Lobster Corn Chowder Christmas Special Food

LOBSTER & CORN CHOWDER

Steps:

• Bring stock (or broth) and water to a boil in a large stockpot.
• Very carefully remove the rubber bands from lobsters (pay attention; they will start trying to pinch). Place the lobsters claws-side down in the pot, cover and cook for 5 minutes. Uncover, carefully flip the lobsters over, cover and cook for 5 minutes more. Remove the lobsters to a large bowl and let cool. (Reserve the stock.)
• Working over a large bowl to catch the lobster juice, cut open the tails with kitchen shears. Insert a fork into a tail on an angle and pull out the meat. Crack open the claws with a lobster cracker or nutcracker and remove the meat from the claws and knuckles. (The meat will not be fully cooked.) Cut the meat into 1-inch pieces; set aside in the bowl. Remove the thin legs from the body, break in half and add to the stock.
• Meanwhile, heat butter and oil in a large pot over medium-low heat. Add leeks and cook, stirring occasionally, until very soft but not browned, about 10 minutes. Add potatoes and cook for 5 minutes. Increase heat to high and add the reserved stock (with the legs) and any reserved lobster juice; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer, cover and cook until the potatoes are almost tender, 10 to 12 minutes more.
• If using fresh corn, cut the ends so you can stand the cob flat on a work surface. Using a large, sharp knife and standing each cob on its end in a large shallow dish, cut the kernels from the cob. Then, using the blunt side of the knife, scrape down the cob to release the corn "milk." Repeat with the remaining ears of corn.
• Stir the corn kernels and corn milk (or frozen corn), reserved lobster meat and its juice, cream (or half-and-half), 1/4 cup chives, pepper and salt into the pot. Cook over medium-low heat until steaming hot and gently simmering, 5 to 6 minutes. Serve topped with the remaining 1/4 cup chives.

CORN AND LOBSTER CHOWDER

Steps:

• If using thawed frozen lobster tails, cook in pot of boiling water until almost cooked through, about 6 minutes. Drain. Cool. Using kitchen shears, cut lobster shells open. Remove lobster meat; cut into bite-size pieces. Discard shells.
• Purée 4 cups corn with 1 1/4 cups broth in processor until almost smooth.
• Sauté bacon in large pot over medium heat until crisp, about 5 minutes. Transfer bacon to paper towels. Pour off and discard all but 3 tablespoons drippings from pot. Add onions to pot; sauté until light golden, about 5 minutes. Add remaining 4 cups corn; sauté 3 minutes. Add carrots, celery, and cayenne; sauté until vegetables soften slightly, about 5 minutes. Add clam juice and 1 3/4 cups broth; simmer 10 minutes. Stir in corn puré and whipping cream; simmer 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. (Lobster, bacon, and soup can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and chill lobster and bacon separately. Cool soup slightly; chill uncovered until cold, then cover and keep chilled. Bring bacon to room temperature and bring soup to simmer before continuing.) Remove soup from heat; stir in sour cream.
• Melt butter in medium nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add lobster meat and sauté just until heated through, about 2 minutes. Ladle soup into bowls. Garnish each serving with lobster pieces, bacon, and chives and serve.

LOBSTER AND CORN CHOWDER

Steps:

• Prepare an ice-water bath. Bring 8 cups water to a boil in a large pot. Reduce heat to medium-low. Plunge lobster into water headfirst, and simmer, covered, for 9 minutes. (Do not let water boil.) Transfer lobster to ice-water bath using tongs; reserve cooking liquid. Let stand for 10 minutes to cool.
• Crack lobster claws, knuckles, and tail, and remove meat; reserve shells and body. Coarsely chop meat. (You should have about 1 cup.) Refrigerate until ready to use.
• Return shells and body to pot with cooking liquid. (For added flavor, chop body with a cleaver before returning to pot.) Add reserved cobs. Simmer, covered, over medium heat for 35 minutes. Strain stock through a fine sieve into a bowl; discard solids.
• Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook corn kernels, onion, garlic, and 3/4 teaspoon salt, covered, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 20 minutes. Add 5 cups lobster stock, and cook for 15 minutes. Let cool slightly.
• Strain soup through sieve. Set aside 1 1/2 cups corn mixture. Working in batches, puree remaining corn mixture and strained liquid in a blender until smooth. (For safety, remove cap from hole in lid, and cover with a dish towel to prevent spattering.) Strain soup through sieve, and return to pot with reserved corn and lobster meat. Cook over medium heat until warmed through. Stir in chives, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and some pepper. Serve with lemon wedges.

