17 August 2011 Lobsterfest in the Comfort of My Home

Lobsterfest in the Comfort of My Home

August 17, 2011 By

I’m always looking for new themes for the dinner parties I host and this weekend, I decided to do a lobster party for some friends.

Although a perceived luxury item, lobster can be relatively affordable if purchased in season.  I made sure I held this party while lobsters were on sale at my grocery store and the cost per person was the same as when I buy nice steaks for everyone.  The difference – lobster’s fun and special!

Once of the downfalls of doing lobsters at home is the smell of the crustaceans cooking and the lingering smell in the house for the next week.  I resolved this issue by buying a turkey fryer at my local hardware store.  The turkey fryer comes with a huge metal pot, a strainer basket insert and a burner that can be connected to any standard propane tank.  I set the cooking station outside thus eliminating the mess in the house.

The trick to making a perfectly-cooked lobster is to carefully time how long you have it in the water.  This is the technique my dad’s passed on to me for solid results:

  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
  2. Plunge the lobsters, head first, into the boiling water.
  3. Bring the water back to a boil (should take 3-5 minutes).
  4. Let the lobsters cook for exactly 15 minutes then immediately remove them from the water and serve.

This technique is for lobsters up to two pounds.  For lobsters over two pounds, cook for 20 minutes.

The beauty about doing this type of party is that the side items served with lobster can be very affordable and simple.  Boil some red-skinned potatoes, roast some corn, make a tomato salad or cole slaw and prepare a terrific lemon butter dipping sauce for the succulent, tender lobster and you’re set!

Here’s a simple yet delicious recipe for lemon butter sauce that my family’s adopted from Rolande, my step-mother:

Lemon-Butter Sauce

Ingredients:

  • ½ pound (2 sticks) salted butter
  • Juice of 3 lemons
  • ¼ cup heavy cream

Directions:

  1. Bring the butter to a simmer in a medium heavy pan over medium-low heat.  Cook for 3-4 minutes until the milky solids have mostly evaporated.
  2. Add the lemon juice and reduce heat to low.  Whisk in the cream and keep warm until ready to serve.

For best results, serve in a small dish over a candle burner to keep warm.

To finish the evening on a last Maine note, serve a blueberry cobbler like the one I prepared for my guests.  It’s an easy dessert to prepare and a real crowd pleaser.

There’s truly no need to go to a seafood place for lobster.  A fun and affordable dinner party can be prepared in a jiffy that your friends and family will enjoy and appreciate.

Cheers,

Veronique

Filed Under: American, Canadian, Desserts, Entrees, Seafood Tagged With: , , , ,
1 August 2011 4-Course Fish and Seafood Tasting Menu Dinner

4-Course Fish and Seafood Tasting Menu Dinner

August 1, 2011 By

Those of you who follow my blog have read about the tasting menu dinners I sometimes host at my home.  This weekend, I decided to do a four-course fish and seafood tasting menu dinner for two featuring some fresh produce and herbs from my garden.

Here are the dishes I served:

Lump Crab & Yellow Tomato Coulis Shooter

Course #1:  Yellow Tomato Coulis and Lump Crab Shooter

I have beautiful yellow tomatoes ripening in my yard that I absolutely love.  They are sweet and fresh and simply delicious.  For this easy starter, I pureed a couple medium yellow tomatoes with excellent olive oil, a few basil leaves, sea salt and freshly cracked pepper in a food processor.  I served about ¼ cup of this golden elixir in a shot glass topped with a tablespoon of lump crab meat and a tiny basil leaf.

Scallop Crudo

Course #2:  Scallop Crudo

I love crudo (“raw” in Italian) dishes in the summer.  In essence, crudo dishes feature raw fish or seafood ‘cured’ in citrus juice, olive oil, salt and sometimes vinegar.  For those who are not fans of raw fish or seafood, this preparation allows the seafood or fish to cook in the acidic liquid, so give it a try!

