Seafood
lobster roll sliders
by NICHOLAS AMMATURO on July 12th, 2010
I have never cooked a full lobster, so where the hell do you even start. Well thanks to Google, I can not only cook a lobster, I can be a doctor and a lawyer. No but seriously, stop looking at WebMD to diagnose yourself, last time I put my symptoms in, I was dying and or pregnant. Thankfully I am not pregnant (although sometimes I eat as much as a pregnant woman), all I ended up having was some seasonal allergies. Back to the Lobster. The most popular ways to cook lobster and steaming and boiling. The site I ended up following is called “East Coast Gourmet: “
“Make sure you pick out a mad lobster. It’s easy to find one; it’s the lobster who will raise its claws and flap its tail. The mad, feisty lobster will be the freshest lobster! It’s best to cook lobsters the day your receive them. You can keep a good hard-shell lobster alive for a day or two in the coldest part of your refrigerator, usually the bottom shelf.”
I liked the reference to finding a mad lobster, last time I asked my lobster how he was doing, he didn’t respond, boo. So the gentleman at East Coast Gourmet, “Charlie,” prefers steaming over boiling because it makes less of a mess and cooks slower, so there is less of a chance of overcooking. Thanks Charlie, but how long do I cook it?
Directions for Steamed Lobsters
To steam live lobster: Fill pot so that water comes up sides about two inches. Add 2 tablespoons of salt for each quart of water. If you have sea salt-even better. Bring the water to a rolling boil, and put in lobsters, one at a time. ( Feel free to use a steaming rack to place the lobsters on or just add directly to the pot.) Bring water to a rolling boil over high heat. Place lobsters in the pot (head first), cover tightly, return to a boil as quickly as possible and start counting the time.
Steam a lobster for 12 minutes per pound, for the first pound. Add 3 minutes per pound for each additional pound thereafter. See chart below for approximate cooking times. Regulate the heat if the froth starts to bubble over.
Steaming Lobster-Cooking Times
Lobster Weight: Cooking Time
1 lb.-1-1/4 lbs. 10-12 minutes
1-1/2 lb. 12-14 minutes
2 lbs. 16-18 minutes
2-1/2-3 lb. 18-20 minutes
5 lb. 20-24 minutes
Good bye little Lobster…
Crackin’ Into and Eating Your Cooked Lobster
1. Remove lobsters with tongs and place in a colander to drain.
2. The head and intestines are not edible. Now twist off the claws, crack each claw and knuckle with a nut cracker. Remove the meat.
3. Separate the tail from the body and break off the tail flippers. Extract the meat from each flipper then insert a fork and push the tail meat out in one piece. Remove and discard the black vein that runs the entire length of the tail meat.
4. Separate the shell of the body from the underside by pulling them apart. The green substance is called the tomalley, the green tomalley is the liver of the lobster, some consider it a delicacy: it is used in sauces.
5. Open the underside of the body by cracking it apart in the middle, with the small walking legs on either side. Extract the meat from the leg joints and the legs themselves
Now for the Lobster Roll….
Lobster rolls in the U.S. are especially associated with the state of Maine, but are also commonly available at seafood restaurants in other New England states and on Eastern Long Island. I got my first exposure to them on Montauk, NY…here is a light, zesty version I used for 4th of July. Recipe is adapted from Food Networks Giada De Laurentiis:
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup fresh tarragon leaves
- 1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh chives
- 1 lemon, zested
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup mascarpone cheese
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 – 2 pounds cooked lobster, cut into large cubes
- 12 slider rolls or hotdog buns cut in half
Place the tarragon, chives, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper in a blender and blend until the herbs are minced and the ingredients are combined. With the machine running, add the olive oil. Add the mascarpone cheese and cream and blend until mixed.
Transfer the lobster to a medium bowl. Add the herb sauce and stir to coat. Divide the lobster mixture among the rolls and serve immediately.
I experimented with hotdog rolls cut in half and slider rolls. I enjoyed both equally, the hotdog rolls are traditional, but the slider rolls made it a “slider.” I served with some pickles and they were gone in no time. Enjoy…remember not to pick out a happy lobster.
Steamed Mussels & Pommes Frites
by NICHOLAS AMMATURO on June 30th, 2010
I would never would have thought that people eat Mussels with French Fries, but it is a delicious combination. This is common on French & Belgian bistro menu’s. This dish pairs perfectly with a nice light white wine or a crisp Belgian beer. I plan on serving this with some Hoegaarden or Leffe, depending on what I can pick up. I just had fresh mussel’s this past weekend on Montauk, NY and now I am craving them again. They are one of the easiest things to make, they basically have a built in timer…once they open, they’re done.
I would urge you to make sure you get them from a trusted fish source, you want to make sure these little guys are alive.
