Lobster Mussel Bruschetta Food

APPETIZER MUSSELS

Steps:

• In a stock pot, combine the wine, juice cocktail, garlic and pepper flakes. Bring to a boil and add mussels.
• Cover and continue to boil for about 4 to 6 minutes or until all the mussels have opened. Discard any mussels that haven't opened.
• Remove mussels from liquid and keep warm. Pour off liquid to leave about 1 cup. Try not to discard the garlic. Boil the 1 cup of liquid until it's reduced to about 3/4 of a cup.
• Add butter and stir until butter has melted and sauce has thickened slightly. Serve mussels with sauce.

LOBSTER, SCALLOPS, AND MUSSELS WITH TOMATO GARLIC VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Bring an 8- to 10-quart pot of water to a boil, then plunge 2 lobsters headfirst into water and boil, covered, 6 minutes from time they enter water. Transfer with tongs to a shallow baking pan to cool, then boil remaining 2 lobsters.
• When lobsters are cool enough to handle, twist off tails, claws, and knuckles and remove meat, discarding bodies and shells. Cut tail meat crosswise into 1-inch-thick slices. Put lobster meat in a large bowl.
• Bring wine, water, and 1/2 teaspoon salt to a simmer in a wide heavy medium pot. Add scallops and poach at a bare simmer, uncovered, until scallops are just cooked through (opaque), 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to bowl with lobster.
• Return liquid to a simmer over medium-high heat. Add mussels and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until mussels just open wide, checking frequently after 4 minutes and transferring to bowl with seafood. (Discard any mussels that remain unopened after 6 minutes.)
• Strain cooking liquid through a sieve lined with a dampened paper towel. Rinse pot, then return liquid to pot and boil until reduced to 1 cup, about 8 minutes.
• Heat oil, garlic, vinegar, 1/2 cup reduced seafood liquid, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a 1 1/2- to 2-quart nonreactive saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until warm, about 2 minutes. Add tomatoes and cook until they just begin to wilt but still hold their shape, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Pour hot vinaigrette over seafood and stir gently to coat. Marinate, covered and chilled, at least 2 hours. Bring to room temperature, about 30 minutes, before serving.

SEAFOOD BOIL WITH LOBSTERS AND MUSSELS

Steps:

• Make the herb butter: Pulse the butter and herbs in a food processor until well combined. Form into a log on a sheet of parchment paper, wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 30 minutes.
• Prepare the seafood boil: Combine the salt, coriander seeds, fennel seeds, peppercorns, bay leaves, red pepper flakes, thyme, onions, celery, tomatoes, lemons and garlic in a large deep pot; add 6 quarts water. Cover and bring to a boil; uncover and cook 10 minutes. Add the wine and potatoes and return to a simmer; cook until the potatoes are just tender, about 20 minutes. Add the corn and boil until tender, about 8 more minutes.
• Meanwhile, cut each lobster in half with a chef's knife, starting at the cross mark on the back of the head (the lobster may continue to move for a minute). Remove the green tomalley and roe, if desired.
• Remove the corn and potatoes from the pot using a slotted spoon and transfer to a platter (it's OK if you remove some of the broth ingredients, too); cover with foil to keep warm. Add the lobsters to the pot and cook until the shells turn pink, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the mussels, pushing them down into the broth. Cover and cook, stirring once or twice, until the mussels open, about 5 minutes. Transfer the lobsters and mussels to a platter. (Discard any mussels that do not open.)
• Strain the broth through a fine-mesh sieve into a small saucepan. Slice the herb butter. Pour the broth into bowls; add the vegetables, seafood and some of the herb butter.

SPAGHETTI WITH LOBSTER AND MUSSELS

Steps:

• In a large kettle bring wine and water to a boil. Add lobsters and cook, covered, 3 minutes. (They will be partially cooked.) Transfer lobsters with tongs to a large bowl and boil cooking liquid until reduced to about 1/3 cup.
• Twist off claws and with flat side of a heavy knife crack claws on one side. Cut off tails and cut each tail crosswise into 4 pieces, cutting through shell and discarding dark intestinal vein. Halve body sections and discard head sacs. Reserve tomalley and any roe if desired. Lobsters may be prepared up to this point 4 hours ahead and chilled, covered.
• In a 6-quart kettle bring 5 quarts salted water to a boil for spaghetti.
• In a 5-quart heavy kettle bring tomato sauce, lobster cooking liquid, and reserved tomalley and roe if using to a simmer, whisking. Add claws and bodies and simmer, covered, 5 minutes, or until claw meat is just cooked through. Transfer claws with tongs to large bowl and keep warm, covered.
• Add tail pieces to sauce and simmer, covered, 3 to 4 minutes, or until just cooked through. Transfer tail pieces with tongs to bowl and keep warm, covered. Remove and discard lobster bodies.
• Add mussels to sauce and simmer, covered, 3 to 8 minutes, checking mussels every minute or so and transferring as opened with tongs to bowl. Keep mussels warm, covered. (Discard any mussels that are unopened after 8 minutes.) Season sauce with salt and pepper and keep warm, covered.
• While seafood is cooking, cook spaghetti in boiling water until al dente and drain in a colander. Add spaghetti, lobster, and mussels to sauce and heat over moderate heat until heated through, stirring and tossing mixture until spaghetti is coated well with sauce.
• Transfer spaghetti and seafood to a large platter and sprinkle with parsley.