IDEAS IN FOOD

Steak with Rice Seasoning

I glossed over the seasoning on our strip steaks. Our go to seasoning for meat has been a blend of brown sugar, cayenne and salt. However, with the rice seasoning out of the cabinet we added it to the mix. The seaweed and sesame added a deeper dimension to the meat and provided a greater understanding for why we crave surf and turf.

Truffle Butter Steak

We often finish our steaks with a healthy lathering of butter. Occasionally we branch out and use garlic butter for the flavor. Somehow in all this looking forward we have forgotten the power of flavored butter. Maitre d'hotel butter is a classic and we have done it a disservice by overlooking it. At the store yesterday I saw steaks packaged with black truffle butter. Eureka. That would be amazing on top of charred steaks. Why had I not thought of that? The bigger question is why had I forgotten about that?

We seasoned the steaks and grilled them and when it was time for them to rest we slathered them in the cold black truffle butter. As the steaks rested and the juices mixed with the butter and the heat released the aromas from the butter we were indulged in olfactory and soon to follow flavorful bliss. Now we need to look at what we can and will flavor our butters with and how to customize them to the dish and ingredients at hand: pine needle miso butter with lobster, elderflower butter on biscuits, dark beer and mustard butter on sausage cured corvina.

Rice Seasoning, Not Just For Rice

We made a quick tomato salad for dinner tonight. To season the tomatoes we looked back at our affinity for nori and tomatoes. Unfortunately we were pressed to get food on the table and our pantry had the answer. We keep a variety of rice seasoning in the cupboard. This one was a blend of salt, sugar, sesame seeds and nori. It was perfect in this pinch and has now marked its place as a go to for vegetable seasoning. We ran to the weed patch and grabbed some basil blossoms and leaves to finish the salad.

In looking at the use of the rice seasoning on the tomatoes we realized that we had actually utilized it a few weeks ago to season some sauteed peas. I guess we should have written about that when we did it so that we could remember these delicious adventures.

Roasted Potato Gnocchi Bolognese

We were able to shape our instant potato gnocchi in a more traditional manner.

Instant Potato Gnocchi

 

360 grams milk

175 grams butter

6 grams salt

1 gram garlic powder

0.75 grams nutmeg

0.75 grams black pepper

140 grams flour

110 grams toasted potato flakes ground into flour

165 grams grated cheese

324 grams/ 6 whole eggs

 

Put the liquid, butter, spices and salt in a pot. Bring to a simmer. Add the flours and stir until the dough forms a ball and pulls away from the edges. Put the dough into a mixer with the blade attachment and add the cheese. Paddle the dough for five minutes to cool, then start adding the eggs one at a time allowing each one to be incorporated into the dough. Let the dough cool and either put into a piping bag and extrude the dough into simmering water to poach or shape into balls while cold and then roll on a gnocchi  board and then poach and chill.

Working With Tri-Tip

A Better Cherry

We often look to ingredients for inspiration. The cherry when ripe and juicy eludes creativity. If you open a refrigerator and begin eating ice cold juicy cherries, filling the side of your mouth with spent pits, then you understand the beauty of this fleeting ingredient. We have preserved cherries and pickled them, made miso, pie and ice cream and still nothing captures the essence of a cherry like a cherry. The one place for improvement is the pit. Either we need to replace the pit with something equally delicious or we need to find a more elegant way to dispose of a mouthful. We are currently working on both. The research is difficult, but someone has to do it.

Cocoa For Sweet and Savory

Turnip Salad

Aki whipped up this quick turnip salad to go with our whole grilled fish. The turnips are dressed with ginger, red onion, soy sauce, chives, lemon juice and salt. After the salad marinated for a few hours the turnips gave up a bunch of liquid which created a base for a dressing which we used on the fish; we added jalapeno from our weed patch, and some olive oil from our pantry. The result was a delicious lunch which kept our kitchen cool amidst this silly heat wave we are living in.

Whole Fish on the Grill

I have not been very good at flipping whole fish on the grill. We are big believers in flipping proteins to cook them evenly and quickly. As the heat radiates upward through the grill grates the fish cooks quickly on the bottom, while the top cooks much more slowly, so if you don't turn the fish you are doomed to an unevenly cooked meal. This isn't easily done because the fish tends to become somewhat fragile as it cooks. If you try to flip it without encasing the fish in a rack it tends to fall apart, if you use a cage, it tends to get a little beat up and stick to wires.

As we contemplated a beautiful Blackfish, we began thinking about beer can chickens and the numerous devices designed for cooking them. I first tried balancing the fish on top of our beer can chicken stand. This was not a success. Then I took the tines from our toaster oven's rotisserie attachment and attached them to the beer can stand. Now I was able to fill the base with citrus and aromatics and balance the fish on top. We brushed the fish with olive oil and carefully placed the whole thing in our grill on high heat and gently closed the lid. The skin crisped and blistered and the meat cooked beautifully, becoming tender and juicy. It was a great first run and has me looking into how to make our own whole fish grilling apparatus.

