I have a fancy-shmancy new job and I couldn't be more excited about it. It is incredibly challenging and very hard and difficult work, but I need the challenge, I want to grow professionally, and it's a really wonderful place to work--smart people doing good work to advance science and engineering. I am an editor working on scientific papers and helping to put together huge, 800-page programs for meetings. So far, I have mostly sat through incredibly complicated and opaque meetings in which a lot of acronyms have been mentioned but not explained. Also, I've filled out a lot of paperwork, and had a grilled-chicken taco salad in a restaurant across the street from my office with my team of co-workers.
My brain is horribly full, and I am exhausted by all of this. I can't stop yawning.
I posted a recipe yesterday, one for waffles, but mysteriously it showed up on March 8th, back when I wrote a draft. Check under the heading "bread" or "breakfast" over there on the right, and you'll see it. Really. I didn't miss a day.
I love that this is like deconstructed sushi. I realize that part of sushi's beauty is the construction, but I am a big believer of form following function when it comes to food, and the function of this salad is to taste good, not look pretty. Also, this is easier than assembling sushi.
Thanks to Food and Wine magazine for this recipe.
Scattered California Roll with Lobster
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1 1/2 cups Japanese or sushi rice (10 ounces)
2 cups water
One 1 1/2-pound lobster
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
4 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon finely chopped pickled ginger
2 teaspoons powdered wasabi mixed with 2 tablespoons water
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
4 radishes, cut into 1-inch julienne
2 scallions, cut into 1-inch julienne
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, cut into 1-inch julienne
1 ripe Hass avocado, cut into 1-inch julienne
One 8-by-7 1/2-inch sheet of nori (Japanese seaweed), finely shredded
In a small bowl, combine 2 tablespoons of the vinegar with the sugar, stirring until dissolved. In a medium saucepan, combine the rice with the water and bring to a boil. Stir, then cover and cook over low heat until the liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand, covered, for 10 minutes. Spread the rice on a large platter and toss with the sweetened vinegar. Refrigerate briefly until cool.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the lobster and cook for 8 minutes. Remove the meat from the tail and claws. Discard the intestine in the tail. Coarsely chop the meat and let cool.
Toast the sesame seeds in a small dry skillet over moderate heat, stirring constantly, until golden, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate to cool.
In a large bowl, combine the remaining 2 tablespoons of rice vinegar with the oil, ginger, wasabi paste and soy sauce. Season with the sea salt. Add the rice, radishes, scallions, cucumber and lobster meat and toss gently to combine; let stand for 15 minutes to blend the flavors. Fold in the avocado, sesame seeds and nori just before serving.
Showing posts with label Seafood. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Seafood. Show all posts
Monday, June 2, 2008
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
May 14: Sweet, Tart and Spicy Shrimp and Cucumber Salad
I am drinking a really delicious California zinfandel tonight, and neglecting to eat. It's been a bit of a stressful day, and I'll tell you about it some other time, but suffice it to say that alcohol and an empty stomach are a surprisingly good combination, if one that's making me maudlin at the moment.
My mystery subscription to Bon Apetit arrived again today. There is something great about getting a cooking magazine in the mail, there really is, especially for someone like me, who reads about food for fun. Bon Apetit is a terrific magazine too, full of great, smart, creative, clever, delicous-looking food that is accessable and yet elegant.
This is from Bon Apetit. I hate most restaurant Chinese food but I love great Asian flavors, like the ones described here. I like that the ingredients are exotic without being precious or obscure. I like these seasonal ingredients.
I like wine. I think I shall have another glass of wine or two.
