Add the garlic and a pinch of salt and red pepper flakes and cook until the garlic is golden brown; remove the garlic. Add the tomatoes, corn kernels and zucchini, toss to combine, and season with salt. Cook until the tomatoes start to burst, just a few minutes. Toss with three-quarters of the basil chiffonade.
• Place the arugula in a bowl, season with a pinch of salt, and lightly dress with a splash of red wine vinegar and olive oil. Transfer the arugula to a plate, top with the corn and cherry tomato mixture and then with the lobster meat. Garnish with the remaining basil chiffonade.

BOILED LOBSTERS WITH CORN AND POTATOES

Steps:

• Fill a lobster pot or other large pot two-thirds full with water. Add potatoes, onion, garlic, and salt. Cover, and bring to a boil.
• Uncover, reduce heat to medium, and cook until potatoes begin to soften, 8 to 10 minutes. Add lobsters headfirst. Cover, and cook until shells are bright red, 5 to 6 minutes. Add corn, and cook for 3 minutes more.
• Remove potatoes, lobsters, and corn from water; discard onion and garlic. Using kitchen shears, clip tips of lobster claws, and let drain. Serve potatoes, lobsters, and corn with butter.

CORN, TOMATO, AND LOBSTER SALAD

Steps:

• Fill a large bowl with ice and cold water, and set it aside.
• In a 4- to 6-quart Dutch oven, or other heavy-bottomed pot with a tight-fitting lid, combine the chopped tomatoes, wine, water, onions, peppercorns, and tarragon sprigs. Bring to a boil over high heat, uncovered; then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes.
• Raise the heat to high, add the lobster to the pot, and cover the pot immediately with a heavy, tightfitting lid. Steam the lobster for 13 minutes, until it is bright red and the long feelers are easily removed from their sockets. Immediately plunge the lobster into the bowl of ice water, and let it cool for 5 minutes.
• Remove the lobster from the ice water and set it on a rimmed baking sheet. Using kitchen shears, remove the lobster meat from the tail and claws. Use a knife to chop the lobster meat into bite- size pieces. You should have about 1 cup; set it aside.
• In a medium non-reactive mixing bowl, combine the shallot, vinegar, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Whisk in the 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and the cayenne. Add the corn kernels and mix together. Set aside for 10 minutes.
• Cut the tiniest heirloom tomatoes in half, and quarter the larger ones. Add the tomatoes to the corn mixture. Add the lobster, tarragon, and parsley, and mix gently to combine.
• In a medium bowl, gently mix the Bibb lettuce leaves with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil, and season them lightly with salt and black pepper. Stack 2 lettuce leaves on each of four plates. Divide the lobster salad evenly among the lettuce cups, and serve immediately.

MAINE LOBSTER BAKE

Steps:

• The Location
• Scout out the location well in advance. A rocky beach is superior for cooking, but a sandy beach is better for swimming. Decide which will be more pleasurable for your guests. If you decide on a sandy beach, you will need quite a few large, flat rocks, so choose a spot where you will not have to spend hours dragging them in. If your beach does not have a lot of driftwood, you will need to bring about twenty fireplace-size logs. You will also need newspaper and kindling. Organize your wood supply and set up the pit the day before the bake. Bring along a tarp so that you can cover the wood and keep it dry overnight. Make sure there is plenty of rockweed growing nearby; otherwise, arrange for about seventy-five pounds of it. Most lobster dealers have plenty on hand, but it is wise to order ahead of time. The small oval sacs on the rockweed release the seawater that is essential for creating steam inside the pit. Take note of the foods growing near your location. If there are lots of mussels and periwinkles, count them as part of your ingredients, but be sure to check with the Coast Guard for "red tide alert." You will have lots of time to pick them while you wait for your fire to be ready, provided you have a low tide at that time. If you intend to rake for clams, remember that you need a permit in most places.
• The Pit
• Build your pit well above the high-tide line. I have heard disaster stories of waves crashing over the pit and ruining the bake. To cook enough food for twelve to sixteen people, the pit should be about 5 x 3 1/2 feet wide and 3 feet deep.
• On a rocky beach:
• I learned how to build a pit on a rocky beach from my friend John Stevens - a lobsterman and great "bake master" from Boothbay Harbor, Maine - when, about eight years ago, we filmed a lobster bake for a PBS series called "Crazy for Food." You will not always be able to create a pit that is 3 feet deep on a rocky beach, but this is okay because the top of the pit does not have to be flush with the ground. Find an area where the stones are less that 1 foot in average size and remove them from the center as you build up the sides. You may even find an area where nature has started the pit. If you clear 2 feet down and build 1 foot up, you will still have a pit that is 3 feet deep. Be sure your tarp is big enough to fold over the sides of the pit and lay flush with the ground. One advantage of a pit built on a rocky beach is that it can reach a very high temperature and cook food more quickly than a pit built on a sandy beach. Another advantage is that you will not get sand in your food.
• On a sandy beach:
• You will dig the pit 5 1/2 x 4 feet wide and 3 1/2 feet deep. Line the bottom with large stones and the sides with smaller ones. After you add the rocks, the pit will be the same size as that built on a rocky beach. Taper the sides of the pit toward the bottom so that the walls do not collapse. The more stones you use to line the pit, the better it will retain the heat.
• Lighting the fire:
• Have the pit and firewood ready to go. About 3 1/2 hours before you start the lobster bake, stack the kindling in a tepeelike structure with crumpled newspaper underneath. Light the fire; once the kindling is burning well, begin to stoke the fire by adding more kindling, then small logs or driftwood. After they have caught fire, start adding the bigger logs or driftwood; once they catch, use your shovel to spread them around the pit. Continue stoking the fire with more logs until the entire pit is filled with blazing wood. After about 2 hours, when the fire has reached its hottest stage, quit stoking the fire (do not add any more wood) and allow the wood to burn away completely. This should take about 1 1/2 hours. Wet your broom in the ocean and brush away all the coals and ashes; they will settle between the hot rocks.
• Cooking the Food
• 1. Prepare the pit according to the directions above. While the fire is cooking down, start preparing the food. Scrub the potatoes and sweet potatoes in the nearby ocean. Peel the onions, wrap in 4 cheesecloth sacks (so you can have the aroma of onions scattered throughout the pit) and tie the sacks off with twine. Scrub the sea clams and return them to your cooler. Wrap the steamers, mussels and periwinkles in cheesecloth sacks, putting about 2 pounds in each bundle. Tie the bundles together and place temporarily in the ocean - just be sure they are well anchored. Otherwise, return the bundles to the cooler to keep chilled. Divide the sausage into portions. To prepare the corn, carefully pull back the husks without detaching them. Pick away the silk and fold the husks back over the corn. Wet the corn in the ocean a few minutes before you begin the bake.
• 2. Start the bake as soon as the coals have cooked down and been brushed away. At this point, a single person (the bake master) should take charge of the actual bake. That person should have an assistant. Caution should be exercised around the pit: Master and assistant should take their responsibilities seriously, and children should be kept at least 10 feet away. Gather all the food and bring it close to the pit. Make sure the rockweed is moist. If it is not, give it one last dip in the ocean and bring it close to the pit. Bring the tarp to the ocean and soak it thoroughly. Work carefully but as quickly as possible.
• 3. Start with an 8-inch layer of rockweed. Place the whole fish in the center and lay the potatoes, sweet potatoes, onions and sea clams around the fish. Cover the food completely with a 4-to 6-inch layer of rockweed and then distribute the bundles of steamers, mussels and periwinkles, with the sausages on top. Add the third layer of rockweed (4 to 6 inches) over the food. Place the lobsters in the center, back to back (actually tail to tail), forming 2 rows. Lobsters can only move backward on land, so by laying them this way, they will stay put. Place the corn around the lobsters and scatter the eggs about. Place one egg very close to the corner of the pit and remember exactly where it is. Scatter a last thin layer of rockweed over the corn and eggs but do not cover the lobsters. By now the steam will be rising from the pit fairly vigorously. Cover the pit with the damp tarp and place heavy rocks all around to form a tight seal. Place the butter in a pot and set it on a corner of the tarp to melt.
• 4. If your pit is on a rocky beach the food could be ready in as little as 50 minutes, but an hour is the norm. If your pit was made in the sand, the food could take up to 90 minutes. Make sure everyone knows the approximate time of unveiling. Have all plates and utensils ready. Bring the platters near the pit; you can even warm them on the tarp. The bake master and assistant should have their gloves on for the next step.
• 5. Remember the special egg? Lift up the corner of the tarp and pull out the egg. Crack it open. If it is cooked through (hard-boiled), the bake is ready to eat. Gather everyone about 10 feet from the pit. Remove the melted butter and all the rocks that are holding the tarp in place. The bake master should grab one corner and the assistant the other, on the side closest to the gathering of family and friends. Quickly pull back the tarp. There will be a giant burst of steam. When it subsides, the bright red lobsters will come into view. Both the bake master and the assistant will use tongs to remove the food and place it on platters. As the rockweed is removed, it should be spread around the outside of the pit to show that it is still hot. The hot pit cannot be left unattended - a child or dog could be injured. Get a few people to bring buckets of water up from the beach to pour over the rocks to cool them. The others should unwrap the cheesecloth bundles, cut the potatoes in half and set out the food. Put the butter in small bowls for dipping lobsters, steamers, mussels and anything else you want. Allow plenty of time to eat before you bring out the desserts.
• 6. After the festivities have ended, everyone should help clean up. Cover the pit back up with rocks or sand; be sure there are no hot rocks left on the beach. The rockweed can be left on the beach to decompose, but all other litter must be put in garbage bags and taken away. The beach must be left as it was found.