Not Quite Maraschino Cherries

Judith recently posted about making her own maraschino cherries, which reminded me that it was on my list of things to do one day. As it happens local sour cherries have just come into season and we were lucky enough to find some at the Doylestown Farmer's Market yesterday. Unfortunately I am clearly not alone in my wish because I could not get my hands on maraschino liqueur for love or money. A local store that normally stocks it will have more on Wednesday but I didn't want to leave the cherries in the fridge for that long.

I considered whiskey or bourbon but Alex doesn't drink either and it seemed silly to preserve them in something we couldn't share. Although I have to admit that I was sorely tempted by Drambuie, as I thought it's sweet, slightly herbaceous whiskey flavor would be wonderful with the cherries. Maybe if I can get my hands on another batch... The solution was tequila. Sauza Hornitos to be exact, sweetened with dark agave and with a yuzu leaf in each mason jar. I didn't pack the cherries as tightly as my Uncle Alex would have back in the days when he made his whiskey cherries but that's because our goal is both cherries and liqueur. I set them in a dark cupboard to age and hopefully we'll be able to leave them alone for a few weeks or months to let things come to fruition.

Just Mixed Bread

As we explored our gentle if not random nature of mixing bread we paused and took a picture. The next step involves vacuum sealing the dough to hydrate the flour. The moment we took this picture we were drawn to the complexity in what we thought was a simple preparation. Taking the step back and taking the time to take the picture has allowed us to look at the steps in a process we  often take for granted.

Instant Potato Gnocchi

These gnocchi are made with toasted instant mashed potatoes folded into a semi-traditional pate au choux recipe. The gnocchi are poached in boiling water, then chilled and sauteed to serve. We enriched the gnocchi with some bacon fat and cheddar and gruyere cheeses. Here we have paired the gnocchi with shaved lardo, sauteed spring onions and saltwort needles. The gnocchi open up a number of doors from Aki's coconut gnocchi to the whole wheat ones I am looking into. Time and taste will tell where we go.

Spring Onion Noodles

Our first use decision when working with the spring onions was what to do with the greens. It was not long before we decided on some hand made and rolled noodles.

Spring Onions

Bunches of these open the idea dam.

Cauliflower in the Style of Bolognese

I am a meat sauce guy. I really enjoy the process and the resulting aroma, which fills the kitchen, when I'm making either a classic or a not so traditional Bolognese sauce. However, when time is fleeting and there is no meat on hand, cauliflower has proven to be a worthy stand-in for creating a sauce in the style of Bolognese. We still made a quick soffrito of chopped onions and garlic, with the addition of red chile flakes and minced hot pickled peppers. And instead of browning meat, we browned cauliflower, which had been coarsely ground in the food processor. We added wine, both white and red, because that is what we had on hand. A splash of soy sauce and some bottled red sauce from the pantry rounded things out nicely. A last minute addition of rosemary and basil from our weed patch added a bright aromatic touch to the sauce. The most surprising thing was that it actually tasted meaty and was very satisfying. We have used celery root, shrimp, and calamari in variations of sauce Bolognese before, but had not thought to try cauliflower until hunger and a meager pantry inspired this extrapolation for dinner last night.

The Butter Burger

This recipe has been subject to continuous evolution. We are both burger lovers. We can easily rattle off lists of great burgers, including when and where we ate them, and no, our lists are not the same. Some burgers are defined by the meat, some by the condiments, and some even by their accompaniments. Burgers cooked at home are subject to a different set of criteria from the ones eaten in restaurants. Since we are not big on frying, they tend to be stand alone kind of meals with the burger at the center of the plate. Lettuce, tomato and onion round things out on a good night and when we're really on our game, thinly sliced jalapenos gild the lily to perfection. These days though, home cooked burgers tend to focus on the meat.

The butter burger was first conceived of years ago, before we started grinding our own meat. The best ground meat we could find tended to be the leanest type available. Now everybody knows you need fat to make a burger juicy. The generally accepted standard for good burgers is 80% lean. Since we were occasionally buying meat that was leaner than that, clearly some supplementation was in order. In restaurants it is a common practice to sear meats and fish in hot oil and finish them with a generous basting of butter. That final kiss of fat gives them a wonderful flavor that is seldom duplicated in home kitchens. Heaven knows that a touch (or more) of butter makes almost anything better and so it was easy to see how we decided to increase the fat content of our meat by adding some grated butter to the blend.

A grated onion was another no brainer. It almost melts into the meat as it cooks and adds a sweetness and a savory undertone that enhances without overpowering. A kiss of soy sauce, a generous sprinkling of salt, and a hint of cayenne make for a tasty burger. Then we decided to try grinding our own meat.

We are partial to the first cut chuck blade roast. It comes from the shoulder blade of the cow. The first cut comes off the portion next to the rib and has a generous portion of the "eye" muscle from the rib steak. It's made up of several different cuts of meat, which when ground, give the burgers great flavor. We won't lie, it's not an easy cut to track down. Frankly the only place we can get our hands on it locally is the butcher's counter at Whole Foods. It's worth the effort that goes into finding it because it makes a superlative burger.

