Lobster Fra Diavlo Food

LOBSTER FRA DIAVOLO

Steps:

• Par cook the lobster tails: Heat a large pot of boiling water over high heat. Quickly blanche the lobster tails just long enough so the shell turns red and the meat isn't fully cooked but can be removed from the shell, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the lobster tails to an ice bath to stop the meat from cooking. Turn each lobster tail onto its back on a cutting board and cut from the center belly down. Turn the tail around and cut again from the center belly down, splitting the tail in half. Use your hands to crack it open and remove the meat, reserving the shells. Chop the lobster meat into 1/2-inch pieces and set aside.
• Heat 1 cup oil in a medium saucepan to 325 degrees F. Gently drop in the quartered artichokes to prevent the oil from splashing. Crisp the baby artichokes until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Set aside on a paper towel-lined plate, season with salt and reserve for later.
• Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over high heat. Season the cod with salt and pepper on both sides, then sear the cod, presentation side down. Add a sprig of thyme and 2 tablespoons butter and allow to brown. Baste the fish with the melted butter until cooked through, about 2 minutes. Transfer the fish to a plate, making sure to leave a little butter in the skillet.
• Add the cockles and 3 tablespoons butter to the skillet and cook, uncovered, until the cockles open, about 5 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove the opened cockles to a plate. Discard any cockles that do not open.
• Add the chopped lobster to the butter and clam juice mixture in the skillet and cook until warmed through, about 1 minute. Remove the skillet from the heat.
• Meanwhile, heat the lobster broth in a medium pot over medium heat. Add the juices from the cooked cod, cockles and lobster to the broth, along with the remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Reduce the heat to low and whisk to combine until heated through.
• To assemble, add 4 tablespoons sunchoke puree to the center of a 12-inch rimmed bowl. Place a piece of cod in the center of the sunchoke puree. Arrange 7 to 8 cockles and some of the lobster around the cod. Add the crispy artichokes and garnish with picked fennel fronds and parsley. Serve with 4 ounces broth, tableside.
• Bring the cream, sunchokes and salt to a simmer in a medium saucepan over low to medium heat and cook until the sunchokes are fork tender, about 15 minutes. Place the sunchokes in a food processor or blender and puree, adding reserved cream if needed, until smooth and creamy (like baby food). Makes about 2 cups.
• Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the celery, carrots, onions and fennel. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Sweat and caramelize the veggies, about 10 minutes. Add the lobster shells to the pot, then stir and crush the bodies into the vegetables.
• Add the garlic, tarragon, bay leaf, basil, thyme, rosemary and chile flakes and bloom the aromatics for 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the butter to melt. Stir in the tomato paste and bloom for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the bourbon and white wine, stir and reduce until the alcohol is cooked off, 5 to 10 minutes. Add the lobster base and simmer for 3 to 5 minutes. Add the water and bring back to a simmer, stirring occasionally and crushing the shells to extract as much flavor as possible, 30 minutes. Strain through a sieve, pressing on the solids to get all the liquid and flavor. Strain the liquid through a fine-mesh sieve. Rapid chill in an ice bath. Makes about 5 cups.

MAINE LOBSTER FRA DIABLO

Steps:

• Cut the lobster in half lengthwise. Remove the small, opaque clumps of tissue located next to the eye. Do not remove anything else from the lobster; the juices and the roe are what give the sauce its flavor. In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil and garlic and cook for a few minutes. Do not let the garlic burn or it will leave a bitter taste. Add the lobster flesh side down and cook until the roe is firm, about 1 minute. Add the white wine, tomato sauce, and crushed red pepper flakes. Cook a few minutes more until all the ingredients blend together. Add the chopped parsley and salt, to taste. Do not overcook the lobster; it will become tough. Add the sauce and lobster to the cooked linguini and serve immediately.