Sweet, Tart, and Spicy Shrimp and Cucumber Salad
Dressing
1/4 cup lime juice
3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon finely grated lime peel
1 teaspoon hot chili paste
1 teaspoon grated peeled fresh ginger
Salad
2 pounds cucumbers
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
3/4 cups lightly salted roasted peanuts
1 pound cooked deveined peeled medium shrimp
4 cups thinly sliced Napa cabbage
1 large red bell pepper, cut into matchstick-size strips
3 green onions, cut into matchstick-size strips
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
1/2 torn fresh Thai basil or regular basil leaves
2 teaspoons black sesame seeds, toasted
Whisk all dressing ingredients together in a small bowl; let dressing stand while preparing salad.
Peel half of cucumbers; cut in half lengthwise and scoop out seeds with small spoon. Cut into 1/4 inch cubes and place in large strainer over set over bowl.
Cut off ends from remaining cucumbers and cut in half lengthwise. Scoop out seeds. Cut halves crosswise into 1/4 inch thick slices and add to strainer. Sprinkle with salt, let drain 30 minutes.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in heavy medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add peanuts, saute until golden. Using slotted spoon, transfer to paper towel.
Combine shrimp, cabbage, bell pepper, green onion, cilantro, and basil in large bowl.
Pat cucumber pieces dry and add to salad. Toss with dressing, sprinkle with peanuts and sesame seeds.
My mystery subscription to Bon Apetit arrived again today. There is something great about getting a cooking magazine in the mail, there really is, especially for someone like me, who reads about food for fun. Bon Apetit is a terrific magazine too, full of great, smart, creative, clever, delicous-looking food that is accessable and yet elegant.
This is from Bon Apetit. I hate most restaurant Chinese food but I love great Asian flavors, like the ones described here. I like that the ingredients are exotic without being precious or obscure. I like these seasonal ingredients.
I like wine. I think I shall have another glass of wine or two.
Sweet, Tart, and Spicy Shrimp and Cucumber Salad
Dressing
1/4 cup lime juice
3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon finely grated lime peel
1 teaspoon hot chili paste
1 teaspoon grated peeled fresh ginger
Salad
2 pounds cucumbers
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
3/4 cups lightly salted roasted peanuts
1 pound cooked deveined peeled medium shrimp
4 cups thinly sliced Napa cabbage
1 large red bell pepper, cut into matchstick-size strips
3 green onions, cut into matchstick-size strips
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
1/2 torn fresh Thai basil or regular basil leaves
2 teaspoons black sesame seeds, toasted
Whisk all dressing ingredients together in a small bowl; let dressing stand while preparing salad.
Peel half of cucumbers; cut in half lengthwise and scoop out seeds with small spoon. Cut into 1/4 inch cubes and place in large strainer over set over bowl.
Cut off ends from remaining cucumbers and cut in half lengthwise. Scoop out seeds. Cut halves crosswise into 1/4 inch thick slices and add to strainer. Sprinkle with salt, let drain 30 minutes.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in heavy medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add peanuts, saute until golden. Using slotted spoon, transfer to paper towel.
Combine shrimp, cabbage, bell pepper, green onion, cilantro, and basil in large bowl.
Pat cucumber pieces dry and add to salad. Toss with dressing, sprinkle with peanuts and sesame seeds.
Thursday, April 17, 2008
I'm sorry, I can't talk right now. I am holed up in a truly spectacular hotel room next to the airport in Baltimore; I have to catch an early flight in the morning and this was a great deal more convenient than any of my other options. I am also a little giddy about the deal I got: a 4 star hotel for $68, thank you so very much Hotwire. It's the kind of hotel room you see in ads: the giant squishy bed, the $8 M&M's in the minibar, even the big soft bathrobe.
Here's the recipe tonight: spicy mussels and chorizo. I love chorizo, it is really a unique and unmistakable taste and adds a note to a dish that there isn't really a substitute for, and I am warming up to mussels in a big hurry. This actually looks delicious; I would do as Martha Stewart does and serve it with garlic bread and rice pudding for dessert, with maybe a green salad to start.
Pardon me, I'm off to recline on my Heavenly Bed like a starlet.
