Maine Lobster Rolls

While the first documented lobster roll may have been served at a restaurant in Milford, Connecticut, there is no doubt that the lobster roll is an icon of Maine cuisine. Anyone who takes a vacation in Maine -- from Kennebunkport to Lubec -- will inevitably have the opportunity to try a roll. And, there are many places across the State to get one. 

However, there are a lot of stories behind this sandwich. It is the stories about the lobsters and those who catch them that need to be told more. 

One of those stories is presently unfolding in the Gulf of Maine. Climate change is clearly making its presence known. The waters in the western part of the Gulf of Maine - such as Casco Bay (near Portland, Maine) - are beginning to get warmer. As anyone who has cooked a lobster will tell you, lobsters don't like warm water. As the waters of Casco Bay get warmer, the lobsters move north and east. As one fisher told Norah Hogan, a journalist with WMTW, "[w]hen I started [about 30 years ago], almost half of the lobsters in the state of Maine were landed in this part of the state - Casco Bay region." He added, "[w]e're not in the ballpark anymore." 

Lobsters thrive in waters that are between 54 degrees and 68 degrees Fahrenheit. The waters in the western portions of the Gulf of Maine exceed 68 degrees from time to time. This means that the lobsters will migrate to where it is cooler, which is toward the northeastern shore of the State and into Canadian waters. It also pushes the lobsters further offshore, to cooler, deeper waters. 

This means that, as the waters warm, there will be less lobsters around the shores of Maine. Less lobsters mean that the already high prices for lobster rolls will only go higher (as long as the demand is there). In fact, I was quite surprised that the cost of a lobster roll could be from $28 to $38 for each roll. If both my beautiful Angel and I had a lobster roll, we would be looking at paying $56 to $76 for a meal (and that is without any beer or anything else). 

As it turns out, I had brought my trusty steam pot to Maine for our vacation. As I noted in my post about Steamed Lobsters, I was able to find a seafood market that sold whole lobsters for anywhere from $8.00 to $12.00 per pound, depending upon the lobster. The market only had soft shelled lobsters (that is, those who had recently molted). Soft shelled lobsters come with a lot of water since they have not fully regrown into their new shells. So, part of what one is paying for with that $8.00 to $12.00 per pound is water. I knew this fact when I bought them, but I could buy 4 soft-shelled lobsters for the price of 2 lobster rolls. 

With those lobsters, I proceeded to make my own lobster rolls. I found a recipe, which is set forth below, and tried to follow it as best I could. I also decided that I would do the "presentation piece" and have a whole lobster claw served on the top of the sandwich. However, I think in the future that I perhaps do a rough chop of the claw into pieces. I think that would be better than a whole claw.

MAINE LOBSTER ROLLS

Recipe from Food & Wine

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons fresh chervil or tarragon
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup minced celery
• 1 pound cooked, shucked and chopped lobster meat (from knuckles and 6 pincer claws)
• 6 top split (New England style) hot dog buns, separated
• 2 tablespoons salted (or unsalted butter), softened
• 1 tablespoon fresh chives, plus more for garnish
• 6 butter lettuce leaves

Directions:

1. Prepare the lobster. Whisk together mayonnaise, lemon juice and chervil. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Stir in celery and fold in chopped lobster meat. Cover and chill up to 4 hours.

2. Prepare the buns.  Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Butter the sides of buns and toast in skillet until golden and heated through, about 2 minutes. 

3. Finish the dish. Fold chives into lobster salad. Place a lettuce leaf inside each bun. Divide lobster salad evenly among buns. Sprinkle with chives. Serve immediately. 

ENJOY!

Steamed Lobster

A lobster does not need a hot tub. It just needs a steam room.

There are many websites that will tell you there are two ways to prepare whole, fresh lobsters. One way is to boil the lobsters. Another way is to steam the lobsters. These websites will engage in a seemingly meaningless discussion about the pros and cons of each method. Truth be told, in my humble opinion, there is only one way a whole lobster should be prepared. It must be steamed. 

A long time ago, at a crab house far, far away, I used to steam lobsters. The kitchen had three large steam pots, as well as another three, equally large pots in a back-up kitchen. The primary purpose of the pots was to steam crabs; however, we always left at least one open to steam other seafood. A lot of mussels and clams, but, every once in a while, a lobster. 

Since that time, I have not steamed whole lobsters very often. The one notable time involved my effort to make Masaharu Morimoto's Lobster Masala. 

However, the Savage Boleks recently vacationed in Maine, spending a week on Mount Desert island. I found a local business, Parsons Lobsters, in Bar Harbor. Parsons is perhaps the only place that I could find in the town that sold live lobsters. Sitting right outside Acadian National Park, Parsons is a family owned business that has been selling lobsters, and other fresh seafood, such as clams, oysters and fish, for more than forty years. 

We visited the Parsons store, because I wanted to purchase some lobsters to prepare for my family. The store is small, but impressive. At the time, the store was holding approximately six hundred (600) pounds of live lobsters in multiple tanks. There were also displays featuring those clams, oysters, fish and more. We purchased four lobsters and returned to the place where we were staying. (The four lobsters were approximately one and one-half pounds each; but, the cost of four lobsters were less than the cost of a lunch or dinner in town.) 

Going back to the original point of this post, I planned on steaming those lobsters. I brought my good old steam pot, the one piece of cookery that ties me to my original cooking experience.  Steaming is the preferred way to prepare lobsters for one reason ... boiling lobster threatens the taste of the meat. One is far less likely to get the sweet, tender meat that creates an amazing culinary experience. By contrast, steaming the lobster provides a way to get that tender meat, and, protect the meat. 

To be sure, steaming a lobster takes more care and monitoring than simply boiling it. Steaming also provides an additional way to provide some subtle flavor. While most steaming uses simple water, I have often substituted that plain ingredient with something like stock, beer or wine. The best stock would be seafood stock, which can be purchased at many grocery stores. As for beer and wine, the thoughts should turn to something on the lighter side. The best beers would be pilsners and summer ales. As for wines, I think the best wines would be white wines, such as Albarinos from Galicia, Spain or Vinho Verdes from Portgual. 

In the end, and in my humble opinion, the liquid does not matter. All that matters is that you steam the lobster, don't boil it. 