LOBSTER CHOPPED SALAD WITH FAVA BEANS, CHERRY TOMATOES, AVOCADO, CORN, AND APPLEWOOD-SMOKED BACON

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat.
• Insert the tip of a large chef knife just below the eyes of each lobster-this will kill them instantly. Add the lobsters to the pot of boiling water, making sure they are completely submerged. Cook the lobsters 10 minutes, and then remove them immediately to a bowl of ice water.
• When the lobsters have cooled, twist off the tails and claws from the bodies. Save the bodies for another use, or discard.
• Place the tails on their sides, and crush gently with the heel of your hand to break open the shells. Carefully pull out the tails. Cut the tails in half lengthwise, and remove the intestinal tract and any green tomalley. Cut each half crosswise into six or seven pieces.
• Use the back of a large not-precious knife to break open the shell on the claws. Remove the claw meat, and cut each claw into three or four pieces. Carefully crack the shells of the knuckles and remove the meat. You should have about 12 ounces of lobster meat total.
• Slice the bacon into 3/8-inch-thick slices. Arrange the bacon strips in two stacks, then cut the strips crosswise into 3/8-inch even-sided rectangles or lardons. Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat for 1 minute. Swirl in 1 tablespoon olive oil, add the bacon, and cook about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until the bacon is tender and lightly crisped. Using a slotted spoon, remove the bacon to a plate lined with paper towels. Reserve the fat in the pan.
• Return the pan to medium-high heat. Add the corn, thyme, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and a pinch of black pepper. Sauté over medium heat 3 to 4 minutes, until the corn is just cooked and tender. Remove to a platter or baking sheet to cool.
• While the corn is cooling, make the vinaigrette: Place the shallots, lemon juice, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a small bowl, and let sit 5 minutes. Whisk in the 1/3 cup olive oil and a pinch of cayenne. Taste for balance and seasoning.
• Cut the avocados in half lengthwise. Remove the pit and peel. Dice the avocados into 1/2-inch cubes and season with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Slice the cherry tomatoes in half, and season with 1/4 teaspoon salt.
• Place the lobster, corn, avocados, tomatoes, and bacon in a large salad bowl. Toss with 5 tablespoons vinaigrette and taste for seasoning, adding a little more vinaigrette if you like. Place the lettuce leaves on a large chilled platter and spoon a little vinaigrette over them. Toss the parsley into the lobster salad, and arrange it over the lettuce. Scatter the basil over the top.
• You can boil and prepare the lobsters, make the vinaigrette, and sauté the bacon and corn ahead of time. Prepare the avocado and tomatoes just before serving.

LOBSTER, CORN, AND POTATO SALAD WITH TARRAGON

Steps:

• Prepare lobster, potatoes, and corn:
• Plunge 2 live lobsters headfirst into an 8-quart pot of boiling salted water. Cover and cook lobsters over moderately high heat 9 minutes from time they enter water, then transfer with tongs to sink to cool. Return water to a boil and cook remaining 2 lobsters in same manner. Leave water boiling in pot.
• Simmer potatoes in lobster cooking water until just tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a colander, reserving boiling water in pot.
• Boil corn in same water until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes, then drain.
• When lobsters are cool, remove meat from claws, joints, and tails, reserving shells for another use.
• Cut meat into 1-inch pieces. Cut potatoes into 3/4-inch pieces, and cut corn from cobs.
• Make vinaigrette:
• Whisk together lemon juice, tarragon, mustard, and salt until combined, then add oil in a thin stream, whisking.
• Assemble salad:
• Just before serving, toss together lobster meat, potatoes, corn, vinaigrette, tomatoes, frisée, and scallion in a large bowl and season with salt and pepper.