Spicy Mussels With Chorizo
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large shallot, minced
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/4 teaspoon crushed red-pepper flakes
2 cups dry white wine
3 cups canned crushed tomatoes with juice
4 ounces dried, hot chorizo, cut on the diagonal into 1/4-inch slices
1 teaspoon coarse salt teaspoon coarse salt
Freshly ground pepper
2 pounds mussels, scrubbed and debearded
1/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Directions
Heat oil in a large, heavy stockpot over medium heat. Add shallot; cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and red-pepper flakes; cook, stirring occasionally, 3 minutes. Add wine; bring to a boil. Add tomatoes and chorizo. Reduce heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Add mussels. Cover, and continue to cook, shaking pot occasionally. Discard any mussels that fail to open. Serve with garlic bread.
Here's the recipe tonight: spicy mussels and chorizo. I love chorizo, it is really a unique and unmistakable taste and adds a note to a dish that there isn't really a substitute for, and I am warming up to mussels in a big hurry. This actually looks delicious; I would do as Martha Stewart does and serve it with garlic bread and rice pudding for dessert, with maybe a green salad to start.
Pardon me, I'm off to recline on my Heavenly Bed like a starlet.
Spicy Mussels With Chorizo
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large shallot, minced
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/4 teaspoon crushed red-pepper flakes
2 cups dry white wine
3 cups canned crushed tomatoes with juice
4 ounces dried, hot chorizo, cut on the diagonal into 1/4-inch slices
1 teaspoon coarse salt teaspoon coarse salt
Freshly ground pepper
2 pounds mussels, scrubbed and debearded
1/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Directions
Heat oil in a large, heavy stockpot over medium heat. Add shallot; cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and red-pepper flakes; cook, stirring occasionally, 3 minutes. Add wine; bring to a boil. Add tomatoes and chorizo. Reduce heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Add mussels. Cover, and continue to cook, shaking pot occasionally. Discard any mussels that fail to open. Serve with garlic bread.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
April 10: Shrimp and Coconut Rolls
When Dan and I were planning our wedding, Dan's adorably sweet and lovely mother generously took charge of our rehearsal dinner. I adore her, but possibly one of the most frightening moments of my life up until the point where, you know, someone started shooting at us the other night, was when my mother-in-law to be was discussing possible venues for the dinner, and she said "It's too bad Molly doesn't like Chinese food; we could have the rehearsal at a Chinese buffet." And then my head spun around on my neck. And I died. The end.
I'm not sure if she was just poking at me a little or what, but it's true: there are few things in life that appeal less to me than Chinese buffet. Acres of largely unidentifiable food is a problem. So is the vast array of artificial colors and flavors. So is the fact that it sits. around. forever. I just can't do it, even for my adorable mother-in-law.
But I love Asian flavors, real Asian flavors, good clean flavors like five-spice powder and cilantro and lemongrass and bird chiles and soy sauce and lime juice and nam pla. Bon Appetit appeared in my mailbox tonight, mysteriously, a subscription I didn't know I had, and right there on page 109 is one of the most inviting pieces of food porn I've ever seen: shrimp and coconut rolls, delicate little packages of goodness wrapped in glassy rice paper spring roll wrappers.
According to Bon Appetit, the more exotic ingredients can be found in Asian markets. You could probably mail-order some of them as well.
If only my mother-in-law's favorite Hunan Home Buffet served these, I'd be, like, so on board.
Shrimp and Coconut Rolls
10 ounces peeled cooked shrimp, cut into 1/4 to 1/2 inch pieces
2 1/2 cups thinly sliced iceburg lettuce
1 1/4 cups finely grated peeled fresh coconut
1/2 unpeeled English hothouse cucumber, seeded cut into 1/4 inch cubes (1 cup)
1 tablespoon plus 1/2 cup fresh lime juice
6 teaspoons fish sauce (such as nam pla or nuoc nam), divided
4 1/2 teaspoons sugar, divided
3 teaspoons minced seeded red or green serrano chiles, divided
2 tablespoons finely chopped green onion
2 teaspoons chopped fresh mint leaves
15 8- to 9-inch diameter rice paper rounds (spring roll wrappers)
Combine shrimp, lettuce, coconut, cucumber, 1 tablespoon lime juice, 4 teaspoons fish sauce, 1/2 teaspoon sugar, 2 teaspoons chiles, green onion, and mint in a large bowl.