STEAMED LOBSTER

A Chef Bolek Original

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 2 whole lobsters, live 
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• Water, seafood stock, beer or wine

Directions:

1. Prepare the steam pot. Fill the steam pot with water, seafood stock, beer or wine, but the level should remain below the steam plate. Heat the steam pot on high heat until it steams. 

2. Steam the lobsters. Add the lobsters. Steam for seven minutes for the first pound of lobster, then an additional 3 minutes for each additional pound of lobster that you are steaming. Melt the butter while the lobsters are steaming. Once they are cooked, remove from the steam pot and serve immediately with the melted butter. 

One final note ... I may have to eat my words about boiling versus steaming the next time I enjoy a lobster boil. But, that will be for another post. 

ENJOY!

Gazpacho con Bogavante (Gazpacho with Lobster)

Recently, a certain extremist Republican member of the United States House of Representatives uttered the following words on television: 

"Not only do we have the DC jail which is the DC gulag, but now we have Nancy Pelosi's gazpacho police spying on members of Congress, spying on the legislative work we do, spying on our staff and spying on the American citizens."

This particular elected official, who represents the 14th district of the State of Georgia, tried to evoke many things with that statement. There is the reference to the gulag, which was the prison system of the Soviet Union from 1918 to 1955. This not a particularly apt comparison. While the D.C. jail definitely has its issues (by way of example, overflowing sewage, lack of adequate medical care, and a history of violence), an estimated 1.2 million to 1.7 million died in the Soviet gulags.

And then there is the Representative's reference to the Nazi gestapo, the Geheime Staatspolizei, or German Secret Police, which enforced the brutal and inhumane policies of Adolf Hitler's Nazi regime. Except, this particularly uninformed Republican Representative called referred to that organization as the gazpacho. Gazpacho is a cold soup from Andalusia, Spain. It is the furthest thing from Herman Goring's conception of a secret police force, or Reinhard Heydrich's utilization of that force to facilitate the Holocaust, murdering millions of Jews, Poles, and Soviets, along with hundreds of thousands of Roma (or Romany) and disabled people. (The estimates exceed 17 million being killed during the Holocaust). 

How does one respond to a statement of such stunningly stupid propaganda? To be sure, responses came flowing throughout social media. One such response caught my eye. It came from a true expert on the subject of gazpacho: Jose Ramon Andres Puerta. Most of us know this expert as Chef Jose Andres.  The Spanish born, now American citizen, chef is known for his cookbooks, such as Made in Spain, and his restaurants, such as Jaleo. More recently, he is known for his leadership with the World Central Kitchen (WCK), which has done outstanding work to help coordinate the food responses in response to catastrophes around the world, including in the United States. (If I ever looked up to someone I did not personally know, Chef Andres makes the very short list).)

Chef Jose Andres got wind of what the Representative said and responded by noting on Twitter, "the Gazpacho police was created by me in 1993 to make sure that no one will add Tabasco or jalapeno or strange things to my beloved soup!" Andres also invited the representative to "stop by for a glass," but to not forget her mask and vaccination card.

Chef Andres' offer got me to thinking about gazpacho. His beloved soup has graced this blog in the past. I then decided to look for a gazpacho recipe to make. More specifically, I was looking for a recipe that included lobster. I had a few lobster tails in the fridge that I needed to use. I searched the Internet and, quickly found a recipe for Gazpacho con Bogavante, or Gazpacho with Lobster. The recipe comes from none other than Chef Jose Andres.

I decided to make that recipe, but I had to improvise a little. Chef Andres' recipe calls for the use of whole lobster; however, I had only lobster tails. Without the entire lobster, I did not have to go through the process of straining and reserving the coral. That improvisation impacted the dressing the most, because the coral contributes additional flavoring to what otherwise be just oil and sherry vinegar. It also affected the presentation, as I did not have the claws to present with the final dish.

Despite these improvisations, the Gazpacho con Bogavante was an amazing dish. The smoothness of the bright, cold soup stood in contrast with the crunchy vegetable garnish and the croutons. The slight acidity of the tomatoes, warmed by the use of sherry vinegar, was a great complement to the sweetness of the lobster medallions. 

This little culinary experience proved two things: ignorance is definitely not bliss, but its maliciousness can lead to a counter-challenge that promotes learning, opens minds, and expands horizons. 

GAZPACHO CON BOGAVANTE

Recipe from Jose Andres, available at Food Network

Serves 6

Ingredients (for the gazpacho)

• 2 pounds of tomatoes, diced
• 1/2 cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced
• 1/2 green pepper, seeded and diced
• 1 cup of water
• 6 tablespoons of Spanish extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons of sherry vinegar
• 3 ounces of bread, torn into small pieces
• Kosher salt

Ingredients (for the lobster and dressing):

• 2 (1 1/4 pound lobsters)
• Kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
• 10 tablespoons Spanish extra virgin olive oil

Ingredients (for the garnish):

• 4 plum tomatoes
• 1 cucumber peeled
• Kosher salt, as needed
• 1 red pepper, seeded, cut into tiny dice
• 1 green pepper, seeded and cut into tiny dice
• 2 shallots, cut into tiny dice
• Olive oil, for frying
• 4 (1/2 thick) slices of bread, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• Spanish extra virgin olive oil to garnish
• Minced chives
• Fleur de sel, to garnish

Directions:

1. Make the gazpacho. In small batches, mix all of the ingredients in a blender until very smooth. Pay attention to the consistency. You my have to add more water, as the water content in the ingredients may vary. Strain and chill.

2. Make the lobster and dressing. Fill a large pot with water and add plenty of salt. Bring to a boil and add lobsters.  Cook for 1 minute. Remove from water, drain and chill. Once the lobsters are cool, take off the head and remove the coral and liquid.  Pass the coral through a chinois or fine-mesh sieve. Set aside the resulting liquid for use in the dressing. Peel lobster tails and cut each tail into 6 medallions.  Carefully crack the claws and remove the meat. The idea here is to keep the claw meat whole. Split the claw meat in half lengthwise. Refrigerate the lobster until needed. 

3. Prepare the dressing. In a bowl, whisk together the reserved coral, vinegar and oil until smooth and blended. Season with salt to taste. Set aside. 

4. Make the garnish. Cut the ends off the tomatoes, cut the tomatoes in half lengthwise. Peel back the skin and flesh to expose the seeds. Remove the seeds, taking care to keep the mass whole. The point here is to remove the tomato seeds and their surrounding gel intact. Set aside. (Reserve the tomato flesh for another use.)