I think we covered the benefits of grinding in yesterday's post. Suffice it to say that we use the grinding attachment for our Kitchen Aid mixer and it works beautifully.

Butter Burger

Makes 6-8 generous burgers

All gram measurements are by weight.

 

1800 grams/4 pounds first cut chuck blade roast bone in

200 grams/7 ounces butter diced

200 grams/7 ounces onion diced

50 grams/1.75 ounces soy sauce

10 grams/0.35 ounces salt

1.5 grams/0.05 ounces /½ teaspoon cayenne

 

Have a bowl sitting on ice to put the meat into as you trim it to keep everything cold. Trim the meat out of the roast, removing connective tissue, bone and large pockets of fat.  Cut it into strips, which will fit into your meat grinder. Add the butter, diced onion, soy sauce, salt and cayenne to the bowl and stir gently with a rubber spatula to combine. Grind the meat mixture using the ¼-inch die of the meat grinder. Reserve half of the ground meat in the bowl and grind the other half a second time.

Combine both portions of meat and gently mix them together with your hands. Lay out two layers of plastic wrap in slightly overlapping layers so that they form a double wide sheet. Lay the meat down in a log on the top third of the plastic wrap and fold the plastic over the log and roll it up like a sushi roll, forming a log approximately 5-inches in diameter. Use additional plastic wrap to shape the log and wrap it tightly into a roulade. Place it in the refrigerator for at least two hours to firm up. Slice 1.5-2-inch burgers off the roll, remove the plastic, and cook them as desired.

The Meat Grinder

There was a time when people would go to the butcher and get their meat ground to order. Or they would buy the meat and take it home to grind themselves. As ground meat grew in popularity butchers began pushing pre-ground meat on their customers. This would speed the flow of people through the store by allowing them to grind the meat in advance. In the beginning customers were suspicious. They wanted to see their meat ground in front of them so that they knew exactly what they were getting. Good butchers would grind meat daily to ensure freshness. But as time went buy and butchers moved to supermarkets and then to meat processing plants, the practice of buying pre-ground meat became standard.  

Understanding the information on your label is key. Packages may be labeled hamburger or ground beef. According to the USDA beef fat can be added to ground beef labeled “hamburger.” Both categories can contain up to 30% fat and in American supermarkets the fat percentages are clearly marked on the packaging. The only additional ingredients allowed in your package of ground beef are seasonings. No fillers, extenders, phosphates, binders or additional water are permitted.

There are safe handling labels that explain how to properly store, handle and prepare the meat because ground beef is known to sometimes harbor pathogenic bacteria, such as Salmonella, Escherichia coli O157:H7, Campylobacter jejuni, Listeria monocytogenes, and Staphylococcus aureus. Ground beef contains more surface area than whole muscle cuts so there is amplified opportunity for the bacteria to multiply during storage. Safe handling instructions include avoiding cross-contamination and cooking the meat until it reaches an internal temperature of 71°C/160°F. This temperature is significantly higher than the juicy pink medium rare that we enjoy for our burgers. We could roll the dice and cook our pre-ground meat the way we like it or we could step up to the plate and see about grinding our own.  

Meat grinders are fairly straightforward machines. Pieces of meat are fed through a tube and pushed through a turn screw, which forces the meat through the cutting plate, which determines the size of the cut pieces of meat. This means that you can control how chunky or fine you want to grind your meat. After the blades cut the meat it is pushed out of the grinder. The grinders can be electric or manual. Some are free standing or you can purchase them attachments to other pieces of equipment, like standing mixers. Which type you buy really depends on how often you will be using it and what quantities of meat you plan to grind.

Grinders are good for more than just ground meat and sausages. It can be used to grind vegetables for pickles and relish. Bologna and ham are ground to make excellent salads.  Certain cookie doughs are put through the grinder to achieve the right shape and texture before baking. Cooked meats are ground to make the basis for killer hash. Dried fruits can be ground into a paste for use in cookies and cakes, think fig newtons. Cheese can be put through the grinder for pimento cheese and its myriad variations. There is a wide range of reasons to add a meat grinder to your kitchen.  

Even if you only want to make your own burgers it’s worth the effort of grinding your meat at home. For our first experiment we decided to grind half of our meat one evening and leave it in the fridge overnight and the other half right before cooking the burgers. We wanted to see how much of a difference freshness would make. It’s safe to say that it made a big difference in the blind taste test. We used classic chuck for our ground beef and right off the bat it had a meatier flavor than we get from our normal pre-ground beef. As a matter of fact, the difference was so significant that it made us realize how much of the taste of our average burger actually comes from the condiments. Then we compared the two different patties. We were both struck by the distinct difference between the burgers. One patty seemed much more game-y than the other, unpleasantly so. The meat was darker and seemed to have more earth and mineral notes. The other patty had a cleaner taste, a sweetness to it that made the first burger seem unpleasant in comparison. It came as no surprise that the first burger was made out of the pre-ground beef.  