LOBSTER FRA DIAVLO

Steps:

• Split each lobster with a long, sharp knife. Cut each lobster into 8 pieces: two chest halves (with legs attached), two lobster tail halves, two large claws and two knuckles that connect the claws and body. Save any juice that exude from the lobster. Refrigerate tails, claws and knuckles.
• Turn on oven broiler. Brush a large roasting pan with a little oil, and place the four lobster chest halves on it. When oven is hot, place the pan directly under the broiler unit. Cook the lobster chests, turning frequently, for about 10 minutes, or until they are slightly charred.
• While chests are cooking, place a tablespoon of olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Peel and mince 6 garlic cloves, and add to the oil. Saute, stirring, until the garlic turns golden brown, about 5 minutes.
• Remove chests from the oven and place in the Dutch oven with the garlic and oil. Add the white wine to the roasting pan, and deglaze pan for 30 seconds over a medium-high heat. Pour the wine into the Dutch oven. Remove the tomatoes from the cans, and, one by one, squeeze then over the contents of the Dutch oven, finally dropping the crushed tomatoes in. Reserve tomato juice in cans for possible use later. Add any reserved juices from the lobsters. Add the dried chillies, oregano, and basil. Boil ten minutes. Cover the Dutch oven, remove from heat, and let it rest for at least one hour.
• When almost ready to serve, pick the shells out of the tomato sauce and discard them. Remember to push all bits of tomato and lobster into the tomato sauce before discarding the shells. Add crushed red pepper flakes to taste.
• In a large heavy skillet, place the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil over a high heat. Gently peel the remaining 4 cloves of garlic and cut into broad, thin slices. Add the garlic to the oil, and cook until the garlic just starts to burn (about 5 minutes). Add the 4 lobster claws, 4 knuckles, and 4 tail halves (shell side down), and cook covered for 4 minutes. Turn the lobster pieces over and cook until done, covered, another 3 to 4 minutes. Lower heat to medium, add tomato sauce and stir well. Taste for seasoning and red pepper. If the sauce seems too thick, thin with a little reserved tomato juice. Cook for one minute. Serve immediately.

LOBSTER FRA DIAVOLO

Steps:

• Heat 3 tablespoons of the oil in a heavy 3-quart saucepan. Add the onion and garlic, and saute over medium heat until they begin to brown. Stir in the pepper flakes and oregano. Stir in stock, tomato paste and bay leaf. Pour the canned tomatoes into a strainer held over the saucepan so that you add the juice but not the pulp. Chop the pulp; then, add it to the saucepan. Bring to a simmer, and cook over medium heat, stirring from time to time, for 30 minutes. Season to taste with black pepper. Set aside.
• Heat the remaining oil in a large saute pan. Add lobster pieces, and sear them over high heat, turning often, until the shells are bright red.
• While the lobster is searing, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the linguine.
• Spoon the sauce over the lobster, bring to a simmer and cook, partly covered, about 10 minutes.
• While the lobster is cooking in the sauce, add the linguine to the boiling water, and cook about 7 minutes, until al dente. Drain well.
• To serve, transfer the lobster pieces coated with sauce to one side of a large platter, leaving some of the sauce in the pan. Sprinkle with half the parsley.
• Add the drained linguine to the sauce in the pan, and reheat briefly, stirring to coat the linguine. Transfer to the platter alongside the lobster, sprinkle with the remaining parsley and serve.

LOBSTER FRA DIAVLO WITH BUCCATINI

Steps:

• Add bucatini to a large pot of boiling, salted water.
• Insert the tip of a heavy, sharp knife into the head of the lobster and cut through the head. Cut the lobster body in half lengthwise by taking firm hold of the tail and inserting a heavy, sharp knife where the tail meets the body section. Bring the knife down to the cutting board in a swift motion, cutting the body section clearly in half. Turn the knife in the other direction and cut the tail in half in the same way, splitting it right down the back. Split the claw at the joints. Split everything down the middle. Quarter each lobster half. There should be 8 small pieces of lobster.
• Heat extra-virgin olive oil in a 12-inch skillet over high heat. Add garlic and shallots and cook until they start to take color, about 10 seconds. Add lobster pieces and cook for about minute per side, until lobster is golden on both sides. Add the tomatoes and saute for about 1 minute until the tomatoes plump up and some split open. Then, add the white wine and let it simmer rapidly for about 2 minutes, until it begins to reduce a bit. Use your hands and crush the 2 tomatoes directly into the pan. Add salt and pepper, to taste, the oregano, the thyme, and the red pepper flakes. Let the mixture simmer for another 1 to 2 minutes. Drain the pasta, without shaking out the excess water. Add pasta into the pan with the lobster, tossing it for about 1 minute until it is coated with the sauce. Add parsley and basil, toss 1 more time, and serve.