5.  Continue to make the garnish. Cut the cucumber in half lengthwise and remove seeds. Sprinkler the cucumber generously with salt and let sit for an hour in a colander in the sink. (The salt will cause the cucumber to release water.) Rinse the cucumber and pat dry with paper towels. Cut the cucumber into a tiny dice. In a bowl, combine the cucumber, peppers and shallot. set aside. 

6. Fry the bread. Pour the oil for frying into a large saucepan to a depth of 2 inches. Heat over medium heat until a deep fry thermometer inserted into the oil reads 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Fry the bread cubes until golden brown. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the croutons to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. 

7. Finish the dish. Pour the chilled gazpacho in a pitcher. In the center of each bowl, place 2 lobster medallions, 1 claw half and 1 tomato seed "fillet." Arrange some of the cucumber mixture around the edge of the blow, sprinkle with chives and top with 4 croutons. Drizzle the dressing around the lobster and drizzle the lobster with some of the extra-virgin olive oil. Finally sprinkle everything lightly with the fleur de sel. At the table, set the bowls in front of your guests and pour some of the gazpacho into each.

ENJOY!

West African-Style Broiled Lobster Tails

"The American relationship with shellfish would not be the same without the African and African-American presence."

Michael Twitty

The statement of culinary historian and chef, Michael Twitty, refers to the impact that Africans and African-Americans have had on the cuisine of this country, specifically with respect to shellfish, such as lobsters and crawfish. Before being brought to the New World, Africans had extensive experience catching, preparing and eating shellfish. Twitty recounts that experience along the African coast from Senegal to Benin. Whether it is lobster in spicy okra stews of Sierra Leone or the large shrimp thrown on red hot grills in Benin, it is well worth the read. 

Indeed, it was Twitty's words that drew me to this particular recipe for West African-style Broiled Lobster Tails. Twitty noted the red brick slipper lobsters or spiny lobsters that could be found in a Senegalese market, along with the local cooks who knew how to prepare the crustaceans with available ingredients, including tomatoes, ginger, garlic and habanero peppers.  Some of those ingredients - such as the garlic and the chiles - find their way into this recipe, as does the Maggi cube, which seem to find their way into many African recipes. 

The foregoing is not just African culinary history, it is also American culinary history. The Africans who were forcefully brought to the New World as slaves brought their knowledge of how to prepare foods. They incorporated that knowledge with the ingredients they found here, such as those lobsters or crawfish. Their work laid the foundation for many of the dishes that can be found on tables in restaurants and at home across our country. 

The late Cornelius White working on
an oyster skipjack on the Chesapeake
Bay (Source: Visit Annapolis)

There is so much more to the role that African-Americans have played in the culinary history of the United States. They have had a profound impact on what ends up on the plate. This aspect of our history includes the stories of African Americans who worked in every aspect of the seafood trade. It is the story of two African-American business partners, William Coulburne and Frederick Jewett, who opened the Coulbourne and Jewett Packing Company. This company began by processing fish, but it moved on to processing crab meat. Coulburne and Jewett introduced the method of sorting crab meat by backfin, lump, claw, special and regular. It is also the story of Downes Curtis, an African-American who lived in Oxford, Maryland. In the 1920s, he was a well known sailmaker, who produced sails by hand for vessels not only in the Chesapeake Bay area, but for famous people as well. The history of African Americans includes the story of every oysterperson along the Chesapeake Bay who plied the waters to harvest oysters. It also includes the story of every African-American fisherman or shrimper who brought his or her catch to the markets in New Orleans and across the Gulf of Mexico. That history began before the founding of our country (that is, in 1619) and it continues to the present day.

These stories are our history. They are important. They should not be reserved for one month in a year. They deserve to be told over and over again, because their contribution needs to be recognized, not forgotten. In the end, each of these stories is proof that there is so much more than what is simply on a plate.  That has become the purpose of my blog. Only time will tell if I can fulfill it. 

WEST AFRICAN-STYLE BROILED LOBSTER TAILS

Recipe by Michael Twitty, available at Luke's Lobster

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 1 inch piece of roughly chopped fresh turmeric or 2 teaspoons of powdered turmeric
• 1/2 bunch flat leaf or curly parsley, chopped
• 2 celery stalks, leaves and all, roughly chopped
• 3 green onions (scallions), sliced,
• 7 cloves garlic, smashed
• 1 small red onion, sliced
• 1 small Scotch Bonnet pepper (spicy) or 1 medium red bell pepper (not spicy), stem removed and chopped
• 1 crushed small Maggi cube
• 1 tablespoon canola oil

Directions:

1.  Prepare the rub. Add all of the wet ingredients in a food processor and pulse until the mixture is fully pureed. Scrape down the sides and process again.  Repeat until the mixture is more or less smooth.

2. Prepare the tails.  Using a sharp knife, half each lobster tail lengthwise, cutting almost all the way through the soft side and use your hands to pull gently at each side to lay the lobster flat. Place split lobster tails on a flat surface and season with the wet rub. Place in a resealable plastic bag and close securely. Allow the lobster tails to marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or up to 6 hours.

3. Broil the tails. Pull the lobster out 30 minutes before broiling and allow to come to room temperature.  Heat your broiler to 450 to 500 degrees Fahrenheit.  Place lobster tails seasoned side up.  Cook until the meat becomes opaque white and the shell turns bright red, or for about 8-10 minutes. 

4. Finish the dish. Remove from the broiler.  Brush the lobster tails with melted butter and serve immediately.

ENJOY!

Masaharu Morimoto's Lobster Masala

There is a quote to which I can relate.  "I'm not a fighter, but in my mind I'm fighting every day.  What's new? What am I doing? I'm fighting myself. My soul is samurai.  My roots are not samurai, but my soul is."  The person who made this statement is Masaharu Morimoto.  The chef who fought culinary battles as the Iron Chef Japanese on the well-known television show, and who now is a well known chef, restaurateur and cookbook author. 

The reason why the quote resonates with me is that I too fight every day.  As a lawyer, I spend a lot of mental energy fighting on behalf of my clients, asking a lot of questions and, sometimes, even fighting with myself.  (That latter fight is the daily battle that propels me to be the best lawyer that I can be.)  Cooking is for me is a way to find solace from that fighting, but still challenge myself to do things that may seem, at least at first glance, beyond my capabilities.  