Oxidation clearly has a big hand in this process. Oxidation is responsible for the myoglobins in the meat turning red in the first place. Of course the longer that the meat is exposed to air the more oxidation occurs, slowly changing the color from bright red to grayish brown, just as when meat is cooked. Bacteria already present in the meat begin to consume the glucose and proteins. The by-products from this consumption react with the myoglobins turning the meat yellow, brown and green. Another issue in the deterioration of ground meat is lipid oxidation. Lipases are enzymes that hydrolyze triglycerides and phospholipids. This process results in slime formation, sour flavors, the production of sulfur gas, and color changes in the meat.  

Commercial ground beef utilizes a modified atmosphere packaging to combat the effects of oxidation. Air is sucked out of the package and replaced by a blend of purified gases. The two most common blends are 80% oxygen: 20% carbon dioxide or 0.4% carbon monoxide: 30% carbon dioxide: 69.6% nitrogen. Carbon monoxide was approved for use in 2002 as long as it is not combined with oxygen. Another option is vacuum packaging that removes residual air. In both cases decreased oxidation of the meat improves the shelf life of the packaged meat products. Anti-oxidants are sometimes added to the meat to control oxidation. Nitrite in particular has an antioxidant, antimicrobial effect. It is often used in cured foods to retain a pink color. Nitrite can be applied to meat as a powder or as a gas.

Of course the easiest way to avoid all of these additives is simply to grind your own meat. The rewards absolutely justify the extra effort and in the end, that's all that really matters. Freshly ground meat just tastes better. And that's all we have say about that. This week we'll be sharing some of our favorite recipes using the meat grinder. Starting with our world famous butter burger recipe tomorrow...

Salmon and Wood Sorrel

We should have seen this one coming with our weed filled garden and salmon fetish. This is the loin of the salmon which has been brined then seared and sliced. We serve it with wood sorrel pods and leaves. The sauce is our lobster mole, inspired by the visually stunning and delicious mole we recently ate at Corton. 

Salmon and Asparagus

We paired the spiced crusted salmon belly with an evolved version of our white asparagus ravigote: preserved Meyer lemons, watercress leaves, white asparagus mayonnaise and white asparagus relish. We topped the salmon with batons of watercress stems and blue basil blossoms. This was a dish that was more difficult to construct than we initially had planned. There were a number of subtle refinements that took place as we plated and ate the dish again and again.

King Salmon Belly

When working with salmon there are several parts to the whole. More often than not we treat the entire piece of fish like one whole and disregard the unique elements within. Yesterday we separated our piece of salmon into two pieces, the belly and the loin. We soaked them for 10 minutes in a 5% salt water brine and then gently patted them dry. We butterflied the belly and dusted it with Activa RM. Once the belly was evenly coated we rolled it into a cylinder. We let the fish rest for a few minutes while we put together a spice blend which included black cocoa. We rolled the fish cylinder in the spices, wrapped it securely in plastic wrap, and let it set overnight. This morning we cooked the spiced salmon at 50°C for twenty minutes and then chilled it down in an ice bath. When the salmon was cold we were able to slice it into beautiful rounds with the dark spice mix on the exterior surrounding the delicate fish on the inside.

King Salmon

We do not often buy whole salmon for our home use. A 500-1000 gram piece of fish is usually enough for the three of us to try a few preparations. This gorgeous piece of fish has been integrated into a few extrapolations, which were inspired by the flavors and aesthetic of Paul'sCorton / Noma dinner. The secret to that wonderful sauce was the use of black cocoa. The flavor is intense and can be used sparingly to add the significant note of cocoa sought in many great moles. We had discussed using black cocoa, but until now had only worked with a black cocoa replacer, a roasted buckwheat flour. The fine grain of the black cocoa and its bracing flavor made it notable in the sauce we started with and in the seasoning we created for the belly of the fish. The plan is to serve the belly as part of a chilled preparation while the top loin may be served hot, with a crispy skin. Tomorrow will tell the results of the tests.

delicious mole from the

Save the Date July 29, 2010

We are really excited to be cooking with our friend Tony Maws again. On July 29, 2010 we will be cooking a collaborative dinner at his restaurant Craigie on Main, in Cambridge Massachusetts. We will also be arriving to Cambridge that Sunday July 25 to begin preparing for the dinner and teaching four workshops (to be detailed later) which will be held at Craigie on Main on Monday the 26th and Tuesday the 27th during the day.

Here's the info from COM's press release:

Save The Date!

 

Craigie On Main’s Chef Tony Maws—Together with Ideas in Food’s Chefs Aki Kamozawa and H. Alexander Talbot—To Host

Celebrity Chef Tour Dinner Benefiting the James Beard Foundation

 

The Celebrity Chef Tour benefiting the James Beard Foundation is coming to Cambridge on Thursday, July 29, 2010, for a night of culinary celebration. Two-time James Beard Nominee for Best Chef Northeast (2009, 2010) Tony Maws of Craigie On Main will cook an eight-course meal with IdeasInFood.com husband-and-wife dynamos Aki Kamozawa and H. Alexander Talbot.

