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Chef2Chef Recipe Club - Volume 3 Issue 088 - October 30, 2002 Chef2Chef Recipe Club Member Forum: http://forums.chef2chef.net Un/Subscribe: http://chef2chef.net/news/subscribe.htm -------------------------------------------------- Hello Recipe Club, Today Lee Lippert from SeafoodByNet.com will share lobster recipes with us. One thing I surely miss about the East Coast is the availability of fresh lobster at a reasonable price. But nowadays you can get it fresh on the Internet delivered to your door in less than 24 hours. It's pretty amazing! Here are some basic lobster tips: How to tell when a lobster is fully cooked: The outer shell of the lobster will turn bright red. The meat should be white, opaque and firm. The tail will curl under and will resist your attempt to straighten it out. The two front antennae and walking legs of the lobster will pull out easily. Are all lobsters the same? The lobster found in the cold Northern East Atlantic waters from Maryland northwards are called (Latin) Homarus Americanus. These are a true lobster and in most New England states I think it may be "Illegal" to call anything else a lobster. Warmer water lobsters are technically a crayfish or Spiny Lobster. A true lobster has two large claws and a smoother shell. Both are delicious. How to buy a fresh Lobster: Lobsters are sold or graded by size. Chickens or Chix are 1 lb. Or less. Quarters are over 1 lb.-2 oz. to 1 lb.-4oz. Halves are 1 lb.-6oz. to 1 1/2 lb. Three Quarters are over 1 1/2 lb. to 1 3/4 lbs. Deuces are over 1 3/4 lbs. to 2 lbs. 2-3 lbs. are over 2 1/2 lb. to 3 lb. Jumbos are 4 lbs. and up. Quarters through Deuces are the most popular and are called "Selects" Missing a claw, you are a cull. Do not buy a dead uncooked lobster. The stomach of a dead lobster continues to digest the lobster itself which can be both offensive and potentially dangerous to humans. If you flip a lobster upside down in your hand and the tail flops back towards the floor limp, it is likely dead or soon to be. Get one with some fight left in it! How old is this thing? A lobster takes about seven years to reach one pound in body weight. After that it takes about 4 years to gain each additional pound. A "Four Pounder" could be almost 20 years old. -------------------------------------------------- Lobster Bisque Makes 4 servings Ingredients: 2 lbs. uncooked lobster 1 stalk celery, chopped 1 carrot, peeled and chopped 1 onion, chopped 1 bay leaf Small bunch parsley 10 cups water 2 tablespoons butter 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 1 cup milk 2 tablespoons sherry 2 teaspoons chopped fresh chervil 2 teaspoons chopped chives 2 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon Salt and white pepper to taste Preparation: Wash lobster well. Separate the head from the body/tail by inserting a sharp knife into first membrane layer holding the two together. Combine head, celery, carrot, onion, bay leaf, parsley and water in large saucepan and bring to a boil. Simmer 15 minutes, skimming as necessary. Add lobster tail to stock and simmer 10 to 15 minutes, again skimming as necessary. Strain, reserve 8 cups stock and tail. Using scissors, extract meat from reserved tail by cutting through shell and carefully peeling away meat. Place lobster meat in food processor or blender with 1/4 cup reserved stock and purée until smooth. Melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and cook 1 minute. Remove from heat and gradually add reserved stock and milk. Return to heat and bring to boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat and simmer until thick and creamy. Add puréed lobster, sherry, chervil, chives, tarragon, salt and pepper. Serve hot. -------------------------------------------------- Seafood By Net offers the largest selection of fresh and frozen seafood to professional as well as home cooks at the lowest prices found on the net. Fast overnight shipping on fresh and frozen seafood hand selected daily to insure only the highest quality fresh seafood from around the world. No hype just the highest quality beef and seafood at the lowest price! Remember the bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of a "cheap" price is forgotten. Visit us online at SeafoodByNet.com and receive $5 off your order by placing chef2chef in coupon area. http://html.chef2chef.net/goto.php?id=164 -------------------------------------------------- Lobster Newberg Makes 4 servings Ingredients: About 1 lb. cooked lobster meat, thawed if frozen 3 tablespoons butter or margarine 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon each pepper and paprika Dash of cayenne 1 cup half and half 1/3 cup dry sherry 2 egg yolks 4 slices warm buttered toast, cut in half diagonally or 4 baked patty shells Preparation: Cut lobster meat into 3/4 inch slices or chunks, set aside. In a pan, melt butter over medium-low heat, add 1/4 teaspoon of the salt, pepper, paprika, cayenne and lobster meat. Cook, stirring occasionally, just until heated through. In another pan, slowly heat half-and-half to scalding (just beginning to bubble at edges), stir in sherry. In a bowl, using a wire whip, beat egg yolks slightly, add hot half and half mixture to yolks, beating rapidly and constantly. Return mixture to pan and cook, stirring, over low heat until slightly thickened (do not boil), add remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Pour sauce over lobster and mix thoroughly. Serve on toast slices or heaped high in baked patty shells. -------------------------------------------------- Recipe Club, It's the last week of the month and your last chance to register to win all kinds of great prizes in October. Could you use a new $160 Cutting Board from Kentucky Virtual or a trip to Hawaii. How about a great selection of Gourmet Beef Jerky coming to your door for the next 6 months or a Chip and Dip Serving Bowl and a collection of great Salsas? Of course you could! Visit our Sweepstakes Page and Register to WIN! http://marketplace.chef2chef.net/sweep/ -------------------------------------------------- Lobster Medallions Ingredients: 1-1.5# Lobster tail (thawed) 1-cup dry vermouth 3-cup water 1/4 cup chopped shallots 1-cup heavy cream 2-tspoon dry tarragon 1-stick butter, cut into pieces Procedure: Bring vermouth and water to low boil in steamer, add lobster tail in shell and steam for 20 minutes. Remove lobster and wrap in damp cloth to retain heat, add shallots, tarragon and heavy cream to liquid and allow to simmer for 5 minutes, reducing liquid to ½ . Strain and add butter. Whisk to incorporate and place to side. Remove lobster meat from the shell and slice into 1/4 inch thick medallions. Place on medallions on warmed serving platter and drizzle sauce over and serve NOTE: This is a thin sauce but may be thickened if desired. -------------------------------------------------- Attention Culinary and Hospitality Industry Professionals. Sign up for your FREE subscription to Food Arts Magazine at Chef2Chef.net. http://html.chef2chef.net/goto.php?id=242 -------------------------------------------------- Shopping Lists: 2 lbs. uncooked lobster 1 stalk celery 1 carrot 1 onion 1 bay leaf Parsley Butter All-purpose flour Milk Sherry Fresh chervil Chives Fresh tarragon Salt and white pepper About 1 lb. cooked lobster meat Butter or margarine Salt Pepper and paprika Cayenne Half and half Dry sherry 2 eggs 4 slices warm buttered toast or 4 baked patty shells 1-1.5# Lobster tail 1-cup dry vermouth Shallots Heavy cream Dry tarragon 1-stick butter -------------------------------------------------- QUESTIONS, Comments, Technical Support: http://forums.chef2chef.net -------------------------------------------------- ARCHIVE: All Club e-mails are archived each Friday at: http://chef2chef.net/news/club/ -------------------------------------------------- |