One such challenge involves Morimoto's cookbook, Morimoto: The New Art of Japanese Cooking.  When I bought the book, I read through the recipes and, to be quite frank, I felt quite intimidated.  I thought to myself that these recipes were too complicated for me.  The book sat on my shelf for quite a long time.  The challenge went unanswered ... until this past New Year's Eve. 

Morimoto Special Spice

I always make a special New Year's Eve dinner for my beautiful Angel to celebrate the past year and to look forward to the new one.  I decided to undertake the challenge of making a recipe from Morimoto's cookbook.  The dish I chose was lobster masala, which Morimoto refers to as one of his signature dishes.  The recipe reminds me of seafood dishes that I have made with crab, even like classic Chesapeake Blue Crab, with whole crabs covered in a spice mixture (such as Old Bay).  The spice mixture used in this dish -- Morimoto Special Spice -- is a wonderful combination of chile powder, paprika, cumin, coriander, ginger, garam masala and cayenne pepper.  

The difference comes in the preparation.  The lobster is not steamed, as are the crabs.  Instead, it is sauteed.  Morimoto notes that, by sauteeing the lobster, the cook is able to control the ingredient and intensify the flavor.  I actually liked this technique, which is far easier to do with lobster than other live shellfish like crabs.

Finally, I like how the dish comes together.  The vegetable accompaniment helps to provide more color and sustenance with the lobster.   Morimoto notes that the vegetables can be changed with what is in season.  This is helpful because I could not find any golden beets.  So I used some yellow squash, so that there variety of colors remained in the dish.  Moreover, the lemon cream sauce is a simple sauce to make that provides relief to those who may find the seasoning to be a little too spicy.  While I thought the piquancy of the seasoning was just fine, the lemon cream sauce still was a refreshing touch when eating the lobster.

MASAHARU MORIMOTO'S LOBSTER MASALA

Recipe from Morimoto: The New Art of Japanese Cooking

Serves 4

Ingredients:

8 baby beets, preferably golden

12 baby carrots

12 asparagus stalks

`1/2 cup broccoflower or broccoli florets

4 live Maine lobsters (1 1/2 pounds each)

6 tablespoons olive oil, as needed

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 tablespoons Morimoto Special Spice (see recipe below)

Lemon Cream (see recipe below)

Ingredients (for the Morimoto Special Spice):

1 tablespoon chile powder

1 tablespoon sweet paprika

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

3/4 teaspoon ground cumin

3/4 teaspoon ground coriander

3/4 teaspoon ground cumin

3/4 teaspoon ground garam masala

3/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

Ingredients (for the Lemon Cream):

1 cup heavy cream

2 teaspoons sugar

Juice of one lemon

Pinch of salt

Directions:

1.  Prepare the special spice.  Combine all of the ingredients for the special spice in a covered container in a cool dark place for up to 3 months.

2.  Prepare the beets.  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.  Wrap the beets in foil and roast for 45 minutes or until tender.  When they are cool enough to handle, rub off the skins and half or quarter the beets. 

3.  Prepare the carrots.  Peel the carrots and trim to leave about 1/2 inch of the green stems.  Bring a large saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil.  Add the carrots and cook for about 4 minutes, until just tender.  Drain and rinse under cold running running water.

4.  Prepare the asparagus.  Trim the asparagus to include the tips and about 4 inches of the stalks.  Use a swivel blade vegetable peeler to trim off the tough skin from the thicker part of the stems.  In another saucepan of boiling salted water, cook the asparagus and the broccoflower until just tender, about 3 minutes.

5.  Prepare the lobsters. Split the lobsters lengthwise in half down the belly.  Using a teaspoon, remove the dark "sand sack" from the inside the head, this is the only part of the lobster that is not edible.  Separate the claws with the knuckles attached and crack the claws with a heavy knife/  If not cooking immediately, wrap and refrigerate for no more than 2 hours.  The sooner you cook the lobsters the better. 

6.   Cook the lobsters.  Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a very large skillet over moderately high heat.  Add 2 lobsters to the skillet, meat side down, arranging the claws against the surface of the skillet.  (If the lobsters don't fit, use 2 skillets or cook them one at a time.)  Saute until the tail meat is golden in color, 2 to 3 minutes.  Turn the lobsters over and season the exposed meat of the lobster generously with 2 tablespoons of the Morimoto Special Spice.  Add additional oil and cover the skillet.  Cook until the lobster meat is opaque when pieced and the shells are bright red.  About 3 minutes.  Remove to a platter or large plate.  The claws will take 2 to 3 minutes longer.  Tent the lobsters with foil to keep warm.  Repeat with 2 more tablespoons of oil the remaining 2 lobsters, and 2 more tablespoons of the Morimoto Special Spice

7.  Prepare the cream sauce.  In a chilled bowl, using cold beaters, whip the ream with the sugar until soft peaks form.  Add the lemon juice and salt and whip until stiff.  Cover and refrigerate until serving.

8.  Finish the cook.  Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil in the same skillet.  Add the cooked beets, carrots, asparagus and broccoflowers.  Toss over medium-high heat for a couple of minutes to warm through.  Arrange the vegetables around the lobsters and serve with the Lemon Cream Sauce on the side.

ENJOY!

Lobster and Shrimp Salad with an Albariño Citrus Dressing

This recipe is an experiment; and, I have debated whether or not to post it.  The objective was to make a cold seafood salad.  I wanted to make a light dish, with lettuce, seafood and a fresh dressing. I put a lot of thought into this recipe, without referring to any recipes.  This dish would rise and fall based upon what I have learned from cooking over the past year or two.

First, there was the question of the seafood.  I wanted to use cold seafood, but the seafood has to complement each other.  The best selection involved seafood that has a relatively similar flavor and texture.  The easiest choices were shrimp and lobster.  Both can be and often are served cold.

Second, there was the question of the dressing.  My thoughts revolved around two components -- citrus juice  and wine.  I  quickly came to the conclusion to use  both lemons and limes.  However, I was a little stumped about which wine to use.  I ultimately chose a wine from a region that is closely related to seafood ... an Albariño.  This wine hails from the Rias Biaxas region, which is located in Galicia, Spain.  Galicia is well known for its seafood, so this pairing seemed to be right on target. 