Chef Maws’ signature “refined rusticity” will be paired with the modern culinary prowess of Chefs Kamozawa and Talbot in a fun and spectacular dining event. The full menu is currently being developed, but you can be sure of courses by the Craigie On Main team and the Ideas In Food team individually, as well as special courses concocted by Tony, Alex and Aki together. The night’s dinner will be paired with a variety of libations from Maws’ hand-selected wines to Craigie’s infamous cocktails and local brews.

A portion of the evening’s proceeds will go to the James Beard Foundation educational programs, which include continuing education classes, guided tastings, readings, conferences, children's programs, scholarship opportunities for aspiring culinary students, and volunteer opportunities for current culinary students. To date the celebrity chef tour has raised of 850k for the James Beard Foundation.

Craigie On Main is located at 853 Main St., in Cambridge, MA. The Celebrity Chef Tour Dinner will begin at 7 p.m. on Thursday, July 29, 2010. Tickets are $150 per person, (inclusive of wine pairings, tax, and gratuity) and can be reserved by calling Jeff Black at 720.201.1853 or by visiting http://www.celebritycheftour.com.

To Edit

The tools we use and the lessons we learn improve our results. Cooking is really a process of editing food. There are many ways to achieve an end result, and the interpretations are personal expressions of a concept. However the best cooks are usually the best editors. Knowing how to highlight an ingredient, trim the fat (both literally and figuratively), adapt new technologies and ideas, assimilate historical greats, and understand the processes of preparing food is essential to great cooking. The journey from the top picture to the bottom demonstrate an approach to editing.

Blueberry Pie

How many inspirations do you get from eating a slice a pie?

Ripening Berries Like Ideas

Ideas like fruit, do not ripen all together and at an exact time. Sometimes patience is needed. Sometimes picking only a few is necessary. Sometimes an unripe berry can be just as exciting to show a variation.

Friday Night Arts

We forgot to post a link to our appearance on ice cream episode of Foodography on the new Cooking Channel. So tonight we thought we'd let you know that we are going to be featured on PBS Whyy Friday Night Arts. The show will be airing locally tonight at 8:30pm and a few more times throughout the month and the online segment is available on their website. Check it out and let us know what you think!

White Asparagus and Meat Part 2

The second variation of our pairing white asparagus with beef is in the style of a carpaccio. The meat, the rib-eye portion of a first cut chuck roast, is sliced thin, seasoned with olive oil, salt and pepper. We then vacuum seal the slices of meat and pound them into a  sheet of meat. The flattened meat is then frozen until firm so that we may cut it into uniform rectangles. Once the meat is cut, we place it on the plate to temper, season it with lemon thyme blossoms and fleur de sel. A slick of white asparagus mayonnaise is added to the dish along with a few lemon thyme leaves. The dish is bright and clean, refreshing on these extremely hot days.

White Asparagus and Steak Tartare

We made a white asparagus mayonnaise today with raw white asparagus, honey, salt, yuzu juice, rice vinegar, a 13 minute egg and olive oil. We also began work on white asparagus relish. The initial idea was a white asparagus ravigote to pair with white asparagus. We may get there. For now, we took a portion, the rib-eye extension, of a first cut chuck roast and made steak tartare. We dressed it with the white asparagus mayonnaise and accented it with basil blossoms and leaves. The dish is quite tasty and really calls for grilled bread. Not a bad way to test out a few new preparations. In fact, these same ingredients and ideas sparked a variation on the theme. Tomorrow we shall post the results.

The Complete Lobster

In writing our book we ended up with more than would fit between the covers. Thankfully our digital notebook has some space. Here is how we look at cooking lobsters.

Preparing Whole Lobster

 

Lobster Brine

15 liters/ 16 quarts water

750 grams/ 26.5 ounces salt

 

In a large pot combine the salt and the water. It will take some time and stirring to fully dissolve the salt into the water. Be patient, it will dissolve. Once the salt is dissolved, divide the brine into three containers, one large enough to hold the lobster tails and brine, one to hold the claws and legs and brine and one to hold the heads of the lobsters and brine.

 

Preparing The Lobster Part One

We have found that quickly killing and breaking down lobsters produces a tender succulent crustacean. The process does not call for dropping in boiling water. It calls for quick and efficient killing and breaking down of the lobster along with patience in the cooking process. We found that even though a lobster may be dead, its muscles need to stop seizing before it is cooked in order to prepare a succulent lobster. The brining helps add seasoning to the lobster while also cleaning the flesh and further preventing coagulation of the lobster’s hemolymph to the flesh.

 

4 2-pound lobsters

 

Place a cutting board on a sheet pan. Place the lobster on the cutting board and with an oyster knife plunge a hole in the lobster’s shell between and directly behind the eyes. Twist the oyster knife a half turn and remove it. This procedure destroys the lobster’s brain killing it instantly. Quickly use a pairing knife to cut underneath the joint between the thorax and the tail of the lobster to remove the tail from the body. If any dark green roe is apparent remove it from the tail and place it in a bowl to refrigerate and reserve to make pasta.  Place the tail in the container with the brine for the tails. Repeat killing and removing the tails from the other three lobsters. When all the tails are in the brine place the brine in the refrigerator for two hours.