Moisten kitchen towel. Squeeze out excess moisture and lay towel flat on work surface. Fill large bowl with warm water. Submerge 1 wrapper in water until beginning to soften, about 20 seconds. Place on damp towel. Place 1/4 cup shrimp mixture in 3-inch-long strip down center of wrapper. Fold in sides of wrapper over filling, then roll up tightly, enclosing filling. Repeat with remaining wrappers and filling.
Mix 1/2 cup lime juice, 2 teaspoons fish sauce, 4 teaspoons sugar, and 1 teaspoon chiles in small bowl. Serve rolls with dipping sauce.
I'm not sure if she was just poking at me a little or what, but it's true: there are few things in life that appeal less to me than Chinese buffet. Acres of largely unidentifiable food is a problem. So is the vast array of artificial colors and flavors. So is the fact that it sits. around. forever. I just can't do it, even for my adorable mother-in-law.
But I love Asian flavors, real Asian flavors, good clean flavors like five-spice powder and cilantro and lemongrass and bird chiles and soy sauce and lime juice and nam pla. Bon Appetit appeared in my mailbox tonight, mysteriously, a subscription I didn't know I had, and right there on page 109 is one of the most inviting pieces of food porn I've ever seen: shrimp and coconut rolls, delicate little packages of goodness wrapped in glassy rice paper spring roll wrappers.
According to Bon Appetit, the more exotic ingredients can be found in Asian markets. You could probably mail-order some of them as well.
If only my mother-in-law's favorite Hunan Home Buffet served these, I'd be, like, so on board.
Shrimp and Coconut Rolls
10 ounces peeled cooked shrimp, cut into 1/4 to 1/2 inch pieces
2 1/2 cups thinly sliced iceburg lettuce
1 1/4 cups finely grated peeled fresh coconut
1/2 unpeeled English hothouse cucumber, seeded cut into 1/4 inch cubes (1 cup)
1 tablespoon plus 1/2 cup fresh lime juice
6 teaspoons fish sauce (such as nam pla or nuoc nam), divided
4 1/2 teaspoons sugar, divided
3 teaspoons minced seeded red or green serrano chiles, divided
2 tablespoons finely chopped green onion
2 teaspoons chopped fresh mint leaves
15 8- to 9-inch diameter rice paper rounds (spring roll wrappers)
Combine shrimp, lettuce, coconut, cucumber, 1 tablespoon lime juice, 4 teaspoons fish sauce, 1/2 teaspoon sugar, 2 teaspoons chiles, green onion, and mint in a large bowl.
Moisten kitchen towel. Squeeze out excess moisture and lay towel flat on work surface. Fill large bowl with warm water. Submerge 1 wrapper in water until beginning to soften, about 20 seconds. Place on damp towel. Place 1/4 cup shrimp mixture in 3-inch-long strip down center of wrapper. Fold in sides of wrapper over filling, then roll up tightly, enclosing filling. Repeat with remaining wrappers and filling.
Mix 1/2 cup lime juice, 2 teaspoons fish sauce, 4 teaspoons sugar, and 1 teaspoon chiles in small bowl. Serve rolls with dipping sauce.
Monday, March 17, 2008
March 17: The Pioneer Woman Cooks! Spicy Shrimp
Have you all discovered the food-geek wonder that is The Pioneer Woman Cooks! yet? Get thee over there, right now, and then use your back button to return to me. She won a Bloggie at SXSW for her food blogging, and man is it well-deserved. I...I am so very embarassed to admit this to you all, but I think I may have actually licked my computer monitor while reading her entry on pasta primavera. Yes Indeedy.
