Lobster Corn Chowder With Applewood Smoked Bacon And Garden Tarragon Food

LOBSTER CORN CHOWDER

Steps:

• Remove the meat from the shells of the lobsters. Cut the meat into large cubes and place them in a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Reserve the shells and all the juices that collect. Cut the corn kernels from the cobs and set aside, reserving the cobs separately.
• For the stock, melt the butter in a stockpot or Dutch oven large enough to hold all the lobster shells and corncobs. Add the onion and cook over medium-low heat for 7 minutes, until translucent but not browned, stirring occasionally. Add the sherry and paprika and cook for 1 minute. Add the milk, cream, wine, lobster shells and their juices, and corn cobs and bring to a simmer. Partially cover the pot and simmer the stock over the lowest heat for 30 minutes. (I move the pot halfway off the heat.)
• Meanwhile, in another stockpot or Dutch oven, heat the oil and cook the bacon for 4 to 5 minutes over medium-low heat, until browned and crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and reserve. Add the potatoes, onions, celery, corn kernels, salt, and pepper to the same pot and saute for 5 minutes. When the stock is ready, remove the largest pieces of lobster shell and the corn cobs with tongs and discard. Place a strainer over the soup pot and carefully pour the stock into the pot with the potatoes and corn. Simmer over low heat for 15 minutes, until the potatoes are tender. Add the cooked lobster, the chives and the sherry and season to taste. Heat gently and serve hot with a garnish of crisp bacon.

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:

• 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.

ROASTED CORN CHOWDER WITH LOBSTER

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• For the lobster: Bring a pot of water to a boil. Remove the lobster tails from the shells and put into the boiling water. Poach for 2 minutes. Remove the lobster and set aside to cool.
• Once cooled, chop the lobster and mix with the lime juice, cayenne, seafood seasoning, and mascarpone. Taste and add salt, if needed.
• For the chowder: On a sheet pan, toss the corn kernels with a few tablespoons oil, season with salt, and roast until the corn is lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes.
• In a deep pan, heat 1 tablespoon oil over low heat and add the bacon. Cook until the bacon is crisp. Remove the bacon to a paper towel and pour most of the bacon fat out of the pan.
• Return the bacon to the pan, add the onion and celery, and cook over medium heat until the onion is softened, about 5 minutes. Add the red and green pepper, garlic, and roasted corn, and cook 5 more minutes.
• Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the chicken stock and stir to scrape up any brown bits from bottom of the pan. Stir in the diced potatoes and raise the heat a little to bring the mixture to a simmer.
• Simmer the chowder until the potatoes are cooked, about 20 minutes. Stir occasionally to avoid burning the bottom of the chowder.
• Taste the potatoes. When the potatoes are fork tender, turn the heat down to low and slowly stir in the cream. Keep warm on low heat.
• To plate: Ladle the chowder into bowls and top each with a mound of lobster. Garnish with sliced scallions.

LOBSTER BLTS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place a baking rack on a sheet pan and lay the bacon on the rack in a single layer. Roast the bacon for 15 to 20 minutes, until browned. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels and set aside.
• Meanwhile, for the dressing, whisk together the mayonnaise, ketchup, relish, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper in a medium bowl and set aside. Slice the avocados crosswise 1/4 inch thick, place the slices in a bowl with the lemon juice, toss gently, and set aside.
• To assemble, place 4 slices of toast on a board and slather them generously with the dressing. On each sandwich, place first a lettuce leaf, then a layer of avocado, then a slice of tomato. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Cut a slice of bacon in half and place both halves on the tomato. Top with a quarter of the lobster. Generously spread more sauce on the remaining 4 slices of toast and place them, sauce side down, on the sandwiches. Serve immediately.

LOBSTER CORN CHOWDER WITH APPLEWOOD SMOKED BACON AND GARDEN TARRAGON

Steps:

• Trim corn kernels from cob, reserve kernels for garnish and soup. Cover cobs with cream and allow to steep for 1 hour. Render diced bacon. Once golden, remove meat and leave the fat in the pot. Add the chopped onion, celery and leeks to the bacon fat and sweat for 12 to 15 minutes. Add the saffron, potatoes and corn kernels and sweat for 8 to 10 minutes more. Cover with chicken stock and simmer 25 to 30 minutes. Strain cobs from cream. Add the flavored cream to the soup and simmer for 5 minutes. Place soup in a blender and blend until smooth. Season with salt, pepper and champagne vinegar to taste. Strain through a fine strainer. Heat garnish in a sauté pan gently with some butter, season with salt and pepper and finish with chopped tarragon. Garnish warm soup bowl and pour soup over vegetables.