I sliced large scallops thinly then cured the slices in a combination of orange and lime juices, a splash of red wine vinegar, sea salt, top quality olive oil, thinly sliced Thai chilies and fresh cilantro leaves.  Absolutely fabulous!

Lobster Tail Risotto

Course #3:  Lobster Tail Risotto

Risotto is uber popular at my home, so knew I had to prepare it for this special meal.  I grilled a 10-ounce lobster tails for 5 minutes, then removed from the shell and sliced carefully.  I made risotto with tons of butter, olive oil, elephant garlic and yellow onion, and then topped the luscious concoction with the lobster tail slices.  Not a bad dish!

Fish Three Ways

Course #4:  Fish Three Ways

I love the idea of serving three fish dishes on one plate. I opted for cod, salmon and yellow fin tuna – pale white to deep red fish.  The cod was marinated in sesame oil, miso and ponzu then lightly sautéed and served over steam soy beans.  The salmon was Dijon mustard and maple syrup-glazed and grilled on a cedar plank then served over leftover glaze.  The tuna was marinated for a short while in steak sauce then grilled to medium rare and served over Taboule salad.  Great flavor and visual contrasts!

Doing this type of meal for two people or six people isn’t difficult.  One needs to make a list of the dishes and accompaniments to be served, make as many of the dishes in advance (or at least prep the dishes) as possible and know what you’ll plate everything on!

Let me know if you try your own tasting menu dinner – cheers!

Veronique

Filed Under: American, Asian, Entrees, Fish, French, Italian, Japanese, Pasta, Seafood, Starters, Vegetables Tagged With: , , , , ,
19 May 2010 Porcini Mushroom and Lobster Macaroni and Cheese

Porcini Mushroom and Lobster Macaroni and Cheese

May 19, 2010 By

Lobster Mac and CheeseLast weekend, I was looking for a dish to add to my collection of tasting menu dishes that everyone would love. Yes, this dish is rich, decadent and pretty over-the-top, but if served as a degustation portion, it’ll be satisfying while not being over-indulgent.

Poached Lobster Ingredients:

  • 2 – 8 ounce lobster tails, uncooked, shell removed, each tail cut in 2 pieces lengthwise
  • 8 tbsp (1 stick) butter

Pasta Ingredients:

  • 4 tbsp butter
  • 4 tbsp all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp each, salt and pepper
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 3 cups whole milk
  • 2 cups extra sharp Cheddar cheese, freshly grated
  • 2 cups Fontina cheese, freshly grated
  • 1 ounce dry porcini mushrooms, reconstituted in 1 cup hot water, drained, then chopped
  • 1 pound elbow macaroni, or other tubular pasta, cooked 2 minutes less than recommended in package directions, drained

Topping Ingredients:

  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 3 tbsp panko bread crumbs
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
Lobster Macaroni and Cheese

Lobster Macaroni and Cheese

Heat oven to 400 degrees.

Poached Lobster Directions:

  1. Melt butter over low heat in a small saucepan.
  2. Add lobster pieces and cook for 5 minutes, ensuring to baste with butter.
  3. Remove from heat and allow to cool, then chop lobster into large bite-size chunks.

Pasta Directions:

  1. Place butter in a large saucepan and melt over medium heat. Add flour and cook for 2 minutes, whisking constantly. Season with salt and pepper.
  2. Stir the heavy cream and the milk into the butter/flour mixture and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 3 minutes, whisking often.
  3. Slowly add the cheeses, a handful at a time, and stir until fully incorporated. Add chopped porcini and cook 1 more minute.
  4. Add the drained pasta to the cheese sauce and mix well. Gently fold in the cooked lobster meat.
  5. Add cheesy pasta to a 13×9 baking dish.

Topping Directions:

  1. Microwave butter in a small dish for 45 seconds. Add panko and cayenne pepper and stir to incorporate the butter and create a crumbly mixture.
  2. Sprinkle panko mixture over pasta in an even layer.