In short, The Pioneer Woman is a totally hilarious housewife on a cattle ranch somewhere in the middle of the country. She used to be an urban hipster in L.A.; now she drives forty minutes round trip to buy her very basic grocery staples, so she is a little defensive of her use of parmesan cheese from that green can. You know--that green can. She has two blogs: The Pioneer Woman Cooks and Confessions of A Pioneer Woman. That one features a lot of pictures of rather fit young men in tight jeans. Thanks for that, by the way.
Anyway, about her food blog: she takes pictures, something I am mostly too lazy or harried to do (also, I can't find the USB cable for my camera), and the pictures are some of what's so appealing about her cooking. Also, it's unpretentious, real-world easy, and uses a lot of butter. By which I mean, a lot. I can't believe she doesn't weigh 345 pounds. I would.
She doesn't really measure things so much, so it's hard to use her recipes as, you know, recipes, rather than just something to think dirty thoughts about, but her spicy shrimp look so good that I am sort of a little bit in love right now. One great thing about living on the Eastern seaboard is the seafood. We still get the shrimp frozen, but they're usually in better shrimp than the ones that have been sleeping with the fishes, so to speak, for months and months. And I don't think I need to explain what a decent crabcake can mean for a woman who's lived to be 27 years old and never tasted Maryland blue crab.
So, I will now attempt to translate Ree at The Pioneer Woman Cooks! from shameless hard-core food porn to a recipe with measurements and everything. It will be my usual wild-ass-guess estimation method that I use every time I attempt to post a recipe that isn't really my recipe but just an idea out of my head. By all means, assume that I'm playing it fast and loose with the numbers and hope for the best. If I'm off by a mile on anything, I encourage you to let me know.
Spicy Shrimp
2 lbs. large shell-on shrimp
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
Tabasco to taste
1/3-1/2 cup Worcestershire
Generous amounts of Salt and coarsely ground black pepper
8 tablespoons (1 stick) Butter, cut into 16 pieces
3-4 Lemons
1 large loaf crusty French bread
Thoroughly rinse shrimp under cold running water. Spread shrimp in a single layer on a large rimmed baking sheet.
Drizzle oil, Worcestershire, lemon juice, and Tabasco (you are seasoning these shrimp through the shells, so be aggressive.) Generously salt. Very generously pepper.
Drop pats of butter over the shrimp. Then pepper them again. Generously.
Slide the shrimp under the broiler for 10 minutes or so, until they are cooked all the way through. Don't overcook.
Warm the loaf of bread in the oven. Use it to sop up the sauce from the shrimp.
In short, The Pioneer Woman is a totally hilarious housewife on a cattle ranch somewhere in the middle of the country. She used to be an urban hipster in L.A.; now she drives forty minutes round trip to buy her very basic grocery staples, so she is a little defensive of her use of parmesan cheese from that green can. You know--that green can. She has two blogs: The Pioneer Woman Cooks and Confessions of A Pioneer Woman. That one features a lot of pictures of rather fit young men in tight jeans. Thanks for that, by the way.
Anyway, about her food blog: she takes pictures, something I am mostly too lazy or harried to do (also, I can't find the USB cable for my camera), and the pictures are some of what's so appealing about her cooking. Also, it's unpretentious, real-world easy, and uses a lot of butter. By which I mean, a lot. I can't believe she doesn't weigh 345 pounds. I would.
She doesn't really measure things so much, so it's hard to use her recipes as, you know, recipes, rather than just something to think dirty thoughts about, but her spicy shrimp look so good that I am sort of a little bit in love right now. One great thing about living on the Eastern seaboard is the seafood. We still get the shrimp frozen, but they're usually in better shrimp than the ones that have been sleeping with the fishes, so to speak, for months and months. And I don't think I need to explain what a decent crabcake can mean for a woman who's lived to be 27 years old and never tasted Maryland blue crab.