 

Use a kitchen towel and a pair of scissors to dismantle the rest of the lobsters. Remove the claws and the knuckles from the lobster bodies. Also, separate the knuckle joint from the claws. Leave everything in the shells. With the claws and knuckles separated, place them in the container of brine. Place the lobster body’s legs facing up on the cutting board and use the scissors to cut the legs off as close to the body as possible. Place the legs in the brine with the knuckles and claws and place it in the refrigerator for two hours.

 

Remove the exoskeleton from the lobster bodies and scrape out the green tomalley and discard. Place the bodies in their container of brine and refrigerate for one hour.

 

The brining process is helping to rinse the lobster off and draw out the hemolymph, which runs through its body. As the muscles continue to contract the hemolymph and brine exchange places. The salt denatures the surface proteins of the lobster and the proteins in the hemolymph. This allows for the lobster to be cooked without developing much albumen coagulation on the outside of the flesh. Furthermore, the brine seasons the meat and makes for a flavorful lobster.

 

After one hour remove the lobster bodies from the brine and rinse them under cold water. Use a small spoon to scrape the gills off of the lobster head. Cut off the eyes and rinse the heads under cold water. Reserve the bodies in the refrigerator to make lobster stock.

 

After two hours, remove the tails, claws, knuckles and legs from the brine and rinse under cold water. Pat these parts dry and store in a high sided pan in the refrigerator overnight. The lobster muscle fibers are still contracting two hours after being killed. The benefit of cooking the lobsters later is that the muscles are no longer contracting. There has been no evidence that lobsters go through rigor mortis but waiting for the muscles to relax while essentially bleeding out the lobsters prepares them for optimum cookery.

 

Preparing the Lobster Part Two

Place a large pot of water on to boil. Since each part of the lobster is a different size and has a different muscle fiber structure we have found that each part benefits from its own cooking time. In most cases we blanch the lobster parts in boiling water to cook the lobster just long enough to remove it from its shell. The knuckles and the legs are the exception, they are just cooked through after blanching and can still be re-heated.

 

For the lobster tails, grab and squeeze the center tail fin in the tail fan and turn it 45°. Slowly pull it out and the lobster’s digestive tract should come with it. Repeat with the other tails. If it does not come all the way out it may be removed after blanching the tails. With the water at a boil, place the lobsters in the water for thirty seconds. When the time is up remove them from the water and place them on the cutting board. When the tails are cool enough to handle, flip them over so they are hard shell down. Use a pair of scissors to go cut along the inside of the shell. Peel back the shell and then carefully pull the lobster out of its shell. Place the tail in a pan or bowl set in an ice bath to cool quickly. Repeat the shell removal process with the other tails.

 

To cook the crusher (larger) claws, place them in the boiling water for four minutes. When the time is up, remove them from the water and put them on the cutting board. When the claws are cool enough to handle, hold them horizontally on the board with the rounded side of the claw facing up. Hold the claw by its pincers. Use the back of a heavy knife to crack the edge of the claw. The knife will make its impact in a perpendicular manner to the claw. After the first crack is made in the claw, lay it flat on the cutting board and use the back of the knife to follow the fault line so that a crack goes completely around the claw. Pick the claw up by the rounded portion of the claw and grab hold of the straighter smaller portion of the claw. Snap this smaller piece 45° in either direction to loosen it from the claw itself. Use a kitchen towel to remove the cracked off bottom of the claw and free the flesh. Gently pull the small claw tip out of the remaining claw. This will free the flesh of the claw and pull out the central cartilage that was inside the claw. Place the cleaned claw in the pan set on the ice bath.

 

To cook the pincer (smaller) claws, place them in boiling water for three minutes. When the time is up, remove them from the water and put them on the cutting board. When the claws are cool enough to handle, hold them horizontally on the board with the rounded side of the claw facing up. Hold the claw by its pincers. Use the back of a heavy knife to crack the edge of the claw. The knife will make its impact in a perpendicular manner to the claw. After the first crack is made in the claw, lay it flat on the cutting board and use the back of the knife to follow the fault line so that a crack goes completely around the claw. Pick the claw up by the rounded portion of the claw and grab hold of the straighter smaller portion of the claw. Snap this smaller piece 45° in either direction to loosen it from the claw itself. Use a kitchen towel to remove the cracked off bottom of the claw and free the flesh. Gently pull the small claw tip out of the remaining claw. This will free the flesh of the claw and pull out the central cartilage that was inside the claw. Place the cleaned claw in the pan set on the ice bath.

 

To cook the knuckles, place them in the boiling water for three minutes. When the time is up, remove them from the water and put them on the cutting board. When the knuckles are cool enough to handle, use a pair of scissors to cut through the shell and release the knuckles. To cut the knuckles, lay them on the cutting board with the bendable joint facing up. Follow the edges on either side of the knuckle and remove the plate of shell. Gently pull the knuckle out of the shell. As you pull the knuckle out, the cartilage, which runs though, it will pull out as well. Place the cleaned knuckle in the pan on an ice bath. Repeat this procedure with the rest of the knuckles.