Bake pasta for 15 minutes until panko mixture has lightly browned. Serve at once.

Makes 6 servings.

 

Notes: I used a 1 1/4 pound South African lobster tail instead of two smaller ones. Use what is available in your market. For those of you not familiar with reconstituting porcini mushrooms, simply add the dry porcini to a small bowl then pour 1 cup of hot water on them. Let them sit for 20 minutes, then drain them, paper-towel them dry and rough chop them into bite-size pieces.

Filed Under: American, Cheese, Entrees, Pasta, Seafood, Sides, Starters Tagged With: , , , ,
15 January 2010 There’s Nothing to Eat in this House

There’s Nothing to Eat in this House

January 15, 2010 By
Shrimp Cappellini

Shrimp Cappellini

I’m always amazed to hear people say that they can’t find anything to eat at their house.  Anyone with a decent pantry should be able to turn up a simple delicious meal in minutes.

Today, Friday, is the day before my weekly trip to the grocery store, so the fresh food on hand is limited, but I made a tasty Shrimp Cappellini lunch with the following basic ingredients from the pantry and with shrimps from the freezer:

Ingredients:

  • Dry Cappellini, for one person
  • 1/4 cups olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
  • Salt & black pepper
  • 5 medium shrimps
  • Shaved Parmesan

Directions:

  1. Cook a portion of cappellini according to package directions, drain
  2. Heat olive oil in a sauté pan until nearly smoking, about 20 seconds
  3. Add pepper flakes, salt and black pepper to the oil and cook for 30 seconds
  4. Add  shrimps and sauté for 3 minutes, ensuring not to overcook
  5. Toss the pasta into the hot oil mixture, coating well
  6. Serve pasta with shaved parmesan and a sprinkling of black pepper

There are tons of other simple ideas such as the Shrimp Cappellini that you can easily made from pantry foods.  Share your favorites!

Filed Under: Entrees, Pasta, Seafood Tagged With: , ,

Linguini with Crab and Two-Cheese Sauce

August 19, 2009 By
  • 1 small pkg. flake-style imitation crabmeat
  • 6 ounces linguini
  • 2 large minced garlic cloves
  • 1 tsp. dried oregano
  • 2 tbs. butter
  • 1 medium tomato, chopped
  • ½ cup whipping cream
  • ½ cup sliced green onions
  • ½ cup Swiss cheese
  • ½ cup parmesan cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions; drain.  Cook garlic and oregano in butter in a saucepan, stirring frequently, 1 minute.  Add tomato; continue cooking, stirring occasionally, 3 minutes.  Add remaining ingredients; mix well.  Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until cheese is melted and sauce is hot.  Top pasta with sauce.

3-4 Servings.

Filed Under: Entrees, Italian, Pasta, Seafood Tagged With: , ,

Linguini with White Clam Sauce

August 19, 2009 By
  • 1/3 cup bread crumbs
  • 48 little neck clams in the shell
  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 3 cloves garlic, crushed
  • pinch hot pepper flakes
  • 1/3 cup white wine
  • 1 tbs. chopped parsley
  • 1 lb linguini, cooked according to package directions

Soak clams in water to cover for 5 minutes, rinse and scrub under running water.  In a large skillet over medium heat, heat oil.  Add garlic cloves and cook 5 minutes.  Add pepper flakes, clams, white wine and cook 5 minutes or until wine evaporates.

Cover and simmer, shaking pan, about 5 minutes until clams open.  Discard any clams not opened.

Toss clams with parsley and cooked linguini, top with bread crumbs.