Ingredients
STEAMED MUSSELS w/ PROSCUITTO (serves 4-6)
- 1 large fennel bulb with fronds, base trimmed, bulb & fronds roughly chopped
- 2 medium yellow onions, peeled and chopped
- 3 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
- 1 lemon, sliced
- Few Sprigs of fresh thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp black peppercorns
- 1/4 cup white wine
- 4 lbs mussels, debearded and scrubbed
- 4 TBSP butter
- 1 small shallot, peeled and chopped
- 3oz prosciutto, large diced
- Crusty French Bread
POMMES FRITES
- 6 Russet Potatoes
- 3-4 qts Corn Oil / Peanut Oil (depending on what you’re frying them in)
- Salt
- Old Bay
FOR THE MUSSELS
Put fennel, three-quarters of the onions, one-third of the garlic, lemon, thyme, bay leaves, peppercorns, wine, and 4 cups water into a large pot with a tight-fitting lid and boil over high heat for 2–3 minutes. Add mussels, cover pot, and give pot a good shake to mix mussels and the aromatics together. Steam mussels, giving pot a good shake occasionally, until shells just open, about 10 minutes. Discard any shells that don’t open.
Strain mussels through a colander set over a large bowl. Set aside 1/2 cup of the strained broth, then serve remaining broth, if you like, in cups, adjusting seasonings with a little salt, or save broth for another use. Cover mussels with a clean dishcloth to keep them warm.
Melt butter in same pot over medium heat. Add remaining onions and garlic, shallots, and prosciutto and cook until onions are soft, about 10 minutes. Discard aromatics from pile of mussels in colander, then add mussels to pot. Add reserved 1⁄2 cup broth, cover pot, and shake several times to mix mussels and ham mixture together. Heat mussels over medium heat until warmed through
Cut bread in half, drizzle with olive oil and throw on the grill or place under the broiler to crisp up. Cut up into strips to serve with the Mussels
Place the bread at the bottom of the bowl or off to the side and scoop the mussels on top of it, making sure to spoon some of the broth into the bowl as well.
FOR THE POMMES FRITES
Wash & scrub the potatoes. You can peel them or choose to leave the skin on them for a rustic look. Cut them into batons that are about the length and width of your index finger. I used a potato cuter that I had recently purchased. It ended up being very cheap and it was not worth the $20.00 I spent on it. I plan on upgrading to a commercial grade potato cutter
Preheat a deep pot of oil to 325 degrees F.
For the first fry, deep fry potatoes in the oil for 5 to 6 minutes, or until a light golden color. Do not over load fryer. Fry in 3 batches if necessary. Remove the potatoes using a slotted spoon, and allow them to cool to room temperature.
Raise the temperature of the oil to 375 degrees F.
For the second fry, deep-fry the potatoes for 2 minutes, or until crispy. Remove potatoes, and transfer into a colander or bowl. While still hot, salt the potatoes & sprinkle with old bay
Serve along side the mussels and a nice glass of white wine or a beer
Mussels recipe- courtesy of Saveur.com
Pommes Frites recipe- courtesy of Pommes Frites in New York, NY
OYSTERS KILPATRICK – THE aUSTRALIAN gEM
In 2005, I had the pleasure of studying abroad in Melbourne, Australia. It is by far the food Mecca of down under. People don’t drink Fosters beer, they don’t throw boomerangs and they don’t have pet kangaroos, although they do taste delicious.Cultures collide here to bring you some of the most unique blend of food across the world. There is everything from Little Italy to China Town, or if you prefer to just throw something on the “barbie.” Food rules this city and rightfully so.
Geographically, Melbourne is within a reels throw away from the water, which supplies some of the freshest seafood to the city. Until living there, I had never enjoyed eating anything from the ocean. I had started off easy and ventured into the realm of shrimp, it was like kindergarten for crustacean eaters. Before, I knew it I had graduated and was eating swordfish & dory (the blue fish from “Finding Nemo.” she was delicious). The only next step was to go completely out of my comfort zone: Oysters.
Never had I thought I would have a plate of “Oysters Kilpatrick” in front of me and actually be willing to try them. My family (some, who happens to live in Australia) assured me that they were not fishy and easy to eat. Not only were they right, I couldn’t stop eating them. I began ordering them out wherever I went and now here I am back in New York, and I am making them myself.
Recipe: Oysters Kilpatrick
Ingredients
Few slices of thick cut bacon
Worcestershire sauce
Butter
Lemon
Flat-Leaf Parsley (optional)
Salt & Pepper
Rock Salt
Method:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Clean oysters properly and then carefully shuck them. The best way I know of shucking, is to place the oyster in a towel and carefully insert your shucking tool into the narrow end of the oyster, then wiggle back and forth until able to pry open.
The towel acts as a stabilizer and it also protects your hands from the tool. Discard the top shell and separate meat from lower shell, return to shell.
Place oysters on baking tray, lined with foil, which also has a layer of rock salt (rock salt will hold the oysters steady and stop them tipping and spilling their juices).
Next, I take small tabs of butter and place them on top of each oyster. Followed by a couple shots of Worcestershire sauce on top. Then a few cranks of fresh ground pepper and a light sprinkle of salt (optional). Then a few pieces of dices bacon on top of each, as little or much as you want.
Place in the preheated oven for 5-10 mins, until the bacon crisps up. Remove from oven and serve right off the tray, the rock salt stabilizes them better than any serving platter will. I then garnish with some fresh flat-leaf parsley and serve with lemon wedges.
Enjoy. Make sure you slurp up the juice that’s left over or dunk some bread into it. This was my way of bringing a little of Australia home with me.