Lobster, Cooking and Eating

Yes It's Ours!

Lobster: Real lobster from the north coast of New England's Cold water, claws and all. Not, Spiny lobster without claws, not Rock crawfish passed off as Lobster Tails. Truth be told, they are warm water in origin and don’t hold a candle to the real thing! Often tough.

Well I feel a story coming on! When I was a young fella, my buddies and I rented houses on Cape Cod for the summer. We were working in Connecticut at the time and would drive up there on weekends to party. Normal Sunday dinner was a bushel of little neck clams -steamed, another of corn on the cob and a 2-½ to 3 pound lobster each. We’d cook them outside over an open fire.

Ok Ok I know, where am I going with this? Well simply put I (we) my wife and I have purchased, cooked and dismembered at least three of those buggers in the 16 pound class. So I think that I speak from experience of how and what when it comes to LOBSTER.

Well first off size has nothing to do with tenderness. A 16 ponder is just as succulent as a “Chick”. And I’ll accept a duel over that statement! Buy a Hard shell lobster as they have more meat than soft shell lobsters. The old adage is only buy in the months with an “R” in it their name as that’s when they are not molting (loosing their shell). Look fore black mottled areas under the claws. Also select a male as the will have larger claws and smaller tail.

OK let’s get to it. First cooking such a behemoth is no different then a small fry (“chicks”). Make sure it’s alive! My kids actually feed one lettuce on the floor in our kitchen while we waited for the time to come to cook it. Buy the way they DO NOT make any noise as you put them into boiling water.

Get a really big pot of water to boiling then put it in head first. You may have to pry the claws off the sides of the pot in the process, but you’ll preserver. Wait ‘till the water starts to boiling again and then set your timer for 10-12 min. for 2 Lbs. and under. For the big one, 20 min. or more.

When the time is up, get a crane to haul it out and onto a dish - no I mean a huge platter.

Now the fun starts- First, take a fork (just a table fork) and pierce the membrane at the base of the tail several times. Pick up the back and bend the tail back until it snaps apart from the body. Pull it out as it will have meat attached to it as it comes out. Set it aside for now. BY THE WAY THIS ALL APPLIES TO EVEN THE SMALLEST OF THEM.

Moving on; also pierce the same membrane where the large claws connect to the body and again break them off and set aside. (Messy isn’t it?). OK so now we have the fella dismembered and can be served to your guests - But! They may not know what to do.

OK OK take the tail and tear out the center flipper at the far end. There will be a eatable flipper meat there, but never mind, Simply take the entire tail section in your left hand and endeavor to straighten it out the best that you can. Now stick your index finger in that place where you pulled off the flipper and push hard! I mean put some effort into it. The entire tail meat should slide out the end where you broke it off of the body.

Now to the claws; Take each claw and again pierce the area where the arm joins the claw and break it backward, separating them. Take a fork and stick one tine into the opening at the base of the claw and work it like an old fashioned can opener right up to the side claw. You should now have basically a slot up the bottom of the claw. Just take the shell and break it open again using the fork tine. Right there in front of you is the most tender piece of meat in the entire critter! Dip it in some butter and chow down.

Each of the segments of the “arms” can be opened in the same fashion accessing the meat inside. The auxiliary arms can be removed from the body by again piercing at the juncture with the body and “can openering” them in turn. On the really small ones, just suck out the meat.

OK now how far do you want to go? There’s still a lot of good tender meat remaining in the body. ……If you are up to dismembering it?

If so read on!

OK (I like that word here) Pick up the main body and turn it over right side up. Grab the shell at the back end while holding the lower part of the body and peel off the top shell. Sorry, there’s no meat here, but if you have access to running water, flush the inner body section so as to see what you’re working on.

Now all cleaned up, head for the junctions of the claws with the body, there you will find quite a bit of very tender meat, Again with your fork, pry open the containing white cartilage and pull out the meat.

Well you have the idea by now, just keep digging for treasure.

Lobster CRACKERS - not necessary, they just crush the meat!

OH by the way use unsalted butter!

Grilled Columbia River Salmon

The Coho salmon I grilled came from the Columbia River, the best we can get here in Arizona. The capers are essential as they add just the touch on texture.

INGREDIENTS:

3/4 to 1 lb Columbia River or other wild salmon filet (Not Sockeye Salmon)
1 lemon
2-1/2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic
dash cyan pepper powder
1 Tbs. capers, drained
pepper grinder

PREPARATION:

Press the garlic in garlic press. Cut 3 thin slices from the center of the lemon then cut in half. Juice the ends of the lemon, drain the capers.

