Cooking For “Just the Two Of Us”
Recipes that serve only two can have as much flavor appeal as those that feed a bunch. Here's proof.
It's said that "Good things come in Two's… but finding good recipes that work well for just two people isn't always comfortable; with that in mind, the hubby is writing this post about the twice-cooked Lobster. Below he shares his story and recipe on this fantastic dish.
Although I am very fond of seafood, I am not a big fan of Maine lobsters. I find them too dry when broiled and too bland when steamed. However, when I first tasted the lobster at Il Toscano restaurant in 2004, I was immediately impressed by its irresistible taste and melted in your mouth texture.
Over the years, I have had it on numerous occasions without disappointment. Recently on a trip to Martha's Vineyard, I went to a restaurant called Atria , which also had a delicious lobster which they fry in a wok at a very high temperature. In speaking with Atria's chef’s wife (they are both co-owners) , I was informed that the Lobster is dipped in milk before being coated in flour and then fried in the wok. Therefore, when I returned from my mini-vacation from Martha's Vineyard a few weeks ago, I was inspired to make my home version of a restaurant-quality lobster.
Ingredients:
Two 1 1/2 to 2 pound lobsters
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil for sauté process
1 cup regular olive oil for frying process
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoon clam juice
4 garlic cloves (minced)
1 medium sized shallot (minced)
2 tablespoons fresh chopped Italian parsley
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 to 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 cup dry white wine (I used pinot grigio)
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 whole eggs and equal part buttermilk (whisked together in small bowl)
10 tablespoons flour and 5 tablespoon cornstarch mixed together in medium sized bowl
Instructions:
Have fresh live lobsters split and cleaned at seafood market (only the claws and tails will be used for the recipe and thus you may discard the head and body with attached small walking legs).
The claws are separated at the joints and the shears are used to cut the shells lengthwise along the thinner side of shell while exposing the meat but keeping it attached inside the shell (good luck with getting the seafood market to do this because it is very tedious but if they refuse you can look up how to do it online). Next split the tail in half lengthwise and cut each half into another 2 to 4 pieces depending upon the size of the tails. Once these steps are completed the lobster meat/shells should be completely patted dry with paper towels.
Dip the pieces of lobster into the egg/buttermilk mixture and shake off excess. Next fully coat each piece of lobster with flour/cornstarch mixture and place on dry plate until ready to cook.
Next preheat regular olive oil in nonstick 8 inch frying to medium high heat. Fry lobster in batches of 5 to 6 pieces at a time (20 to 30 seconds first meat side down and then flip and cook another 20 to 30 seconds on shell side until batter is lightly golden brown and exposed shell is bright red). Be sure not to overcook and remove from pan and place on paper towels. Repeat process until all pieces are cooked.
Next preheat extra virgin olive oil in 12 inch nonstick frying pan on medium heat and then add garlic and shallots and sauté for approximately 3 minutes while gently stirring to avoid sticking. Then add white wine to deglaze the pan and next add the lemon juice, clam juice and dried oregano and stir. Next add the previously fried lobster pieces and then add the butter (1 tablespoon at a time) into different areas of pan and allow to melt. Gently sprinkle parsley into pan along with red pepper flakes and sauté lobster with constant light stirring for 4 to 6 minutes. You may sprinkle a small amount of salt and black pepper to desired taste. Remove pan form stove and the transfer contents of pan to large plate and may enjoy over pasta or by itself.
If you are a seafood lover like we are, you should try these fantastic dishes below.