LOBSTER AND SHRIMP SALAD WITH AN ALBARINO CITRUS DRESSING

A Chef Bolek Original

Serves 2-3

Ingredients:

2 four-ounce lobster tails

1/2 pound of 16/20 count shrimp, shells removed and deveined

2 lemons

3 limes

1 tablespoon of fresh basil, chiffonade

Salt, to taste

1/4 cup of red onions, sliced thinly

1/2 cup of Albariño wine

Pepper to taste

8 ounces of Heirloom lettuce leaves or regular lettuce leaves

Directions:

1.  Steam the lobster and shrimp.  Fill a steam pot with water until there is about three inches of water in the pot.  Add the juice of one lemon and one lime.  Heat the pot on high until the water is boiling and steam is being emitted from the pot.   Add the shrimp and lobster and steam both.  The shrimp should be cooked after about two minutes.  Remove the shrimp.  Continue steaming the lobster tails for about two or three minutes longer.

2.  Make the dressing.  Juice the lemon and two limes. Add the wine and stir well. Add the basil, salt and pepper.  Once the lobster and shrimp have cooled down, add them to the the dressing.  

3.  Plate the dish.  Plate the lettuce and red onions.  Add the shrimp and lobster, spooning a little of the dressing over both the seafood and the lettuce.

Overall, I think this experiment was a success.  The most notable aspect of this dish is how the lobster and shrimp absorbed the flavors of the Albariño wine.  Over all, I liked this dish a lot.

One important caveat: this dish is for adults only and it should not be served to children.  The alcohol in the wine is not cooked out, so the dish should not be served to anyone under the age of 21.  If you want to serve this at a dinner where there will be underage guests, it would be best to cook the alcohol out of the wine by first bringing the wine to a gentle boil in a saucepan and then reducing it to a simmer for about five minutes at most.  You can then let the wine cool down before adding the citrus.  I did not do that because heat can affect the taste of the wine and I wanted to keep that flavor as much as possible. 

PAIRING THIS RECIPE

Obviously, the use of Albariño wine makes that wine the perfect pairing for this recipe.  It is also a good choice because you will have a lot of wine left in the bottle after making the recipe.  One such wine is the following:

Pazo Serantellos -- Albariño (2010)

100% Albariño 

Rias Biaxas DO, Galicia, Spain

Flavors of apples

ENJOY!

Saffron Infused Lobster, Roasted Peppers, Arugula

Recently, my beautiful Angel, Clare, wanted me to make her a salad.  I wanted to try something different.  The result is this dish.  It is an experiment with different ingredients ... saffron, lobster, peppers, onions, arugula and pecorino romano.  I decided to combine the first two, using the saffron to flavor the lobster.  With respect to onions, I decided to let them soak in some red wine vinegar.  The peppers were roasted.  The arugula and pecorino romano were left alone.

As with most Chef Bolek originals, I posted this dish after the first attempt at making it.  I think it is visually appealing, with a good contrast in colors .. the yellow, saffron-infused lobster, the orange roasted peppers, the pinkish onions, and the green arugula.  The dish tasted good as well.  The saffron obviously flavored the lobster, which contrasted well with the peppery arugula and the roasted flavors of the peppers.

Although I have a hard time getting back to making dishes a second time (there is so many recipes and so little time), I will revisit this recipe and work on this dish. I will also update the recipe based upon what I learn and how I improve it. 

SAFFRON INFUSED LOBSTER, ROASTED PEPPERS, ARUGULA

A Chef Bolek Original

Serves 2

Ingredients:

3 to 4 four ounce lobster tails, shelled and cut into 

     bite sized pieces

1 green bell pepper, roasted and diced

1 red bell pepper, roasted and diced

1 medium shallot, finely diced

1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup of red wine vinegar

3 cups of baby arugula

1 pinch of saffron

2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Pecorino Toscano or Pecorino Romao, shaved

Sea salt, to taste

Directions:

1.  Marinate the lobster and onions.  Rehydrate the saffron in warm water for fifteen minutes in a medium sized bowl.  Once the water has cooled, add the lobster and let it sit for about four to five minutes.  In a separate bowl, pour 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil.  Remove the lobster from the saffron water and place the lobster (with as many saffron threads as possible, in the separate bowl.  Refrigerate for at least fifteen minutes.  In a separate bowl, add the red onions and the red wine vinegar.  Mix to make sure that the vinegar covers all of the onions.

2.  Saute the shallots.  Heat the remaining olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat.  Add the shallots and saute until translucent.  

3.  Saute the lobster.  Add the lobster and saute the lobster until opaque, about eight minutes.  Make sure to stir the lobster and make sure that all sides of the lobster are cooked.  Add the roasted peppers to warm them again.

4.  Plate the dish.  Plate the arugula in the center of the dish.  Add some of the onions on top of the arugula.  Add some of the lobster on top of the onions, along with some shaved Pecorino.

PAIRING THIS DISH

This dish is best paired with a white wine.  A range of white wines could work, although I would stick with a lighter, fruiter white wine.  A wine such as a Pinot Gris or Sémillon would work well, such as one of these:

Lemelson Vineyards -- Tikka's Run Pinot Gris
100% Pinot Gris
Willamette Valley, Oregon, USA
Flavors of apricot, melon and fennel

L'Ecole No. 41 -- Columbia Valley Sémillon
100% Sémillon
 Columbia Valley, Washington, USA
Flavors of pear and apple

Although white wines would work with this dish, I would steer clear from Chardonnays, especially oaked wines.

ENJOY!

Maccheroni alla Chitarra con Aragosta ed i Funghi (Chitarra Pasta with Lobster and Portabello Mushrooms)

I love to make pasta by hand, and, as a general rule, I will not purchase any boxed, dry pasta that I can make at home. As of right now, I can make most of the basic types of  ribbon cut noodles, such as cappellini, fettucine, linguine, pappardelle and tagliatelle.  There is also one other type of ribbon-cut noodle that I like to make.  That noodle is known Maccheroni alla Chitarra.

This type of pasta is a specialty of the Italian region of Abruzzo.  The name -- Chitarra -- is a reference to the appearance of the pasta maker.  A rectangular box with thirty-six strings on one side and seventy-two strings on the other.  Hence, the name "chitarra," which means "guitar" in Italian.  To make the pasta, one takes a thin sheet of pasta, presses the pasta down on the strings, and then "strums" the wires until the pasta falls through.  At least for me, making Maccheroni alla Chitarra can be a time-intensive endeavor, but the results are always incredible. 