Wash the Salmon thoroughly, checking for bones. Cut off any visible fat then pat dry and set aside for now. Add juice lemon, olive oil, garlic and cyan pepper to a glass dish large enough to hold the salmon filet and mix marinade thoroughly. Place filet flesh side down on marinade. Rub a bit of the marinade on the skin side, cover and let sit for 30-45 minutes.

Prepare your chimney starter and set it ablaze. When fames are coming out the top, dump it into the grill at one end only. Put the grill racks on the grill and let them heat for about 5 min. or so. Coat the end over the coals with olive oil.

GRILLING:

Place salmon flesh side down on the oiled grid. Grill for 3 minutes to sear. Coat another area of the grill grids away from the coals, turn the salmon skin side down and move it to the newly oiled area. Close the cover and roast covered for 5-10 minutes. The salmon is done when the temp. gets to 130 – 135 deg. or when the surface of filet is pink and not glassy.

Carefully remove salmon from grill to a platter; arrange the lemon slices around salmon on platter. Grind on pepper to taste, and garnish with a generous tablespoon of capers. Serve immediately.

Prawns with Walnuts

Updated 6/13/13

I was first introduced to authentic Chinese cooking back in 1960. I even learned to use chopsticks proficiently. My early dishes were primarily prepared in the Canton fashion; the most widely available at the time. Well you are all wondering where I’m going with this – Well I don’t like South West or Mexican cooking. But I have learned to truly love the dished of the Szechwan province which is extremely HOT.
On a visit to New York City in about 1970 my wife and I went to China Town to a small Chinese restaurant called Szechwan Cuisine. Its menus were scrolled on the wall all in Chinese. All of the customers were Chinese, except us. Well when in Rome do as the Romans do – right -no WRONG. We order two dishes the first was simply called Prawns with Walnuts and the second was Szechwan Broccoli. Both dishes were so hot our mouths were on fire. We managed to finish and about died from it. We returned many times over the years to enjoy those dishes as well as other (Prepared for Chinese) while we lived in the New York area.

As time went on we craved for the taste of the Szechwan Cuisine, but we couldn’t find anything to compare. Over the year I taught myself to cook in the Chinese fashion. I’ve even wrote a Chinese Recipe book. Well thru trial and error I finally perfected both of those dished. The recipe for the Prawns with Walnuts follows. The Szechwan Broccoli I’ll list another time.

Prawns with Walnuts

INGREDIENTS:

3/4 pound Prawns (or shrimp) 20 Large
1/4 cups Walnuts Whole
6 ounces water chestnuts
1 tsp. water chestnut powder dissolved in 2 tsp. water
MARINADE:
1 each egg white
2 tsp. water chestnut powder
1 Tbs. sherry
SPICES:4 each scallions (white and green)
2 slices ginger
2 cloves garlic
SAUCE:
2 Tbs. soy sauce (low sodium)
2 Tbs. sherry
1-1/2 tsp. sugar
1-1/2 tsp. Black vinegar
2 Tbs. Szechwan chili sauce

PREPARATION:

Shell, split, remove vein and wash the prawns(shrimp). Dry with paper towels and place in the marinade; mix well and refrigerate for 1 to 12 Hrs.
Blanch the walnuts for 2 min., then remove the husks. (This isn't any fun!)
Sauce: combine the soy, sherry, sugar, vinegar, and chili sauce in a small bowl and mix.
Mix the water chestnut powder with the water.
Spices: Clean and mince the ginger and garlic. Clean and chop the scallions.

COOKING:

Preheat 12 oz. Solid shortening(Crisco) in the Wok to 350 deg. Re-stir Shrimp/Marinade, strain and add shrimp to Wok all at once. Stir with chopsticks for 1 min. using the chopsticks to keep them from clumping. Turn off heat; remove with a strainer and let drain. Remove wok and clean.

Heat wok hot then add 2 Tbs. peanut oil and heat just 'till smoke. Add the scallions, ginger, and garlic. S/F for 30 sec. Add water chestnuts and walnuts; mix briefly.

Re-stir the Sauce, add it to the wok followed by the shrimp; S/F to combine. Re-stir the water chestnut powder/water mixture and add to the wok. Stir until the sauce has evenly glazed the shrimp and thickens.

Scoop out to a serving dish and serve immediately.

S/F = Stir fry

Pork and Beans

Well yesterday, Sunday, was a meal of two favorite gourmet treats, Pork Tenderloin encrusted with Rosemary and Capers along with Roasted Green Beans with Shallots and Almonds. A beautiful combination, however the two dishes present a problem with only one oven. The beans require 425 deg temp while the pork is 350 deg. This is where your instant read thermometer comes into play. Roast the pork for about 20 min. at 350 deg and raise the temp to 425 for the beans. The pork should come out of the oven 8 to 10 minutes before the beans are done, just enough time for it to rest.