So, I will now attempt to translate Ree at The Pioneer Woman Cooks! from shameless hard-core food porn to a recipe with measurements and everything. It will be my usual wild-ass-guess estimation method that I use every time I attempt to post a recipe that isn't really my recipe but just an idea out of my head. By all means, assume that I'm playing it fast and loose with the numbers and hope for the best. If I'm off by a mile on anything, I encourage you to let me know.
Spicy Shrimp
2 lbs. large shell-on shrimp
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
Tabasco to taste
1/3-1/2 cup Worcestershire
Generous amounts of Salt and coarsely ground black pepper
8 tablespoons (1 stick) Butter, cut into 16 pieces
3-4 Lemons
1 large loaf crusty French bread
Thoroughly rinse shrimp under cold running water. Spread shrimp in a single layer on a large rimmed baking sheet.
Drizzle oil, Worcestershire, lemon juice, and Tabasco (you are seasoning these shrimp through the shells, so be aggressive.) Generously salt. Very generously pepper.
Drop pats of butter over the shrimp. Then pepper them again. Generously.
Slide the shrimp under the broiler for 10 minutes or so, until they are cooked all the way through. Don't overcook.
Warm the loaf of bread in the oven. Use it to sop up the sauce from the shrimp.
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
February 27: Lobster Rolls
That thing? The thing I wrote yesterday and a little bit today and posted right below here? Yeah, I still really, really mean it. Scroll down, read it, leave me a comment, and then come back. I'll wait.
Back? Great. Let's talk about lobster.
There are places I've not spent a great deal of time in my life and one of them is New England. Dan and I were talking, while we were on vacation, about places that we could retire to where we could live next to the ocean, have real winters, and not die from the humidity and heat in the summer. Maine came up, and Dan said "We could eat lobster all the time."
I understand (mostly from reading Stephen King novels) that people from Maine sort of poke fun at the tourists who come there to eat lobsters. Let me just say that Baltimore and points east don't have that problem with the tourists who come there to eat crab.
I could definitely live in a place where lobster is a staple of my diet, but it's mostly a delicacy now, and one I don't take advantage of, because mostly it's boiled to a rubbery fare-thee-well and totally inedible, or frozen so long it tastes mostly like iodine, and served in a restaurant that has the audacity to charge $24.99 for it. Lobster should be sweet, tender, briny, or I'll pass.
I can't remember where or when I saw this (probably on the Food Network, and years ago), but I once saw a chef preparing lobster rolls. A lobster roll is a New England regional specialty which consists of a plain white hot dog bun (chosen for its lack of anything to distract from the filling) stuffed full of lobster salad. Simple as can be. It looked amazing. Perfect.
This would be great, I think, for a casual get-together, especially as (knock on wood) the weather gets warmer. Serve it with coleslaw, chips, and cold beer.
Oh, and let me just say this about lobster: suck it up, okay? It's an ocean cockroach, it eats sea junk, it's the scourge of its own microcosm. Throw it in the pot and boil it, don't stand over the pot listening for it to scream. All current research says that they're not capable of feeling pain, so don't go and buy frozen lobster meat or any other ridiculous thing because you're squeamish; it's not the same. In looking at recipes for this, I found a site that illustrated how to keep a lobster's tail straight when cooking it, and it involved inserting a wooden skewer in a spot that...let's just say you wouldn't want a wooden skewer inserted in a corresponding place on your own person, but I'm not asking you to do that. Don't yell at me: I'm not all about the animal cruelty. But this is one time that I'm going to say that I'm at the top of the food chain and lobster tastes delicious, and my karma will just have to take the hit. This serves 4, maybe with a little salad left over to eat on a bed of greens the next day. Mmmmmmmm.