A Chitarra

Maccheroni alla Chitarra is also special to me for another reason.  One of the first gifts that my beautiful Angel ever bought me is a Chitarra.  I have used it on occasion to make pasta for Clare and me.  Recently, I decided to make a very special Maccheroni alla Chitarra for my Angel.  I not only wanted to use the first gift that she ever bought me, but I wanted to make a truly amazing sauce. 

I decided to begin the sauce with San Marzano tomatoes.  San Marzano tomatoes are a plum tomato, whose origins date back to the late 18th century.  According to legend, the the King of Peru gifted these wonderful tomatoes to the King of Naples.  Those tomatoes are planted around Calabria; however, only those tomatoes that are grown in the Valle de Sarno (or Sarno Valley) can be labeled as Pomodoro S. Marzano dell'Agro Sarnese-Nocerino, which is the protected San Marzano tomatoes.  Chefs love San Marzano tomatoes because their meat is generally sweeter than other tomatoes, and the San Marzanos have less acidity that other tomatoes.  These characteristics make the tomato perfect for pasta sauce.

Not only did I have the perfect tomatoes, but I also had the perfect ingredients for the sauce... lobsters and portabello mushrooms.  It took a little time to pick the meat out of the lobsters.  While most people go straight for the claws and the tails, there are also little slivers of meat in the legs.  I worked to get all of the meat out of the two lobsters.  As for the portabello mushrooms, the key is to slice them as thin as possible.  Together, the lobsters, mushrooms and tomatoes made a great sauce, which went perfectly with the handmade pasta. 

MACCHERONI ALLA CHITARRA CON ARAGOSTA ED I FUNGHI

(CHITARRA PASTA WITH LOBSTER AND MUSHROOMS)

A Chef Bolek Original
Serves 2-3

Ingredients:

2 fresh lobsters, about 1 pound each, steamed and meat picked

     and tail sliced

1 pound of fresh chitarra pasta

1 can of San Marzano tomatoes

1 healthy pinch of crushed red pepper or peperoncino

1 scallion diced finely

2 teaspoons of fresh rosemary, chopped finely

1 dozen small portabello mushrooms, sliced

2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

Salt, to taste

Ground pepper, to taste

Shaved Parmigiano Reggiano

Directions:

1.  Make the pasta.  Create a volcano with the cups of flour and break the eggs into the the center of the volcano. Make sure that the "walls" of the volcano are thick enough to hold the eggs in the center. Take a fork and begin to beat the eggs gently. As you are beating the eggs, begin to incorporate the flour from the sides of the mountain, starting at the top. Continue to add flour until you have a consistent paste. As the mixture comes together, form it into a ball.

2.  Continue to make the pasta.  Clean the workspace and then sprinkle flour over the working surface. Gently knead the dough until it becomes smooth and elastic. Make sure that there are no sticky spots in the dough (as a sticky dough will simply clog the pasta machine). Once the dough has been kneaded, begin to run it through a handcrank pasta machine at the widest setting. Repeat this five or six times. Then run the pasta through each of the other settings on the pasta machine, except for the last setting. Once you have finished with the second-to-last setting, lightly sprinkle it with flour and set aside for a couple of minutes. Then cut the pasta into segments.

3.  Cut the pasta.  If you have a Chitarra, place the pasta on top of the strings. Using a small rolling pin, gently run the pin up and down the pasta until it falls through the strings. Repeat for each segment.  (As an alternative, you can make fettuccine using the appropriate extensions on your hand crank pasta maker.)

4.  Make the sauce.  Heat the olive oil on medium heat.  Add the scallions and saute for about two minutes.  Add the mushrooms.  Add additional olive oil if necessary and saute for about seven to eight minutes, until the mushrooms have released all of their moisture.  While the mushrooms are sauteing, add the rosemary and the crushed red pepper.

5.  Cook the pasta.  Place it in a pot of boiling water (with salt added, but that is not necessary). Cook the pasta for a couple of minutes. When the pasta is done, drain the pasta and add it to the sauce.

ENJOY!

Lobstercake Sandwiches

Lobster burgers.  For foodies who live in the D.C. area, thoughts turn to the dish made "famous" by D.C. Chef Michel Richard at his restaurant Central in downtown D.C.  I can remember the first time (and, in fact, the only time) that I had the lobster burger at Central.  The burger was exquisite, big chunks of lobster meat held together by the most minimalist of binding.  I enjoyed every bite of that burger, and, I have always wanted to recreate that burger at home.

This recipe is NOT the recipe for Michel Richard's lobster burger.  First, that recipe calls for the use of fresh lobster.  Two pounds of meat from fresh lobsters costs a lot of money.  So, I substituted meat from frozen lobster claws and joints.  This probably had an impact on the preparation of the burgers.  Second, I could not get the mix to the right consistency.  The mix was too soupy, preventing the lobster from binding properly into a burger shape.  In an effort to save the dish, I decided to add bread crumbs.  The additional ingredient turned what was supposed to be a lobster burger into something more like a crabcake.  A "lobstercake," if you will.

My lobster burger - turned - lobster cake still turned out well.  Well enough, at least, for me to post the recipe.  I have to admit that I do not necessarily intend to make this dish again.  My future efforts will be aimed at recreating Michel Richard's lobster burgers.  That said, when my best efforts go awry, then I will make more lobster cakes and enjoy them immensely. 

LOBSTERCAKE SANDWICHES

A Chef Bolek Original

Serves 2-4

Ingredients:
2 pounds of lobster meat (frozen lobster meat, thawed)
     (use fresh lobster meat if you have it)
1 large tomato, cut into slices
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1/4 pound of scallops
2 tablespoons of milk
1/2 cup of panko bread crumbs
1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder
2 teaspoons of fresh cilantro, chopped finely
Ground black pepper, to taste
Salt, to taste

Directions:

1. Make the lobstercakes.  In a food processor, puree the scallops for a few seconds until smooth.  Stir in 2 tablespoons of milk.  Add the garlic powder, ground black pepper and salt.  Fold the scallop mixture into the lobster.  Add the bread crumbs and mix thoroughly.  Make two patties and put them in the refrigerator.

2.  Saute the lobstercakes.  Heat the olive oil in a pan.  Remove the patties from the refrigerator and when the oil is hot, add the patties.  Cook the patties for five minutes on each side (just long enough to cook the scallops used in the binding.

