Lobster Eggs Benedict

Lobster Eggs Benedict is probably the most complicated thing I'd ever want to make for breakfast. Even so, it's not particularly difficult and by cooking the lobster sous vide the potential horror of rubbery, overcooked lobster is effectively eliminated. Here's how to do it:

Lobster and Yellow Beet Borscht

Lobster and Yellow Beet Borscht

Adapted from Charlie Trotter's "Workin' More Kitchen Sessions"

Yield: 2 servings with plenty of left over borscht.
Ingredients

• 4 or 5 (about 1 1/4 pounds) Medium Yellow Beets
• 1/2 Cup Water
• 3 Bay Leaves
• 1 Whole Star Anise
• 2 Whole Cloves
• 3 Cups Vegetable Stock
• 4 Baby Red Beets
• 3 Tbs Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 3 Tbs Fresh Dill
• 1 Large (about 10 oz) Lobster Tail or one whole lobster, cooked
• 1 Tsp. Lemon Juice
• 1/4 Cup Heart of Palm, sliced diagonally
• 1 Tbs Prepared Horseradish
• 1 Cup Firmly packed fresh dill
• 1/2 Cup Creme Fraiche
• 1 Cup Mascarpone
• 1 Tbs Lime juice
• 1/4 Cup Prepared Horseradish
• Salt
• Pepper

Cooking Directions

I used one huge Yellow Beet


Prepare the beets:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Place the yellow beets in an oven proof pan with the water, 1 Tbs. olive oil, the bay leaves, star anise and whole cloves. Season with salt and pepper and cover tightly with aluminum foil.
2. Place the red beets in an oven proof pan with 1 Tbs olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and cover tightly with aluminum foil.
3. Roast the yellow beets for about 90 minutes, the red beets for about 45 minutes or until they are tender.
While the beets are roasting make garnishes
4. In a blender puree 1 cup dill, the mascarpone, creme fraiche, lime juice, and horseradish. Force the mixture through a fine sieve to remove the un-pureed bits of dill (optional). Place the mixture in a small covered container and freeze.
5. Slice the lobster tail into 8 rounds and chop 1 Tbs. dill. In a small bowl toss with the lobster and lemon juice.
6. In another bowl, toss the hearts of palm with 1 Tbs prepared horseradish
7. Cover both and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Make the Borscht:
8. When the beets are cool enough to handle peel them.
9. Cut the red beets half and set aside, covered.
10. Chop the yellow beets coarsely and puree them in a blender with the vegetable stock. Season with salt a pepper and refrigerate, covered, until it's time to serve.
Assemble and Serve:
11. Ladle the borscht into two bowls (there will be plenty left over). Arrange the lobster and red beets artistically with some of the hearts of palm in the middle.Top with a spoonful of the dill cream mixture, drizzle a bit of olive oil on top and serve.

Notes:

As written this is chilled borscht. It works wonderfully warm as well.

Star anise and hearts of palm: If you happen to have a Chinese market near you, they'll have the star anise. You'll find canned hearts of palm in the Hispanic section of your local grocery store under the name "palmitos". Goya and Roland are common brands. They can be left out entirely and the dish will still be delicious, but of course Amazon's Grocery section has both.

The Beets: The original recipe calls for "medium beets". I figure that means about 4 ounces each. Our market had the giant ones you see in the pictures at a bit over a pound each. So one of those was enough. The "baby beets" I used came from our garden. If you can't find little ones you can cut a "regular size" one into 8 wedges.

The Dairy: Large grocery stores will have both the creme fraiche and mascarpone in little plastic tubs. Even the miserable Giant in our neighborhood had 'em.

The Lobster: Live lobster is often on sale, at least here in the north east. One medium sized lobster will yield enough meat for 2 servings.