LOBSTER AND CORN CHOWDER

Steps:

• In a very large pot, render the bacon over medium heat. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onions, celery, red peppers, and saute until soft, about 4 minutes. Add the corn kernels, garlic, shallots, salt, pepper, Essence, and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until the flour turns the color of peanut butter, about 4 minutes. Add the sherry and cook for 2 minutes. Add the lobster stock and cayenne, and stir well to incorporate. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes. Add the potatoes, stir well, and simmer until tender, about 10 minutes. Add the cream, lobster and assorted herbs, and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and ladle into bowls. Garnish with reserved bacon and serve.
• In a large stockpot, heat the oil. Add the shells and stir. Cook for about 5 minutes. Add the celery, tomatoes, onion, carrot and thyme. Cut the fennel bulb in half and add to the pot. Cut the garlic head in half horizontally and add to the pot. Add enough water to cover the ingredients by about 2 inches. Season with salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the liquid has reduced by half, about 4 hours.

CHRISTMAS CHOWDER

Steps:

• Pour 1 inch of water into a pot large enough to contain all the lobsters. Bring the water to a full boil. Remove the bands from the lobsters' claws and place them on their backs over the boiling water. Cover the pot tightly, and steam over high heat about 3 minutes. Quickly remove the lobsters from the pot and chill them rapidly by plunging them into a basin filled with ice and water. Set a wire strainer over a mixing bowl. Twist the tails off the lobsters over the strainer to catch their juices. Shell the lobster tails and claws over the strainer. Cut the tails into 4 quarters, leave the claw and knuckle meats whole, and reserve the lobster meat in a refrigerator.
• Peel the potatoes, split each into 4 wedges, and slice the wedges into 1/2-inch slices. In a large non-reacting soup pot, cook the diced bacon over moderate heat until golden and nearly crisp. Pour off all but about a generous tablespoon of the fat. Add the diced leeks, stir, and cook about 2 minutes. Add the potatoes, stir, cover the pot, and continue cooking over moderate heat, stirring frequently to prevent browning, until potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes depending upon the potato variety and the thickness of the slices. (Chef's Note: I like to mash some of the potatoes with a fork to give the chowder a luxurious but rustic texture, but good mealy potatoes, such as russets, will release some of their substance into the broth, and this step may be unnecessary.) Add the strained lobster juices and enough water, lobster or fish stock, to just cover the vegetables. Simmer 4 or 5 minutes. Keep the chowder base hot as you prepare the lobster meat and cream enrichment.
• Heat the butter in a wide skillet. Add the lobster meat, season with black pepper, and saute over moderate heat 3 or 4 minutes until the meat is firm, opaque, and pink. Pour in the heavy cream, and rapidly bring it to a simmer. Pour the lobster and cream mixture into the chowder base, and stir gently to combine. Taste for seasonings, and adjust with sea salt (preferably from Maine), plenty of fresh-milled black pepper, and a pinch of chipotle or cayenne pepper. Off heat, cover the pot and allow the chowder to ripen for 15 or 20 minutes before serving. Ladle into warmed soup plates, and sprinkle snipped chives over each serving. Accompany with plenty of warmed common crackers.

CORN AND LOBSTER CHOWDER

Steps:

• If using thawed frozen lobster tails, cook in pot of boiling water until almost cooked through, about 6 minutes. Drain. Cool. Using kitchen shears, cut lobster shells open. Remove lobster meat; cut into bite-size pieces. Discard shells.
• Purée 4 cups corn with 1 1/4 cups broth in processor until almost smooth.
• Sauté bacon in large pot over medium heat until crisp, about 5 minutes. Transfer bacon to paper towels. Pour off and discard all but 3 tablespoons drippings from pot.
• Add onions to pot; sauté until light golden, about 5 minutes. Add remaining 4 cups corn; sauté 3 minutes. Add carrots, celery, and cayenne; sauté until vegetables soften slightly, about 5 minutes.
• Add clam juice and 1 3/4 cups broth; simmer 10 minutes. Stir in corn puré and whipping cream; simmer 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
• (Lobster, bacon, and soup can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and chill lobster and bacon separately.
• Cool soup slightly; chill uncovered until cold, then cover and keep chilled.
• Bring bacon to room temperature and bring soup to simmer before continuing.) Remove soup from heat; stir in sour cream.
• Melt butter in medium nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add lobster meat and sauté just until heated through, about 2 minutes.
• Ladle soup into bowls. Garnish each serving with lobster pieces, bacon, and chives and serve.