 

To cook the legs, place them in boiling water for forty seconds. When the time is up remove the legs from the water and place them on the cutting board. Lay each leg on the cutting board with the pincer side closest to you. Place a rolling pin on the small pincer and roll the lobster leg flat. This process will push the leg meat straight out of the cut end of the leg. Repeat this procedure with the rest of the legs and place them in the pan on ice to cool. When the lobsters are all cooked and cleaned, wrap the tray in plastic wrap and refrigerate to cool completely.

 

Lobster Stock

4 lobster heads

992 grams/ 35 oz canned plum tomatoes

600 grams/ 21 ounces water

235g/8 ounces red wine

200 grams/7 ounces soy sauce

 

Use a small spoon to scrape the gills off of the lobster head. Cut off the eyes and rinse the heads under cold water. Use a meat mallet to smash the heads then place them into a food processor and puree them into a rough paste.  Then place them in a pressure cooker. Add the water, tomatoes, red wine and soy sauce. Seal the pressure cooker and cook on high pressure for twenty minutes. Let the pressure release naturally. Remove the lid from the pressure cooker and let the stock rest for twenty more minutes. Remove the solids from the pressure cooker and then strain the stock through four layers of cheesecloth into a metal bowl set in an ice bath. When the stock is cool, place it in the refrigerator and let it rest overnight. Reserve the lobster stock for making soup and cooking lobster pasta and parts.

 

Lobster Soup

1000 grams/35.25 ounces lobster stock

700 grams/24.7 ounces heavy cream

113 grams/4 ounces whole butter cut into small pieces

1 bunch of tarragon

Black pepper

 

Place the lobster stock and heavy cream in a pot and bring to a simmer. Cook the soup at a gentle simmer until it reduces by half. Skim off any foam that appears during the reducing and make sure to scrape the sides of the pot clean as the soup reduces. When the soup has reduced, strain it into a blender and turn the speed on low. Slowly add the butter a piece at a time until it is fully incorporated. Season the soup with ten grinds of black pepper and pour it into a bowl set in an ice bath to cool. Add the bunch of tarragon to the hot and cooling soup to infuse and stir it around while the soup cools. When the soup is cold, strain it one more time and reserve it in the refrigerator.

 

To serve, heat the soup up over low heat. When it is hot pour into bowls or cups and serve with lobster rolls. Any excess soup can be frozen or used to enrich other lobster preparations.

 

Lobster Knuckle Sandwich

30 grams/1 ounce Hellman’s mayonnaise

2 grams/0.07ounces Siracha hot sauce

10 grams/0.35 ounces chopped chives

10 grams/0.35 ounces chopped tarragon

Reserved lobster knuckles

4 central ribs from romaine lettuce leaves

2 tops split hot dog buns

30 grams/1 ounce butter

 

In a bowl combine the mayonnaise, Siracha, chives and tarragon. Stir to combine. Cut the ribs of the romaine into a small dice and mix it into the dressing. Cut the lobster knuckles into individual knuckles and then cut each knuckle in half. Add the knuckles to the dressing and mix to combine and fully coat the knuckles. Melt half of the butter in a pan and when it foams, add the hot dog buns. Cook the buns until they are golden on one side and then turn them over and add the other half of the butter to brown the other side. When the buns are cooked, remove them from the pan and divide the lobster knuckle salad between the buns. Cut each lobster roll in half and serve alongside the lobster soup.

 

Fried Pincer Claw Salad

 

Lobster Batter

225 grams/8 reserved lobster stock

150 grams/5.29 ounces flour

18 grams/0.6 ounces/1 egg yolk

2 grams/0.07 ounces/1/3 teaspoon salt

1.5 grams/0.05 ounces baking soda

0.2 grams/0.007 ounces xanthan gum

 

In a blender add the lobster stock. Turn the blender on low and increase the speed till a vortex forms in the center of the lobster stock. Sprinkle in the xanthan gum and increase the speed to evenly disperse the xanthan gum. Turn the speed down to medium and add the egg yolk and the flour. Puree to just combine the mixture. Pour the mixture into an whipped cream canister and charge with one carbon dioxide charge. Alternatively if you have a carbonation rig, carbonate the batter to 50 psi.

 

4 pincer claws

Lobster batter

50 grams/1.75 ounces kimchee

50 grams/1.75 ounces mayonnaise

4 small ripe tomatoes

4 slices of cooked bacon

10 grams/0.35 ounces chives

10 grams/0.35 ounces minced tarragon

2 heads of frisée

 

Heat one pot filled half way with canola oil to 176°C/350°F for frying the claws.

 

Puree the kimchee and the mayonnaise to make a smooth puree.  Blanch the tomatoes in boiling water for ten seconds, and then place in an ice bath to cool.  When the tomatoes are cold, remove the stem and peel off the skin.  Season the exterior of the tomatoes with salt and a light dusting of cayenne.  Set aside at room temperature to marinate.  Clean the heads of frisée.  Using a pair of scissors remove the dark green ends of the frisée.  Cut the stem off the frisée and then separate the frisée leaves.  Rinse in ice water and then spin dry in a salad spinner. Chop the cooked bacon into small pieces.  Dispense the lobster batter into a bowl. Dip the lobster claws in the batter and fry until crispy.  Remove to a cooling rack lined with paper towels to absorb any extra oil. Mix the bacon with the chives and tarragon.  Dress the frisée with half of the kimchee mayonnaise.  Add the bacon and herb mixture. 