ENJOY!

Insalata dell'Aragosta (Sardinian Lobster Salad)

Two recent events converged to make this dish possible.  Recently, while perusing the frozen seafood section of my local supermarket, I saw a bag of frozen lobster claws.  I began to think about what I could do with that lobster meat. The other event was the realization that I had a white wine from Sardinia that had to be served, because it was of the 2005 vintage.  What does one like me do when I have a Sardinian white wine and some lobster?  Make a Sardinian Lobster Salad

Seafood salads are common throughout Italy and are often made with whatever fish, shellfish or other seafood is readily available.  In the waters around Sardinia, there are spiny lobsters.  The spiny lobsters differ from the lobsters in the waters around the United States, because they do not have claws.  So, here I am, making a Sardinian lobster salad with lobster meat that would not be found on the lobsters around Sardinia.  It is kind of like watching a movie that is supposed to be set in Rome, Italy but all of the signs are in English and the White House is in the background.

Still, the recipe worked and the dish was very good.  The only problem was the lobster meat itself.  Frozen lobster meat is cooked and, in order to use it, you basically have to cook it again.  I steamed the lobster meat, which did the job, although some lobster meat ended up being dried out.  If you can afford live lobsters, it is probably best to use them for the dish.  

INSALATA DELL'ARAGOSTA

Adapted from About.com

Serves 3-4

Ingredients:

1 pound of lobster meat, precooked

1/3 cup of high quality olive oil

3 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice

2 garlic cloves, chopped

2 celery stalks, chopped

1 pound of heirloom tomatoes, chopped

1/2 sweet onion, sliced or chopped

Arugula

Ground, pepper to taste

Directions:

1.  Make the dressing.   Buzz the lemon juice and garlic in a blender, then drizzle olive oil slowly so it emulsifies.  

2.  Plate the dish.  Arrange the arugula on the plate.  You can also add mint leaves and basil leaves.  Place the lobster meat on the arugula and add the vegetables.  Spoon the dressing over the salad.  Sprinkle some freshly ground black pepper over the salad. 

ENJOY!

Risotto dell'Aragosto con Zafferano

I've been wanting to make Saffron Lobster Risotto for Clare for some time.  I've made the dish for Clare a couple times in the past, but I had the urge to make it for her again.  And, I had a great opportunity recently because a local supermarket has been having a sale on lobster tails, $5.99 per 6 ounce tail.  So, I bought four tails and went to work on making the risotto. 

Generally, when I make this risotto I try to draw my inspiration from Abruzzo, the region in Italy from where my mother's relatives emigrated to the United States.  Abruzzo is a truly interesting region in the culinary sense.  To the east, there is the Adriatic Sea, which is the source for a lot of seafood.  In the west, there are the mountains, where farming is limited but herding provides lamb and mutton.  And, in between, there are fields and valleys, where farmers grow wheat, olives, grapes and, for this recipe, saffron.

Crocus Sativus (Picture is from Wikipedia)

Saffron, which is the dried stem of the Crocus Sativus, grows on the Navelli plain in the province of L'Aquila in Abruzzo.  According to legend, a priest named Santucci brought saffron to Abruzzo from Spain during the height of the Inquisition.  Since then, farmers have cultivated and grown saffron in Abruzzo; however, they do not produce enough to export the spice outside of Italy.  When you see saffron in the stores, it is most likely from Kashmir or Spain, but its cultivation practically extends around the world, where farmers in Greece, Turkey, Iran, India, China and even the United States cultivate the flower for the precious stems that provide a truly unique flavor -- and its signature yellowish color -- to any dish.   

So, for me, the lobster represents the coastline of Abruzzo, the saffron represents the fields of the region and, for the hills and mountains, there is the wine.  The recipe calls for 1 cup of white wine and, in my nod to the Abruzzo region, I used a Trebbiano d'Abruzzo.

Finally, I decided to change how I made the risotto.  I made the rice and the lobster separately, combining the two at the end just before plating the dish.  The reason for the change is that I wanted to try to perfect the saffron risotto itself, without adding the flavors of the lobster into the risotto.  In other words, I wanted to be able to take a fork of risotto and just taste the risotto and the saffron, without the lobster. 

In the end, this dish is like two separate dishes -- lobster and saffron risotto.  Whether taken separately or together, lobster and risotto make for one great dish.

RISOTTO DELL'ARAGOSTO CON ZAFFERANO
A Chef Bolek Original
Serves 2-3

Ingredients for the broth:
4 cups of seafood stock
2 cups of water
Several large basil leaves
1 teaspoon of crushed red pepper
A healthy pinch of saffron

Ingredients for the Risotto:

1 1/2 cups of arborio rice
1 clove of garlic, minced
1/2 sweet or Vidalia onion, minced
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 cup of white wine
2-3 tablespoons of fresh flat leave parsley, finely chopped

Ingredients for the Lobster:
4 lobster tails
2 cloves of garlic, diced
2 tablespoons of olive oil
Several basil leaves, chopped finely
1 teaspoon of crushed red pepper.
Salt, to taste
Ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:
1.  Take a pair of kitchen scissors (scissors that you use to cut food, like chicken or seafood) and cut down the back of the tail.  Cut down the middle and then open the tail.  Work your fingers in between the meat and the shell to separate them.  Pull the lobster meat out gently.  Cut into even size pieces and set aside in the refrigerator.

2.  Make the broth by combining the seafood stock and water in a pot.   Heat the broth until it is just about to boil, reduce the heat and allow it to simmer.  Add the basil and the saffron.  Let the broth simmer for about 15 to 30 minutes. 

3.  Add the olive oil in a separate pot and heat to medium.  Add the onions first and saute for several minutes until translucent.  After a couple of minutes of sauteing the onions, add the garlic and continue to saute.

4.  When the onions and garlic are translucent, add the arborio rice and stir to cover the rice with the olive oil, onions and garlic.  Then add the white wine and continue to stir until the wine is almost absorbed by the rice.

5.  When the wine is just about absorbed by the rice, add 1 cup of the broth and continue to stir.   Simmer slowly and stir often until the liquid is almost absorbed.  Adjust the heat of necessary so that the stock does not evaporate too quickly.  Once that cup of broth is almost absorbed by the rice, add another cup of the broth and continue to stir.