Lobster Rolls
4 Split top white hot dog rolls
4 large (1 1/2 lb.) live lobsters
1/2-2/3 cup mayonnaise, or to taste
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
4 scallions, white and about half of the green part, sliced thin
1 stalk celery, diced fine
Bring a large pot of water to a full rolling boil over high heat. Drop in the lobsters, lower heat to medium, and cover. Cook 8-9 minutes. Remove from pot and chill completely.
Remove meat from lobster: using a gentle twisting motion, separate the tail section from the body section. Break the claws away from the body. Use a sharp, very clean pair of kitchen shears to cut a slit down the tail section, and remove the meat. Use whatever means works best for you for removing the claw meat as well (I use a wooden skewer; those tiny forks just make a mess for me.)
Chop the meat into not-too-small chunks (maybe 1-inch chunks or so, maybe a little smaller.) Mix with mayo, salt, pepper, scallions and celery. This salad should be not too mayonnaise-y, but a little wet. Rely on your judgement and taste.
Pile lobster mixture into rolls. Serve.
Back? Great. Let's talk about lobster.
There are places I've not spent a great deal of time in my life and one of them is New England. Dan and I were talking, while we were on vacation, about places that we could retire to where we could live next to the ocean, have real winters, and not die from the humidity and heat in the summer. Maine came up, and Dan said "We could eat lobster all the time."
I understand (mostly from reading Stephen King novels) that people from Maine sort of poke fun at the tourists who come there to eat lobsters. Let me just say that Baltimore and points east don't have that problem with the tourists who come there to eat crab.
I could definitely live in a place where lobster is a staple of my diet, but it's mostly a delicacy now, and one I don't take advantage of, because mostly it's boiled to a rubbery fare-thee-well and totally inedible, or frozen so long it tastes mostly like iodine, and served in a restaurant that has the audacity to charge $24.99 for it. Lobster should be sweet, tender, briny, or I'll pass.
I can't remember where or when I saw this (probably on the Food Network, and years ago), but I once saw a chef preparing lobster rolls. A lobster roll is a New England regional specialty which consists of a plain white hot dog bun (chosen for its lack of anything to distract from the filling) stuffed full of lobster salad. Simple as can be. It looked amazing. Perfect.
This would be great, I think, for a casual get-together, especially as (knock on wood) the weather gets warmer. Serve it with coleslaw, chips, and cold beer.
Oh, and let me just say this about lobster: suck it up, okay? It's an ocean cockroach, it eats sea junk, it's the scourge of its own microcosm. Throw it in the pot and boil it, don't stand over the pot listening for it to scream. All current research says that they're not capable of feeling pain, so don't go and buy frozen lobster meat or any other ridiculous thing because you're squeamish; it's not the same. In looking at recipes for this, I found a site that illustrated how to keep a lobster's tail straight when cooking it, and it involved inserting a wooden skewer in a spot that...let's just say you wouldn't want a wooden skewer inserted in a corresponding place on your own person, but I'm not asking you to do that. Don't yell at me: I'm not all about the animal cruelty. But this is one time that I'm going to say that I'm at the top of the food chain and lobster tastes delicious, and my karma will just have to take the hit. This serves 4, maybe with a little salad left over to eat on a bed of greens the next day. Mmmmmmmm.
Lobster Rolls
4 Split top white hot dog rolls
4 large (1 1/2 lb.) live lobsters
1/2-2/3 cup mayonnaise, or to taste
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
4 scallions, white and about half of the green part, sliced thin
1 stalk celery, diced fine
Bring a large pot of water to a full rolling boil over high heat. Drop in the lobsters, lower heat to medium, and cover. Cook 8-9 minutes. Remove from pot and chill completely.
Remove meat from lobster: using a gentle twisting motion, separate the tail section from the body section. Break the claws away from the body. Use a sharp, very clean pair of kitchen shears to cut a slit down the tail section, and remove the meat. Use whatever means works best for you for removing the claw meat as well (I use a wooden skewer; those tiny forks just make a mess for me.)