Lobster Apocalypse Part 3: Lobster Risotto

Lobster Apocalypse Part 3: Lobster Risotto

Recipe by William Colsher

Yield: 2 "main course" servings

Ingredients

• 2 Small Lobsters
• 1 Egg White
• 1 Medium Shallot, finely diced
• 1 Cup Vialone Nano rice
• 1 Cup Dry White Wine
• 2 Tbs Butter
• 2 Tbs Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Cooking Directions

1. Make Lobster Stock with the lobsters. Refrigerate the meat and let the stock cool.
2. Pour the lobster stock into a clean saucepan.





3. Whisk the egg white with 1/4 cup cold water until frothy and stir it into the lobster stock.





4. Bring the stock to a boil over medium high heat, stirring gently until the egg white coagulates, trapping most of the impurities.





5. Strain the stock through a double layer of cheese cloth into a clean saucepan and set aside over low heat, covered.
6. Place the butter and oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.
7. When the butter has melted and the foam subsides add the shallot and cook until softened. Do not allow the shallot to color.
8. Add the rice and cook, stirring constantly until it begins to become translucent.





9. Reduce the heat to medium-low and carefully add the white wine. Cook, stirring constantly until the wine is absorbed.
10. Add the reserved lobster stock to the rice 1/2 cup at a time. Stir regularly and do not add additional stock until he previous 1/2 cup has been absorbed. Continue until the rice reaches your desired degree of tenderness. (The quart of stock that the recipe yields should be enough for 1 cup of rice. If not, simply use hot water.)
11. When the rice is ready, chop the reserved lobster meat into large pieces and stir it in. Cook for a minute or two to finish the lobster, taste for seasoning, and serve immediately.

Notes:

This recipe makes enough risotto for 4 "first course" size servings. If you plan to use it that way, use three small (1 1/4 lb.) lobsters instead of two.

I prefer Vialone Nano rice, but it can be a little hard to find. Carnaroli or Arborio are just fine.

Lobster Apocalypse Part 2b: Lobster Pie - Lobster Cream Sauce

Lobster Apocalypse Part 2b: Lobster Cream Sauce

Recipe Adapted from The City Tavern Cookbook

Lobster Apocalypse Part 2a: Lobster Pie - Lobster Stock
Lobster Apocalypse Part 2c: Lobster Pie - Filling and Assembly

Yield: 2 cups

Calories per serving: Hahahaha!
Fat per serving: Don't ask.

Ingredients

• 1 Cup Lobster Stock
• 1 Cup Cream
• 4 Tbs Butter
• 4 Tbs Flour
• 1 Tbs Finely chopped shallot
• 1 Tbs Chopped Fresh Parsley
• Large Pinch Chopped Fresh Thyme
• Large Pinch Cayenne
• 1 Tbs Tomato Paste
• 2 Tbs Dry Sherry
• Salt
• White Pepper

Cooking Directions

1. Melt the butter in a medium sauce pan, add the shallots and gently cook until they are softened and translucent.
2. Add the tomato paste and whisk until the mixture is smooth.
3. Add the flour, whisking, and cook until the roux begins to bubble. Do not allow it to color.
4. Off heat, slowly add the lobster stock, sherry, and cream, whisking constantly. When the mixture is smooth return it to the heat.
5. Add the remaining ingredients and bring the sauce to a boil. It should be the consistency of thick gravy. If it is too thick add more lobster stock, if too thin simmer to reduce.
6. Season with salt a pepper to taste and set aside off heat, covered.

Lobster Apocalypse Part 2a: Lobster Pie - Lobster Stock

Lobster Apocalypse Part 2a: Lobster Stock

Recipe Adapted From The City Tavern Cookbook

Lobster Apocalypse Part 2b: Lobster Pie - Lobster Cream Sauce
Lobster Apocalypse Part 2c: Lobster Pie - Filling and Assembly

Yield: 1 Quart

Ingredients

• 3 Lobster shells and heads
• 1 Medium Onion
• 3 stalks Celery
• 1 Bay Leaf
• 1 Large Tomato
• 1 Tbs Tomato Paste
• 1 Gallon Water

Cooking Directions

The Vegetables

1. Roughly chop the onion and celery and tomato.
2. Place all ingredients in a large stock pot and bring to a boil.



Almost reduced - it might take as long as 6 hours

3. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until the liquid is reduced to about a quart.



