Following Japan tinged Chawanmushi recipe, we are back in Kansas City for a second helping from Bluestem the cookbook (Andrews McMeel, November 2011).
I went with something seasonal, festive and a bit unusual to me with seafood-chestnut combination. The presence of salsify in this dish sealed the deal.
Lobster, Chestnuts, Cauliflower, Salsify, Brandy-Lobster Sauce
Serves 4
This dish casts lobster in a breakaway role from its familiar, sunny appearance as the virtuous luxury ingredient. With roasted chestnuts, salsify, brandy, and brown butter, this dish brings out the heartier, more serious side of lobster. You’ll be surprised at how well the sweetness of the lobster meat stands up to its company. Also, together, the ingredients look like fall, an assortment of golden, earthy colors highlighted by bright orange pieces of lobster.
Salsify is a root vegetable that few home cooks use. It has a dark, hairy exterior and an ivory flesh that is somewhat fibrous. The flavor? Some call it the “oyster plant.” Indeed, if you cook it with a touch of butter, you’ll see why. Pureed here, it makes the perfect accompaniment for lobster. Only fresh chestnuts need to be roasted.
chestnuts
16 fresh or 8 canned chestnuts
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and freshly ground white pepper
salsify puree
1 pound salsify
Salt
Juice of 1 lemon, plus 2 teaspoons
⅓ cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
Freshly ground white pepper
4 (11/2-pound) lobsters
brandy-lobster sauce
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 shallots, chopped
1 medium carrot, peeled and coarsely chopped
2 celery stalks, coarsely chopped
1 medium leek, trimmed of greens and coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 lobster heads (see page 158)
1 cup sherry
1 cup cognac
1 cup port
Salt and freshly ground white pepper
4 cups heavy cream
2 sprigs fresh tarragon
8 ounces cauliflower, cut into small florets
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
Roast the fresh chestnuts: Preheat the oven to 375°F. Making sure to pierce through the shell, carefully score the chestnuts with a sharp paring knife. Toss the chestnuts with the olive oil and season them with salt and pepper. Roast the chestnuts on a baking sheet until the shells split open, about 25 minutes. Let the chestnuts cool for 15 minutes. Peel the chestnuts, discard the shells, and cut the chestnuts in half.
Make the salsify puree: Trim and peel the salsify and soak it in cold water acidulated with the juice of 1 lemon for 5 minutes (peeled salsify can be sticky, so it might be helpful to wear gloves while trimming it). Drain the salsify and chop the stalks into 2-inch pieces. Put the chopped salsify in a large saucepan and add enough cold water to cover. Salt the water heavily, bring it to a boil over medium heat, and cook until soft, about 25 minutes. Drain off the water and push the boiled salsify through a fine-mesh sieve. Stir in the 2 teaspoons lemon juice, the cream, and the horseradish, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Keep warm.
Kill the lobsters: You’re going to have to kill the lobsters. For some, this will be the most difficult part of this recipe. While most recipes have you “put the lobsters to sleep” in a pot of boiling water, here you will need to blanch the different parts of the lobster separately. So you will have to kill the lobsters by hand. The quickest and easiest way to do this is to split the head in half with a sharp chef ’s knife. Turn a lobster on its back, with the head facing you. Insert the knife tip into the head at the base of the head and, with a quick downward chop toward you, slice the head in half. With one hand firmly gripping the body and the other the tail, twist the tail off.
Set it aside in a bowl. Twist the two claws off. Set them aside with the tail. Lift the “helmet” of the lobster head off the body. Using a spoon, scoop out the gunk from the underside of the lobster helmet. Remove and discard the feathery gills from the body. Set both the helmet and body aside for the brandy-lobster sauce. Repeat with the remaining lobsters.
Make the brandy-lobster sauce: Heat the vegetable oil in a large stockpot over high heat. Add the garlic, shallots, carrot, celery, leek, tomato paste, and 2 lobster heads (helmet and body, but not the tails or claws) and cook for 3 minutes. Add the sherry, cognac, and port and bring to a full simmer, mashing the heads with a wooden spoon to extract as much flavor from them as possible. Season with salt and white pepper. Reduce the stock to 2 cups, about 20 minutes. Add the cream and tarragon. Turn the heat down to medium and continue to cook and reduce the sauce for 30 minutes, to about 11/2 cups. Mash the heads some more with the wooden spoon. Strain the stock through a fine-mesh sieve. Discard the solids. Cover the stock and keep warm.
Cook the cauliflower: Prepare an ice bath (see the User Manual, page xxv). Bring a pot of water to a boil and blanch the cauliflower for 3 minutes. Drain, then cool in the ice bath.
Blanch the lobster claws: Prepare a large ice bath. Bring a large stockpot of water to a boil over high heat. Blanch the claws and knuckles for 6 minutes. Remove the claws and knuckles with a slotted spoon and cool them in the ice bath. (See the User Manual for blanching and ice bath instructions, pages xxiv and xxv. When the claws and knuckles have cooled, remove the meat from the shells. Discard the shells.
Cook the lobster tails: Slice the lobster tails crosswise according to the segments, leaving the meat in the shell. Heat the butter in a large sauté pan over hig heat. When the butter has melted, add half of the sliced lobster tails and baste the lobster with the butter for 1 minute. By now, the butter should have browned, giving off a nutty aroma. Add the cauliflower and chestnuts and toss to coat. Add the lobster claws and knuckles, making sure you don’t break them, and cook for 2 more minutes to warm through.
To serve: Spoon about 1/4 cup of the salsify puree onto each of 4 plates. Divide the cauliflower and chestnuts among the plates, arranging them around the puree. Divide the tails and claws among the plates, drizzle with a bit of the pan sauce, and serve immediately.
(* Recipe from Bluestem the cookbook by Colby and Megan Garrelts, published by Andrews McMeel- November 2011, all rights reserved, Photo by Bonjwing Lee)