Chop the meat into not-too-small chunks (maybe 1-inch chunks or so, maybe a little smaller.) Mix with mayo, salt, pepper, scallions and celery. This salad should be not too mayonnaise-y, but a little wet. Rely on your judgement and taste.
Pile lobster mixture into rolls. Serve.
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
January 16: Sauteed Shrimp
I almost never cook anything from the Food Network. Not only do I think that most of the recipes that they show are sort of like porn -- fun to watch, but nothing I'd ever do -- I find a lot of the personalities annoying and sort of insulting to people who take food seriously. Rachael Ray, for example. There is an extra-toasty corner of hell reserved just for her and her magazine and her many, many boring TV shows and her "stoup" and "Yum-Oh" and "E.V.O.O." Here's a clue, Rachael: you don't have to pretend to almost drop everything you're carrying every time you walk from the refrigerator to the pantry to the counter. We get it. Lots of stuff. Whatever.
But I like a lot of what Tyler Florence makes. Most of the time, it's straightforward, smart food for people who really want to eat straightforward, smart food and don't want a lot of fuss in the preparing of it. No long lists of obscure ingredients. No outrageous prep times.
This is a dish I have made many times in many forms. Living here on the East Coast like we do, we have access to great shrimp and everything else in the recipe are pantry staples. You can stop for shrimp on the way home and make this dish for dinner tonight. I like to make it with rice, which can cook while you make the shrimp, and whatever vegetable looks good. I like broccoli. Serves 4.
Sauteed Shrimp
Ingredients:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 shallots, finely chopped
1 lemon, juiced
1/2 cup chicken broth
Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, for garnish
Put the flour on a plate and season with a healthy amount of salt and pepper; mix with a fork to combine evenly. Dredge the shrimp in the seasoned flour to coat all sides.
Heat the butter and oil in a heavy bottomed pan over medium heat until butter stops foaming and just starts to turn a light brown. Add the shrimp, and give it a toss, saute for 5 minutes until the shrimp is firm and there is a crispy coating on the outside. Remove the shrimp to a side plate and cover to keep warm.
Put the pan back on the heat and add the garlic and shallots. Cook and stir for 1 minute until soft. Add the lemon juice and chicken broth, give it a stir and let it cook down for 1 minute to thicken slightly. Put the shrimp back in the pan and coat in the lemon sauce. Season with salt and pepper and garnish with chopped parsley before serving.
But I like a lot of what Tyler Florence makes. Most of the time, it's straightforward, smart food for people who really want to eat straightforward, smart food and don't want a lot of fuss in the preparing of it. No long lists of obscure ingredients. No outrageous prep times.
This is a dish I have made many times in many forms. Living here on the East Coast like we do, we have access to great shrimp and everything else in the recipe are pantry staples. You can stop for shrimp on the way home and make this dish for dinner tonight. I like to make it with rice, which can cook while you make the shrimp, and whatever vegetable looks good. I like broccoli. Serves 4.
Sauteed Shrimp
Ingredients:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 shallots, finely chopped
1 lemon, juiced
1/2 cup chicken broth
Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, for garnish
Put the flour on a plate and season with a healthy amount of salt and pepper; mix with a fork to combine evenly. Dredge the shrimp in the seasoned flour to coat all sides.
Heat the butter and oil in a heavy bottomed pan over medium heat until butter stops foaming and just starts to turn a light brown. Add the shrimp, and give it a toss, saute for 5 minutes until the shrimp is firm and there is a crispy coating on the outside. Remove the shrimp to a side plate and cover to keep warm.
Put the pan back on the heat and add the garlic and shallots. Cook and stir for 1 minute until soft. Add the lemon juice and chicken broth, give it a stir and let it cook down for 1 minute to thicken slightly. Put the shrimp back in the pan and coat in the lemon sauce. Season with salt and pepper and garnish with chopped parsley before serving.
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