 

Place a spoonful of the kimchee mayonnaise in the center of each plate.  Place a tomato on top of the puree.  Top with a nest of the frisée salad and then lean the lobster claw next to the salad.

 

 

Cocktail Sauce Cavatelli

225 grams/8 ounces flour

2 grams/0.07 ounces salt

2 grams/0.07 ounces baking powder

120 grams/4.25 ounces smoked ketchup

50 grams/1.5 ounces preserved lemon

40 grams/1.4 ounces prepared horseradish

25 grams/0.9 ounce lobster roe

 

Combine the horseradish, preserved lemon, lobster roe and smoked ketchup in a blender. Puree until smooth. Combine the flour, salt and baking powder in the bowl of a food processor and pulse to blend. Add the cocktail sauce mixture all at once and process to a soft, firm dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured counter top and knead until smooth and silky. Shape the dough into a ball, wrap with plastic, (or vacuum seal if you can) and let rest for at least 30 minutes before shaping pasta.

 

You will need a rolling pin, flour for dusting, and a butter knife or a bench scraper to shape the cavatelli by hand. Have a floured sheet pan at the ready on which to rest the finished pasta. Roll the dough out to a thickness of about 0.5cm/1/4in.  Cut them into strips approximately 1cm/1/2-in thick. Cover the extra strips with a damp towel so the dough doesn't dry out while you are making the cavatelli. If you have a cavatelli maker you can use it here to run the strips through the machine, otherwise proceed with the following instructions for handmade cavatelli. Cut 0.5cm/1/2-in squares using a butter knife or bench scraper. Turn each square diagonally and then drag your butter knife of bench scraper at a 45-degree angle along the square, from left to right, The pasta will curl along the edge of your implement, leaving you with a beautifully shaped cavatelli. It may take a few tries to master the technique, once you develop a rhythm things move quickly.

 

Lay the finished pasta out on a lightly floured sheet tray and cook immediately or freeze. Once frozen, transfer the cavatelli to a plastic bag and keep frozen until ready to use, up to 1 month.

 

Lobster Pasta

Cocktail Sauce Cavatelli

Reserved lobster legs

250 grams/8.8 ounces reserved lobster stock

25 grams/0.9 ounces chopped celery leaves

 

Bring a large pot of boiling water to a boil. Season the water with salt. Heat the reserved lobster stock in a small pot. Cook the cavatelli until it is almost cooked. Remove it to a pan and add lobster hot lobster stock to coat. Continue to add lobster stock as it cooks. When the pasta is just cooked add the lobster legs to heat though and the celery leaves. Add a touch more stock if needed so the pasta is coated in a loose but not flowing sauce. Serve in bowls

 

Aromatic Crusher Claw

4 reserved crusher claws

1 inch peeled, fresh ginger root

1 cinnamon stick

2 pieces star anise

3 green cardamom pods, lightly crushed

1 dried bird chili

50 grams/1.75 ounces butter

 

250 grams/8.8 ounces reserved lobster stock

30 grams/1 ounce butter

250 grams/8.8 ounces oyster mushrooms

10 smoked hazelnuts zested

Zest of 2 lemons

10 grams/0.35 ounces chopped chives

 

Melt butter over medium heat in a heavy sauté pan large enough to hold all four lobster claws. Add the spices to the pan and fry just until they release their aroma. Add the lobster claws to the pan and baste generously. Do not let the pan overheat. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the meat just turns opaque and firm to the touch. When the lobster is cooked removes it to a tray set over a baking pan and pour off any excess fat and remove the spices. Deglaze the pan with the lobster stock and then add the oyster mushrooms to braise them. When the mushrooms are tender, add the butter to pan and swirl it in to emulsify.  Turn the heat down and add the lobster claws back to the pan. Baste the claws with the sauce and then spoon a bed of mushrooms onto each plate topped with the crusher claw. Mix the smoked hazelnut zest with the lemon zest and chives and sprinkle on top of each lobster claw.

 

Lobster Tail with Fresh Polenta

4 lobster tails

515 grams/18.15 ounces scraped corn from 8 ears

4 grams/0.14 ounces/2/3 teaspoon salt

30 grams/1 ounce butter

0.75 grams cayenne

10 basil leaves finely sliced

 

Wrap each lobster tail in plastic wrap so that it forms a ball. Vacuum seal the lobster tails and cook them in a 55°C/131°F water bath for thirty minutes. While the lobster tails cook, heat the scraped corn in a pot. Season it with the salt and the cayenne. Bring the mixture to a simmer and stir. The natural cornstarch will thicken the corn. Keep the corn warm and when the lobster is cooked stir in the butter. Fold the sliced basil into the corn and spoon it into bowls. Remove the lobster from the bag and plastic wrap. Place a lobster tail on the fresh polenta.