4 Servings.

Filed Under: Entrees, Italian, Pasta, Seafood Tagged With:

Everyday Seafood Lasagna Roll Ups

August 18, 2009 By
  • 6 lasagna noodles
  • 1 can (15 ounces) Italian-style tomato sauce

Filling:

  • 1 pkg. imitation crab flakes
  • 1 cup cottage cheese, drained
  • ¼ cup parmesan
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tbs. parsley
  • ¼ tsp. onion powder

Cook noodles as directed on package.  Rinse in cold water; drain well.  Combine filling ingredients with fork.  Spread 1/3 cup filling on each noodle.  Roll tightly; place seam-side down in a 9-inch baking pan.  Pour sauce over rollups.  Bake covered at 375 F for 30 minutes.  Garnish with grated cheese.

6 Servings.

Filed Under: Entrees, Italian, Pasta, Seafood Tagged With: , , ,

Hot Crab Salad Sandwiches

August 18, 2009 By
  • 1-  6-ounce can fancy lump crabmeat
  • 1 cup (4 ounces) Muenster cheese
  • 4 Tbs. green onion, chopped
  • 2 Tbs. mayonnaise
  • 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 English muffins, split

Combine crabmeat, 1/2 cup cheese, 3 Tbs. green onions, mayonnaise, and Worcestershire sauce in medium bowl; blend.  Season with pepper.  Preheat broiler.  Arrange muffins split side up on baking sheet.  Broil until starting to color, about 1 minute.  Mount 1/4 of the crabmeat mixture on each muffin half.  Top with remaining cheese and green onions.  Broil until filling is heated and cheese melts, about 2 minutes.

4 Servings.

Filed Under: American, Entrees, Seafood Tagged With: , ,

Seafood Fettucini Alfredo

August 18, 2009 By
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1/8 lb. butter
  • 12-16 ounces fresh seafood (shrimp, scallops, lobster, crab work well and can be used interchangeably)
  • freshly grated parmesan (Locatelli works well)
  • 1/2 tsp. chopped garlic
  • 1/2 tsp. salt and pepper
  • 1/2 tsp. parsley flakes
  • 12 ounces fettucine noodles, cooked to al dente

Poach all seafood in simmering water for about 4 minutes.  Drain well on paper towel.  Place butter in a pan on medium heat.  Add poached seafood, garlic, salt and pepper and cook until warmed through.  Add cream and raise heat to medium-high.  Cook until sauce is thickened, about 5 minutes.  Add cheese and pasta.  Place on a platter and garnish with parsley.

2 Servings.

Filed Under: Entrees, Italian, Pasta, Seafood Tagged With: ,

Creamy Shrimp and Crab Casserole

August 18, 2009 By
  • 1 1/2 lb. Unpeeled medium shrimp
  • 1 lb. Crab meat
  • 1 7-ounce package thin spaghetti
  • 1 tsp. Oil
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter plus 1 Tbs.
  • 1/2 cup chopped onion
  • 1 cup finely diced celery
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • 1 cup whipping cream
  • 6 ounces shredded Swiss cheese
  • 1/4 cup dry sherry
  • 1/2 tsp. Salt
  • 1/4 tsp. Pepper
  • 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Cook shrimp just until done in boiling salted water; drain and rinse with cold water.  Peel shrimp and set aside.

Cook pasta al dente; drain well, toss with oil to keep moist.  Set aside.

In a skillet, melt 1 Tbs. Butter over medium heat, then sauté onion and celery until tender 10 minutes.  Set aside.

In a heavy saucepan over low heat, melt rest of the butter; add flour and stir and cook until smooth and bubbly, about 2 minutes.  Gradually add broth and cream; cook over medium, stirring, until mixture is thickened and bubbly.  Add Swiss cheese, sherry, salt, and pepper and sautéed vegetables and stir until cheese melts.  Remove from heat.  Stir in pasta, shrimp, and crab and mix well.  Spoon mixture into lightly greased shallow casserole.

Bake uncovered at 350 F.  For 20 minutes.  Broil until lightly golden.

6 Servings.

Filed Under: Entrees, Pasta, Seafood Tagged With: ,
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