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Lobster is one of our greatest pleasures of the summer and early fall in New England and, most of the time we enjoy it simply steamed or boiled and eaten with an ear of corn and a baked potato. The basic ingredients are the same in my interpretation of this traditional meal, but in my version the lobster is stuffed and baked, the corn kernels are cooked in a skillet until brown and caramelized, and the potatoes are transformed into pancakes. In summer, after shedding, lobsters will have a soft shell and meat that is softer and not as flavorful as that from the hard shell lobsters of winter. The fresher the lobster is from the sea, the better it is. Bought from a tank, lobster should be alive and active, with hard shells. Since lobsters feed on their own body meat, the claw and tail meat of lobsters left in a tank for a long time will sometimes have shrunk to half their original weight and become tough and chewy. The roe of the lobster female, a deep bottle-green substance inside the body, can be dried out in the oven and mashed into a beautiful red, granulated mixture that can be used to flavor salads and sauces or decorate the tops of dishes. The roe and the tomalley, the pale green appendage—actually the liver—inside the body, as well as the liquid from the cooking of the lobster, should not be discarded. They are used here to enhance the flavor of the stuffing in the Lobster Benjamin. The stuffing can be made with any leftover bread or store-bought cornbread, as well as with homemade cornbread, for which I give a recipe. Use what is needed in the recipe, then serve the rest of the cornbread with the lobster. So start by making the cornbread. CORNBREAD 1 cup yellow cornmeal 1 cup all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons double-acting baking powder 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon sugar 2 large eggs, beaten 1/4 cup corn oil 1 cup milk 1 cup corn kernels Preheat the oven to 425 degrees, and oil an 8-inch cake pan. Mix together the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, cheese, salt, and sugar in a bowl. Add the remaining ingredients, and mix until just blended. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until cooked through and brown on top. When cool, cut off and process enough cornbread to make 1 1/2 cups of crumbs. Reserve the remainder for serving with the lobsters. THE LOBSTERS 6 lobsters (1 1/4 to 1 1/2 pounds each) 4 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 medium onion (5 ounces), peeled and chopped 1 1/2 cups cornbread crumbs (see recipe above) 1/2 cup chopped herbs (a mixture of parsley, chives, and tarragon) 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper 1//2 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons virgin olive oil Several dashes Tabasco hot pepper sauce Bring 4 quarts of water to a strong boil in a pot. Drop in 3 of the lobsters, and cook for about 3 minutes. The water will still not have returned to a boil. Remove the lobsters with tongs, bring the water back to a strong boil, and repeat with the other 3 lobsters. Let the lobsters cool to lukewarm. To split a lobster in half lengthwise, first position it underside down on a cutting board with the claws facing you. Then place the point of a sharp, sturdy knife in the middle of the body, directly on the line that runs down the center of the shell, and push down with the knife in one strong motion to split the head and body down the middle. Then turn the lobster around so the tail faces you, and continue cutting down the center line to split the tail and separate the lobster into two halves. Repeat with the remaining lobsters. The stomach sac is located just next to the eye at the point of the head. Remove and discard this sac (now split in half, since the lobsters have been cut in half lengthwise), from each of the lobster halves. You will notice that the flesh is not cooked through but just blanched. Remove and discard this threadlike intestinal track from the lobster tail. Scrape out the pale green matter (the liver or tomalley) as well as the dark green matter, if any, which is the roe of the female, and reserve all the liquid that comes out. This is needed for the sauce. Heat the butter in a large skillet. When hot, add the onion, and sauté for about 1 minute, until it begins to soften, then add the reserved liver, roe and liquid. Stir and cook for about 1 minute. If there is any roe, the green liquid will turn a reddish color. When the mixture in the skillet solidifies, remove the skillet from the stove, and transfer the contents to a bowl. Let cool to lukewarm. Mix with the reserved cornbread crumbs, the chopped herbs, pepper, and the salt. Mix lightly for a few seconds only, so the stuffing doesn’t become pasty. Cover the claws of each lobster with a dishtowel to prevent splashing and, using a meat pounder, crack the shells of the claws and remove the flesh. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Arrange all the lobster halves flesh side up in a single layer on a cookie sheet, making certain that they are as flat as possible on the sheet. Arrange the claw meat in the body cavities. Spoon the stuffing onto each half lobster, covering the flesh so that it doesn’t dry out during cooking. Sprinkle each half lobster with 1 teaspoon of the olive oil and a few drops of the Tabasco. (Note: The recipe can be completed to this point a few hours ahead, if desired.) When ready to cook, place the lobsters in the 425-degree oven, and bake for 12 to 14 minutes, until cooked and nicely browned. CARAMELIZED CORN Yield: 6 servings 2 tablespoons corn oil 1 tablespoons unsalted butter 6 ears corn, kernels removed (see Corn, Basic Techniques, page ##) Dash salt 1 tablespoon chopped chives Heat the corn oil and butter in a large skillet, preferably nonstick. When hot, add the corn kernels, and cook over high heat for 4 to 5 minutes, covering the skillet with a lid to prevent splattering and stirring the kernels occasionally with a spatula to release and mix in some of the brown particles from the bottom. Continue cooking until the corn is nicely browned. Mix in the salt and the chives. POTATO FLATS Yield: about 12 2 potatoes (12 ounces total) 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 2 large eggs 1/2 pound ricotta cheese 2 tablespoons chopped chives 3 tablespoons corn oil 2 tablespoons unsalted butter Peel the potatoes, cut them into 1-inch pieces, and process the pieces in the bowl of a food processor with the flour, baking powder, salt, and pepper until smooth. Add the eggs and ricotta cheese, and process for a few seconds, until well mixed. Transfer to a bowl, and stir in the chives. Heat some of the corn oil and butter in a large skillet. When hot, scoop up about 2 tablespoons of the potato batter and drop into the skillet. Cook pancakes, not touching, adding a little more of the corn oil and butter between batches as needed. Sauté the pancakes for about 2 minutes over medium heat on one side, then turn them over, and cook for 1 minute on the other side. They should be nicely browned with dark, crunchy edges. To serve: Arrange the caramelized corn on six large dinner plates. Place a cooked lobster on top of the corn on each plate, and arrange the potato flats around the edge. Serve immediately with the extra cornbread. |
Broiled Lobster Benjamin with Caramelized Corn and Potato Flats|
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