LOBSTER FRA DIAVOLO

Steps:

• 1. Pour the tomatoes, with all their juices, into a food processor and pulse until well blended. Set aside.
• 2. Heat the olive oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add the lobster pieces, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently (and adding more oil if needed), until the lobster turns bright red, 10 to 12 minutes.
• 3. Add the shallots and garlic to the lobster, and toss with tongs. Add the wine and cognac, and cook over medium heat, turning the lobster carefully with tongs, until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes. Then add the bell pepper, jalape&ntilede;o, processed tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar, 6 tablespoons of the parsley, and the basil and oregano. Simmer (do not boil), stirring occasionally, over medium to medium-low heat until the flavors blend together, 20 minutes.
• 4. While the mixture is cooking, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the spaghettini and cook until al dente, according to the package directions. Drain, and set aside.
• 5. To serve, make delicate swirls of spaghettini in the center of four shallow pasta bowls. Arrange the lobster tails and claws, with the sauce, on top of the pasta. Sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons parsley. Serve the lobster bodies and legs in a separate bowl and let the guests help themselves. Serve immediately, with plenty of napkins.

LOBSTER FRA DIAVOLO

Steps:

• This first part might not be pleasant, but it'll be over quickly: Working with 1 lobster at a time, place on a cutting board, belly side down, with head facing you (freezing them 8-10 minutes first will render them fairly immobile). Insert a chef's knife where the tail meets the head, and swiftly bisect head lengthwise in one fell swoop (leave tail intact). Using the back of a cleaver or a lobster cracker, crack each claw on all sides. Twist off tails and cut in half through shells lengthwise. Remove any tomalley or eggs (reserve if you like). Twist off knuckles and claws, then separate knuckles from claws using cleaver.
• Heat 1/3 cup oil in a wide Dutch oven or heavy pot that's large enough to hold pasta over medium-high. Season lobsters with salt and, working in separate batches and being careful not to overcrowd pot, sear lobster pieces, turning occasionally and adding more oil if pot looks dry, until shells are bright red, about 4 minutes for knuckles, claws, and tails; about 6 minutes for heads. Transfer lobsters to a rimmed baking sheet; let cool slightly. Remove pot from heat and add brandy. Return to heat and cook, scraping up browned bits, until smell of alcohol is almost gone, about 2 minutes. Transfer brandy mixture to a small bowl. Pick lobster meat from knuckles and claws; discard shells. Place in an airtight container with tails; cover and chill until ready to use. Set heads aside. Wipe out pot and reserve.
• Working in batches, pulse onions, carrots, and fennel separately in a food processor until finely chopped; transfer vegetables to a large bowl after each is chopped. Heat remaining 1/3 cup oil in reserved pot over medium-high. Cook vegetables, stirring occasionally, until slightly softened, 8-10 minutes. Add garlic, chiles, and 1 tsp. red pepper flakes and cook, smashing garlic with a wooden spoon and stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Stir in tomato paste, season with salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly darkened, about 3 minutes. Add wine and reserved lobster heads; bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced by one-third, about 2 minutes. Add tomato purée to pot and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce is slightly thickened, 10-15 minutes. Discard lobster heads.
• Meanwhile, cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until very al dente. Drain, reserving 3 cups pasta cooking liquid.
• Add butter, chilled lobster meat, lobster tails, pasta, reserved brandy mixture, and 2 cups pasta cooking liquid to sauce. Cook, tossing to combine and adding more pasta cooking liquid as needed, until sauce coats pasta. Because you're working with a large amount of pasta and sauce, this will take effort-toss using a long sturdy spoon in each hand, and make sure to get to the bottom of pot as you go. Add parsley and lemon juice, then transfer pasta to a platter, arranging lobster tails on top. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes and serve with lemon wedges for squeezing over.
• Do Ahead
• Lobsters can be prepared 6 hours ahead. Cover and chill.

LOBSTER FRA DIAVOLO

Steps:

• Split the live lobsters and cook them in hot olive oil until the color has turned. Continue cooking gently for about 10 minutes.
• Add the parsley, thyme or oregano, onion, garlic, cloves, mace, salt, pepper, and tomatoes. Cover and cook for about 15 minutes, stirring often.
• Arrange a ring of rice on a serving dish. Put the lobster halves in the center and pour the sauce over them. Add the brandy and blaze just before serving.