6.  Continue adding stock either by 1/2 cup or 1 cup amounts to the risotto, stirring continuously until the stock is absorbed.  Every once in a while, taste the rice.  Once the rice becomes creamy in consistency and is cooked al dente (firm to the bite), it is done. 

7.  When the rice is almost finished, heat a couple of tablespoons of oil in a saute pan on medium-high heat.  Add the garlic and saute for one minute.  Add the lobster and garlic.  Saute the lobster for about five minutes, until the lobster is translucent.  Stir often to ensure that all sides of the lobster are cooked through.

ENJOY!

For more information about the history of saffron in Abruzzo, check out Delicious Italy.

Bucatini con L'Aragosta

I decided to make a special dinner for my Angel, Clare.  The dish is a favorite of ours and, coincidentally, Lidia Bastianich.  Back in June, we had dinner at Del Posto in New York City.  Del Posto is a new restaurant opened by Mario Batali and Lidia Bastianich.  Clare and I ordered the Chef's tasting menu, which included a spaghetti dish with lobster and jalapeno slices.  While we were eating the dish, which was incredible, Lidia herself walked by our table.  As Clare and I looked at Lidia, with both of our mouths agape at the sight of such a culinary celebrity, Lidia pointed to the dish and said, "that's my favorite."

So, I decided to create my own version of that favorite.  I have my own rule ... I don't buy spaghetti that I can make, so that ruled out linguine, fettuccine and most noodles for that matter.  However, I was short on time and could not make my own handmade pasta.  At the store, I came across bucatini, a pasta that is well known in Latium and Abruzzo.  Bucatini is a round noodle that is hollow in the middle, which provides a perfect opening for the sauce to penetrate throughout the noodle.  It is a pasta that, as of this moment, I cannot make by hand.

Turning to the recipe, I used lobster tails, which are easy to prep.  Take a pair of kitchen scissors (scissors that you use to cut food, like chicken or seafood) and cut down the back of the tail.  Cut down the middle and then open the tail.  Work your fingers in between the meat and the shell to separate them.  Pull the lobster meat out gently.  And you are ready to make the recipe.

BUCATINI CON L'ARAGOSTA
A Chef Bolek Original
Serves 2-3

 Ingredients:
3 to 4 lobster tails, separated from the shell and cut into even sized pieces
1/2 package of bucatini
1 good size shallot, diced
1 clove of garlic, diced
1 small yellow onion, diced.
1 can of whole tomatoes
3 tablespoons of unsalted butter
1 jalapeno pepper, sliced (2 peppers if you like it hot)
Lots of fresh basil
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste

Directions:
1.  After removing the lobster meat from the shell, cut the meat into even sized pieces. Salt and pepper the pieces generously, set aside in the refrigerator.

2.  Melt the butter in a pan on medium high heat.  Add the onions and saute until translucent.  Chiffonade three large leaves of basil.  Add the basil, shallot and garlic and saute for a couple of minutes.

3.  Add the tomatoes to the pan with the sauce from the can.  With a potato masher, mash the tomatoes and mix into the sauce.  Don't let the tomato sauce cook for more than thirty minutes.  If you don't have the pasta water boiling in time, just turn down the sauce and heat it up when you are ready to complete the dish.

4.  Heat a pot of water on high heat until it boils.  Add the pasta and let it cook for about five to eight minutes until soft.

5.  Add the lobster to the sauce and cook the lobster until done, about five to eight minutes.  While cooking the lobster, add the jalapeno peppers.  If you like it hot, add the peppers when you add the lobster and allow them to cook longer in the sauce.

6.  When the pasta and lobster is done, add the pasta to the pan with the sauce and lobster.  Stir the pasta into the sauce.

7.  Plate the pasta in a bowl, add the lobster and some of the sauce. Garnish with some grated Parmagiano Reggiano.

 ENJOY!

Basil Garlic Lobster

Recently, I decided to create my own lobster dish.  I wanted a simple dish, which required only a handful of ingredients and which could be quickly prepared.  This dish requires only lobster tails, fresh basil, garlic, olive oil and a few spices.  The longest part of the dish is getting the lobster out of the tail without damaging the tail.  The tail can then be used as part of the presentation.  

As always, I don't always measure spices, as I generally add a little at a time until I am satisfied.  So all of the spice measurements are approximations.  Also, my apologies for the lack of pictures as to how to get the lobster out of the tails.

BASIL GARLIC LOBSTER
A Chef Bolek Original
Serves 2

Ingredients:
2 four ounce lobster tails (or larger)

1 bunch of fresh basil (at least 4 large leaves)

1 good size clove of garlic

1/2 teaspoon of crushed red pepper (optional, I like the kick)

Olive oil

Salt to taste

Black Pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Before tackling the lobster tail, take a couple of basil leaves and chop them finely.  Also, dice the clove of garlic.  Set aside.

2.  Now, the lobster tail.  First, rinse the tail under cold water.  Second, take a pair of seafood scissors and cut down the middle of the underside of the tail.  At the end of the tail, make snippets on each side of the underside, approximately a quarter of an inch or a half-inch apart.  Cut along the edges of the underside, removing the segments as you go along.  After removing most of the underside, clean the edges.  Third, dry off the tails, then rub a tablespoon of olive oil on the inside of the tail.  Salt and pepper the inside of the tail liberally.  Heat the oven to 400 degrees F, and bake the tails for five to eight minutes until the tails are red.  Remove and let cool.  Now you have your serving dish.

3.  Take the lobster meat and clean it.  Lobster is like shrimp, it should be deveined if possible.  The vein is along the top of the tail meat.  Remove the vein and rinse the lobster meat with cold water.  Then slice the lobster meat into pieces that are roughly the same size.  Put the lobster pieces into a bowl and add about 1 tablespoon of olive oil.  Add the chopped basil leaves and crushed red pepper.  Mix the ingredients.

4.  Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a skillet on medium to medium high heat.  When the oil begins to glisten, add the diced garlic.  Saute the garlic for a couple of minutes, but do not let it brown.  Add the lobster mixture and saute for at least five to eight minutes, if not longer, until the lobster is opaque.  Salt and pepper to taste.   Stir occasionally to ensure that all sides of the lobster is cooked.

ENJOY.

(The Basil Garlic Lobster pictured above is served with Angel Hair Pasta with a Saffron Red Sauce and Steamed Broccoli.)