Strain Carefully

4. Pull out the big chunks of lobster shell and head, then strain remainder through a double layer of cheesecloth.
5. Set the lobster stock aside, covered, for the Lobster Pie Recipe, next.

Notes:

Like me you probably don't have lobster shells and heads in your freezer ready to make lobster stock at a moment's notice.  The trick is to par cook the lobsters that will go into the Lobster Pie, remove the meat, and use the rest here. To par cook the lobsters, bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook each lobster for just 3 minutes. Refrigerate the meat immediately.

Lobster Apocalypse: Part 1

Lobster Macaroni and Cheese

Recipe by Hubert Keller

Yield: 4 Servings

Ingredients

• 3 Tbs White Wine Vinegar
• 4 1 lb Live Lobsters
• 1/3 Cup Finely Minced Shallots
• 1/4 Cup Finely Diced Carrot
• 1/4 Cup Finely Diced Celery
• 1 Tbs Butter
• 1 Tbs Cognac
• 2 Tbs Port
• 1 1/2 Cups + 2 1/2 Tbs Heavy Cream
• 5 Sprigs Parsley
• 1 Sprig Fresh Thyme
• 1 Dried Bay Leaf
• 3 Inch Piece Celery Stalk
• 3 Egg Yolks
• 8 oz Small Shells or Elbow Macaroni
• 3 Tbs Finely grated Mimolette or Aged Cheddar
• Salt
• White Pepper

Cooking Directions

Mise en place

1. Mince the shallot, dice the carrot and celery and assemble the bouquet garni with the parsley, thyme, bay leaf and celery stalk.
2. Bring 1.5 gallons of water to a boil in a large stock pot, add the vinegar and salt as for pasta.
3. Cook each lobster, covered, for 3 minutes transferring them to an ice water bath to stop the cooking.



4. Drain the lobsters and carefully dis-assemble them.
5. Remove the meat from the shells, keeping it as intact as possible.
6. Melt the butter in a large non-stick saucepan over medium heat and add the lobster meat.





7. Saute the meat gently for 2 minutes, remove the claw meat and cook the tails another minute. Set aside to cool.





8. Add the shallot, carrot and celery to the pan and cook gently for 3 minutes.
9. Add the 1 1/2 cups cream, cognac, port and bouquet garni to the pan and simmer for about 7 minutes until slightly reduced.
10. Cover the pan and set aside.
11. Whisk the remaining cream until it thickens, whisk in the egg yolks and refrigerate.
12. Cook the pasta according to the package directions and drain.
13. While the pasta is cooking, cut the lobster meat into bite size pieces.
14. Position a rack on the second level of your oven and turn the broiler on high.
15. Remove the bouquet garni from the sauce and add the lobster meat, the cheese, and the pasta. Bring to a boil, mixing well, and add salt and pepper to taste.





Ready to broil

16. Pour the mixture into individual oven safe serving dishes or into a 9" baking dish.
17. Spread the cream and egg yolk mixture over the top and broil until golden brown.

Notes:

This is a rather "chef-ly" recipe. I've added a couple steps to make the process a little more explicit.

The original recipe is made with Mimolette a bright red-orange aged cheese from Lille, France. It can be difficult to find but a traditionally made, aged, raw milk cheddar works wonderfully.

It may seem that there is very little cheese in this recipe. That's because Mimolette has a rather strong flavor. Feel free to add more. I used about a quarter cup - about 8 tablespoons. Just remember, the lobster is the main event, not the cheese.

Don't overcook the lobster - it's boiled for only 3 minutes, then sauteed in butter another 3 or 4 minutes, then added to the boiling hot sauce and broiled. The last thing you want is rubbery lobster chunks.