For all those who have guests from out of town who think the only food to eat when they come to Maine is lobster – here you go.
The risotto recipe is good for entertaining. The pappardelle recipe is the most involved, but is absolutely delicious. And the salad recipe is perfect for those evenings where even the thought of turning on the stove has you limp on the couch.
Note that cooking times will increase with hardshell lobster, to about 10 minutes per pound.
LOBSTER, MUSHROOM AND SPINACH RISOTTO
2 tablespoons olive oil
8 ounces mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
1/4 cup white wine
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons lemon juice
3 ounces or 4 cups lightly packed spinach, washed, drained and deribbed
1/2 pound cooked lobster meat
2 tablespoons butter
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil and then mushrooms. When the mushroom edges begin to brown slightly, add white wine and salt. Bring to a boil and add spinach and lemon juice, stirring quickly with tongs. When spinach has wilted, remove from heat and add lobster meat and butter. Swirl pan or stir with a wooden spoon and serve on top of risotto.
RISOTTO
4 tablespoons butter, 1/2 stick
1/2 cup diced onion
2 cups Arborio rice
4 to 5 cups low-salt chicken stock
1/8 teaspoon salt
Pinch of white pepper
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté until the onions are translucent, about 10 minutes. If the onions begin to brown, reduce heat. When the onions are done, add the rice and stir for one minute.
Add the salt, pepper and 1 cup of the stock and stir. Continue to add the stock, one cup at a time until it is all incorporated, stirring frequently. The rice is done when the liquid is completely incorporated and the grains are just the tiniest bit al dente in the center. Add 1/2 cup Parmesan, reserving the second 1/2 cup for garnishing at the table. Serve immediately.
Serves 4 to 6.
PAPPARDELLE WITH LOBSTER LEEKS AND WHITE TRUFFLE OIL
This recipe was given to me by a guest, and it’s terrific!
It calls for making a lobster stock with the bodies and shells of the lobsters after the meat has been removed. The stock is then reduced with cream to make a rich sauce, which should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon when it’s ready to be tossed with the pasta.
Pappardelle is a broad fettuccine and is easily substituted with another broad, flat pasta.
4 live lobsters, each about 11/4 pound
4 tablespoons olive oil
3 leeks, white and green portions separated
2 large carrots, chopped
6 celery stalks, chopped
1 bay leaf
10 fresh flat-leaf parsley sprigs, plus 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
2 cups heavy cream
1 pound dried pappardelle pasta
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons white truffle oil
Bring a large pot three-fourths full of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the lobsters one at a time, head-first. Cover and cook until the lobsters are red, about 7 minutes. Transfer the lobsters to a large bowl filled with ice water and let cool completely. Separate the claws and tails from the bodies. Remove the meat from the claws, knuckles and tails, and cut the tail meat in half lengthwise. Reserve the shells and bodies and refrigerate the meat until ready to use.
To make the lobster stock, using a chef’s knife, cut the lobster bodies in half lengthwise. In a large saucepan over high heat, warm 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Add the lobster bodies, cut sides down, along with the shells, and cook without stirring until golden underneath, 4 to 5 minutes. Chop the green part of the leeks and add to the pan along with the carrots, celery, bay leaf and 2 quarts cold water or enough to cover. Lay the parsley sprigs on top, bring to a simmer and immediately reduce the heat to low. Simmer until the stock is golden and flavorful, about 2 hours.
Julienne the white part of the leeks, then rinse and drain well. In another large saucepan over medium-high heat, warm the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add the leeks and sauté until tender, 4 to 5 minutes.
Strain the lobster stock through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl and add to the pan with the leeks. Add the cream, bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer until the sauce is reduced by two-thirds (about 3 cups), 35 to 45 minutes.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot two-thirds full of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add pasta and cook according to the package instructions until al dente (tender but firm to the bite).
Add the lobster meat to the sauce and season with salt and pepper. Stir to mix and cook until the lobster is heated through, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in 1 tablespoon of the truffle oil. Drain the pasta, return it to the pot, add the sauce and stir gently to mix. Divide the pasta among warmed individual bowls. Garnish with the chopped parsley and drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon truffle oil.
Serves 4.
LOBSTER AND SPINACH SALAD WITH A LIME AND CHIVE AIOLI
Two 11/4 pound lobsters or 8 ounces cooked lobster meat
1 cup diced tomato
1/4 cup lime and chive aioli (see below)
1/8 teaspoon salt
Several grinds of fresh black pepper
To cook lobster, bring an inch of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the lobsters and cover. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until the entire shell is red and the antennae pull off easily. Remove from the pot and set aside to cool in a large bowl. Save the liquid for a future bisque or soup. When the lobsters are cooled, remove the meat from the claw and tail shells. Discard the vein that runs down the back of the tail and then coarsely cut the lobster meat. Combine with the rest of the ingredients and serve on top of spinach leaves.
SPINACH SALAD
2 ounces spinach leaves, washed and drained well, about 4 cups lightly packed
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons lime juice
1/8 teaspoon salt
Several grinds of fresh black pepper
Place spinach in a medium bowl and add rest of the ingredients in order. Toss and divide evenly onto two serving plates.
Serves 2.
LIME AND CHIVE AIOLI
1 small clove of garlic, smashed and coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon minced chives, plus a little extra for garnish
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons lime juice
Dash of Worcestershire
1/8 teaspoon salt
Several grinds of fresh black pepper
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup canola oil
Combine all ingredients except oil in a food processor and pulse until combined. Ever so slowly, while the motor is running, add the oil. After about a minute of dribbling the oil in, you can add it more quickly. Use 1/4 cup for the lobster and reserve the rest to use for sandwiches or dressing for another salad.
Makes a little over 1/2 cup.
Anne Mahle of Rockland is the author of the dining book “At Home, At Sea.” She can be reached at:
chefannie@mainewindjammer.com
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