Lobster Tabbouleh With Basil Food

LOBSTER PASTA WITH YELLOW TOMATOES AND BASIL

Steps:

• If using whole lobsters, cook them in abundant boiling water for 6 minutes. Cool, remove meat from tail, claws and knuckles, and chop into 1/2-inch chunks.
• Bring a pot of well-salted water to a boil and cook pasta.
• Meanwhile, pour olive oil in a wide skillet over medium-high heat. Add shallots and cook for 1 minute, without browning. Add garlic and red pepper and cook for 1 minute. Add tomatoes and season generously with salt and pepper. Add lobster meat, stir to coat, cook 1 minute, then turn off heat until pasta is ready.
• When pasta is al dente, drain, add to skillet, and season with salt and pepper. Toss well and transfer to a warmed wide bowl or platter. Add basil, toss once more and serve immediately.

CHICKEN THIGHS WITH OLIVES AND BASIL

Steps:

• Season the chicken with half the salt, and a good grinding of black pepper.
• Heat the oil in a large, heavy based frying pan over moderately high heat.
• Brown the chicken well on both sides, about 8 minutes in total; remove.
• Reduce the heat to medium and and the onion and garlic; cook for about 5 minutes, until the onion starts to soften.
• Add the rosemary and wine and bring to a simmer, scraping any brown bits from the bottom.
• Boil for 1-2 minutes, until the wine is reduced by half.
• Add the broth, tomatoes, olives the remaining salt and the chicken, skin side up, along with any juices.
• Cover and simmer for about 25 minutes or until the chicken is just done.
• Push the chicken to the side of the pan, crush the garlic with a fork and stir in the basil an another grinding of black pepper.
• Reheat for a minute and serve.

LOBSTER WITH BASIL-LEMON BUTTER

Steps:

• Add enough water to a large pot to fill it a third of the way-enough to steam, but not fully submerge the lobster-and bring to a boil. Meanwhile, make the compound butter by placing butter, herbs, shallot, salt, a few grinds of pepper, and zest in bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth, adding water 1 spoonful at a time if necessary to loosen and blend properly. Add lemon juice and process again to combine. Transfer seasoned butter to small container, cover, and hold at room temperature. (Note: Butter can be made in advance, refrigerated, and brought back to room temperature for serving.)
• When water has boiled, add sea salt, approximately one handful for each quart of water. Add whole lobster and steam for 5 minutes.
• Remove lobster from pot using a large slotted spoon or tongs. When cool enough to handle, break down the lobster in this order, placing each piece of meat gently on a plate: First, remove the claws. Then separate the tail from the head. Break the thick leg attached to the claw into two pieces at the joint, using the kitchen counter as leverage. Break the claw into two pieces, loosening at the joint. Split claw open with back of a chef's knife, and twisting at 90 degree angles. When the claw has cracked open, pull out the claw meat whole. Repeat with other claws.
• Lay each tail on its side and press down to crack; do not smash. Use thumbs to pull shell away, and gently pull the tail out whole. Trim away any ragged, small pieces of meat (and reserve for another use). Break down the elbows by gently cracking the shell with the back of a chef's knife in several places and peeling it away. Gently scrape the albumen from the meat.
• To finish, use the back of a spoon to smear some compound butter on the side of the plate. Slice lobster tail in half lengthwise, and arrange with other lobster pieces on the plate. Garnish meat with an additional dollop of butter, sea salt, a drizzle of olive oil, and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.

BASIL TABBOULEH

Steps:

• In a bowl wash the bulgur in several changes of cold water, letting it settle to the bottom before pouring off most of the water, until the water is clear and drain it in a large fine sieve. Return the bulgur to the bowl, add enough cold water to cover it by 1 inch, and let the bulgur soak for 1 hour.
• While the bulgur is soaking, in a large bowl stir together the onion, the salt and the allspice and let the mixture stand for 30 minutes. Drain the bulgur in the sieve, pressing hard to extract as much water as possible, add it to the onion mixture with the herbs, the scallion, the lemon juice, the oil, the cucumber, the tomato, and salt and pepper to taste, and toss the salad well.