And yes we picked the beans out one at a time from the local grocery. They had just received a shipment and had them in a large bin, so each bean could be checked before it went into the bag. I know, a lot of trouble, but it’s worth it.

The answer is yes, we do have a small herb garden and an especially large rosemary bush!

Creamy Chicken Marsala

Here is my interpretation of Chicken Marsala. The heavy cream adds a bit of richness and texture to the sauce.

INGREDIENTS:

2 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1 lb total)

1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth

1 medium shallot

3 Tbsp unsalted butter (Divided)

5 oz Cremini mushrooms

½ dry or 3/4 tsp fresh sage (Divided)

1/8 tsp fresh ground black pepper

½ cup all-purpose flour

1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp dry Marsala wine

1/3 cup heavy cream
½ tsp fresh lemon juice

PREPARATION:

Thoroughly wash the breasts removing any fat and adhering film. Gently pound the breasts into evenly thick ¼” between pieces of wax paper using a meat pounder; Pat dry and season with pepper. Pour flour in a small paper bag and shake the pieces one at a time shaking off the excess flour. Place them on wax paper in a single layer (So they don’t stick together)

Peel and finely chop the shallot Wash the mushrooms shaking off the water, trim and thinly slice. Wash the sage, shape off the water, strip leaves from stalk and finely chop. Juice the lemon.

COOKING:

Prepare an Aluminum foil ten. OR warm the oven just to 200 deg, rack in the middle position.

Set a 2-quart saucepan over medium-high heat add the broth and bring to a boil. Boil uncovered, until reduced to about 1/3 cup, about 8-10 minutes

Heat a 10-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, add 2 Tbsp of butter and continue heating ‘till it just starts to bubble. Add the shallot and sauté until they begins to turn golden, about 1 minute. Add mushrooms, ½ teaspoon of sage and pepper and simmer, stirring occasionally, until “liquid mushrooms give off” is evaporated and mushrooms begin to brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from heat.

Heat a 10-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat add 1Tbsp each of oil and butter until foam subsides, then sauté the chicken, turning over once, until golden and just cooked through, about 4 minutes total. Transfer the chicken breasts to a heatproof platter, arranging in 1 layer, and then put platter in oven to keep warm. Alternately tent the platter with Aluminum foil while the sauce is prepared.

Deglaze the skillet with 1/4 cup wine bring it to a boil over medium high heat, stirring and scraping up brown bits, about 30 seconds. Add reduced broth, mushrooms and cream reduce heat medium low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until sauce is slightly thickened, 6 to 8 minutes. Add lemon juice and 1Tbsp of wine and ¼ teaspoon sage.

Ladle the sauce over and around the breasts. Garnish with sprigs of Sage chicken with sauce.

Pan Seared Chicken Leg Quarters

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Most chicken recipes are devoted to breasts. This is the second of my favorite ways to prepare legs – More juicy and tender then the breasts.

INGREDIENTS:

3 chicken leg quarters
2-1/2 Tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic
4 Thyme branches (1 tsp. of dry)
Pepper to taste
1/4 cup dry white wine
Thyme branches or parsley for garnish.

PREPARATION:

Peel the garlic and press (garlic press) it into a zipper bag. Wash the thyme and shake off water, strip the leaves and chop. Measure the oil into the bag and add the thyme. Grind in some fresh pepper also. Let the bag sit for an hour to infuse the oil.

Wash the quarters and remove backs, skin and tail if present along with any fat; rinse again, pat dry.
Then put the legs in bag, massaging to distribute. Let the quarters sit for about an hour

COOKING:

Put a large non-stick skillet on the range and heat over high heat 90%. Put the legs in there flesh side down and sear them for 5 min. Cover partially to keep the spattering down. After 5 min turned them over sear another 5 min. Turn down the heat to medium low and let them cook covered for 15 min. Then turn the quarters over and cook another 15 min. or until you get a 170 deg reading on a thermometer. Or the juice runs clear.  Take the legs out and place them on a serving platter; Tent with foil.

Scrape the skillet to loosen any stuck bits. Stir in wine over medium heat, and bring to a slow boil. Continue simmering to reduced and slightly thickened. Pour over the chicken.

Add the garnish and serve.

Mesquite Smoked Chicken Quarters

Removing the skin and using a “Wood Chip Smoker Box” on top of the grill grids really infuses the smokiness into the meat. The searing and roasting makes the chicken tender and juicy.

INGREDIENTS:

3 Chicken leg quarters

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1 tsp fresh thyme

pinch of salt

parsley sprigs

PREPARATION:

Put about a cup of mesquite wood chips in water and soak for 1 to 2 hours.

Wash and clean the legs, remove the backs and excess fat from the leg quarters, remove the skin and pat dry.
Remove the leaves from the thyme stalks and chop. Pour the olive oil in a zipper bag along with the salt, grind in some fresh black pepper and add the thyme, squeezing to mix. Add the quarters to the bag and again massage to distribute the oil and spices. Set the bag aside to marinate for an hour or so. Refrigerate it’s hot out. If you do refrigerate, take them out at least ½ hour before grilling.

Start the charcoal (Preferably Mesquite lump) in a chimney starter about 2/3 full. When they are “going” in about 15 min dump the coals to one side of the grill only. Replace the grill grids and let them heat for 5 min. or so.

Drain the chips and put in a smoker box if you have one, in either case set then aside for now.

GRILLING:

Oil the grids over the coals only with olive oil. Put the quarters on, flesh side down. Grill for about 3 min. If the fire is overly hot , close the air vents to cool it. The temp should be medium to medium hot. Now turn the quarters over and grill for another 3 min. This will sear the leg quarters to seal the juices in.

ROASTING:

Oil the grids away from the coals and move the quarters over; off of the coals. Put the smoker
box on the grid over the coals. If you aren’t using a smoker box, lift the grid and spread the Mesquite chips directly on the coals. Close the lid. After about 15 min. take a peak to see how things are doing. Turn the quarters over and close the lid again. In 15 or 20 min. stick the thickest part with your instant read thermometer. You’re looking for about 175 deg. If it’s there, Remove to a platter and serve. Garnish with parsley sprigs.
Additional time over the coals will hasten the achieving of the final temperature if necessary.

Grilled Chilean Sea Bass with Portabella Mushrooms

Here’s one our favorite dishes, a succulent and tasty way to enjoy the most wonderful fish available.

INGREDIENTS:

2 Chilean Sea Bass* Steaks 1 1/4-inch thick 6-8 oz each
5 oz. fresh Large Portabella mushrooms
2 Shallots
1 Tbsp butter
¼ cup Marsala wine (DO NOT use cooking Sherry)
½ cup of chicken stock (low Sodium)
fresh ground white pepper
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil (divided)
2 rosemary sprigs

PREPARATION:

Wash the fillets and trim if necessary. Removing any skin

Chop the shallots into strips. Wash the mushrooms and pat dry, then slice into full length strips 3/8 to ½” wide. Wash the Rosemary and shake to remove excess water. Measured the other ingredients

Pour 1/2 Olive oil in a small dish and dredge the Bass in it, season with a little white pepper.

Start the Charcoal with a chimney starter. Wait about 15 min. and dump the coal into the grill, replace the grill grids. Oil the grids with olive oil. Wait a few more min.‘till it’s flaming to cook

COOKING:

Precooking time ½ hour

Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat and sauté the shallots until translucent.

Deglaze the pan with Marsala wine. Reduce the wine to about two tablespoons; add the butter, letting it melt then add the mushroom strips. Reduce the heat to medium and sauté until the mushrooms are tender.

Add the chicken stock, a little pepper, and let the sauce cook down until it thickens somewhat. (When it sticks to the spoon). Reduce heat to absolute minimum, just keeping warm.

Grilling:

When you add the stock to the mushrooms, put the Sea Bass on the grill. Cook them on one side for about 3 minutes and flip them over for another 2 minutes. Close the Cover of the grill and roast for 4-5 minutes. Total Grill time 11-12 min. max!!

Place the grilled Sea Bass on the plates; arrange the mushrooms around them, pouring any sauce on the Bass.

Garnish with a sprig of rosemary and serve while piping hot.
* Chilean Sea Bass is the Patagonia Toothfish and is caught off Chile. There’s a lot of “Sea Bass and bass sold, but it isn’t the same.

Roasted Green Beans with Shallots and Almonds

Well there are many recipes for preparing Green Beans out there. Here is my interpretation.

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb. young tender green beans
3 Tbsp olive oil
4 shallots
1/4 cup slivered or sliced almonds
1 Tbsp lemon zest
2 Tbsp fresh parsley
Freshly ground black pepper

PREPARATION:

Toast the Almonds: Spread nuts in one layer on un-greased shallow baking tray. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Toast for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden

While they toast, wash and trim the green beans, let drip in a colander, shaking most of the water off and put on a towel and dry. Peel the shallots and slice thinly. Wash, shake off excess water, remove the stems and chop the parsley. Zest the lemon with a grater.

Combine the almonds, lemon zest, and parsley in a small bowl.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Toss the green beans in a large baking dish with the oil, shallots and several turns of a pepper mill.

ROASTING:
Roast until just barely cooked through and showing brown, about 15 to 18 minutes. Transfer green beans to a platter and sprinkle with the almond mixture.

Recipe adapted from one by  Bobby Flay, Food Network