71 Lobster Americaine From:   drwo@woteki.com Subject: Lobster Risotto Americaine Date: June 1, 2004 9:22:20 PM EDT To:   aroundthekitchen@aroundthekitchen.info Reply-To:   aroundthekitchen@aroundthekitchen.info Lobster Americaine is a dish I stumbled on a long time ago in James Beard’s seafood cookbook, probably now out of print. It has stayed in my repertoire but I hadn’t made it in a very long time. The other day I adapted a recipe to prepare a stock/sauce for a risotto. I made this for a friend who has been somewhat out of circulation lately. It’s not an everyday dish but it was a very big hit on this special occasion. Here is what I did. The procedure is detailed, but the ingredients are open to interpretation and variation. If you want the recipe I adapted, consult the crustacean section of James Peterson’s book entitled “Sauces”, an excellent book. I adapted his recipe with a several twists of my own. To make 2 qts rich stock or thin sauce that may be reduced further: Obtain: 2 lobsters, 1-3/4 - 2 lbs each ($$$ Peterson’s recipe calls for 6 lbs - count ‘em - of lobster. You don’t need that much.) head of fennel 2 C tomato puree 2 C dry white wine 1-1/2 to 2 qts chicken stock 1/2 C cognac or more to taste shallots, garlic and onion bouquet garni sprigs of fresh tarragon Caution: Your mileage may vary. Use all of your senses in judging these proportions For the stock: 1. Slay the lobsters with a large knife giving thanks all the while. 2. Remove the tomalley and roe (if any) and immediately refrigerate; reserve for incorporation into the sauce later. 3. Separate the tails and the claws from the carcasses; split the carcasses lengthwise. 4. Cut the lobster tails into medallions along the joints; crack the claws well. 5. Sauté all the lobster pieces over high heat in EVOO in a large pan until the shells are red and the meat becomes firm. Proceed in batches so as not to crowd the pieces. 6. Reserve the pan. Let the lobster cool; remove all the meat from the tail section and the claws and reserve. 7. Sauté onion, shallots, garlic, fennel in the pan with additional oil if needed. 8. Add all the liquid ingredients, the bouquet garni and the tarragon. Bring to a simmer. 9. Meanwhile, crush or break up the reserved shells so that all the pieces will fit in the pan with the liquid. Add the shells to the pan. 10. Flame the cognac to evaporate the alcohol. Add to the pan. 11. Cover and simmer gently for about 2 hours or more. 12. Let cool to handle. Remove and discard the shells. Squeeze the bouquet garni over a strainer to remove any stock. Strain the stock. Press the soft vegetables against the strainer to extract as much stock as possible. Discard the veggies. 13. You should have about 2 qts of beautiful reddish-pink and very flavorful stock. If less than 2 qts., add chicken stock, wine or water as you please. Refrigerate until use. For the Risotto: 1. Force the reserved tomalley and roe through a fine strainer to remove any fibrous material. Reserve the (combined) puree. It will be black and murky and may appear unappetizing. Do not back off. This is good stuff with much flavor. 2. Prepare a sofrito as for any risotto. Sauté the rice in it briefly. 3. Bring the stock to a simmer. 4. When the rice is about 5 minutes away from done, add the reserved tomalley puree and then the lobster pieces. Combine with additional stock until the lobster is heated through and the rice is done. 5. Serve the rice with a little stock if any is left. • I do not add parmesan cheese to seafood risottos. • This stock is very rich, so it is unlikely you will need (or want?) to add butter or cream to finish the rice, but hey you never know. • The color of the stock is beautiful. But you could add some par-cooked green vegetable for added color and texture. I used about a cup of fava beans, which proved to be an excellent addition. • You could probably use this stock as the base for a lobster bisque. Serve this with a very crisp white wine such as an Albarino from Spain, which goes very, very well with this dish. Enjoy, Tom From:   leslie.borden@comcast.net Subject: Re: Lobster Risotto Americaine Date: June 2, 2004 3:03:45 PM EDT To:   aroundthekitchen@aroundthekitchen.info Reply-To:   aroundthekitchen@aroundthekitchen.info . . . what he said!  As one of the recipients of the dish, I can attest that it was truly fabulous.  Tom does not give himself enough credit, however.  Here’s the full story.  First, the “friend . . . out of circulation” is my husband Rob, who is now at home after his stroke and getting aggressive outpatient therapy.  He’s walking pretty well, with a good prognosis for really good walking, and we are working on that poor left arm that just doesn’t want to be part of the team (for the computer geeks, it’s as though the arm is just not “installed”, as far as the brain is concerned).  But I digress. Tom and Cathie invited us to their home for dinner, but we were nervous about the front and back steps for getting into and out of the house, so they generously agreed to come and cook at our house.  Here’s the full menu: Wheatberry salad with asparagus.  I’d never had wheatberries, which turn out to be delightful grains about the size of uncooked tapioca.  Tom cooked them and tossed with a vinaigrette, then arranged them on plates with stalks of asparagus in a square around the wheatberries.  He brought a lovely Riesling to wash it down.  I am rapidly getting over my stereotype of sugary, cloying Rieslings. The risotto, rich with that amazing stock.  Tom serves his risotto with a ladle of broth, just to leave no lily ungilded.  Personal note, I (well, and most of Italy, actually) agree with him about no cheese with seafood risotto, or seafood anything, generally, including linguine with white clam sauce.  Parmesan may be the king of cheeses, but it clashes with the sweetness of seafood.  The Albarino was indeed wonderful with it. A truly bodacious porterhouse steak, grilled to rosy wonderfulness over charcoal and accompanied by an arugula salad.  Rob had planted the arugula in the tubs in front of our house last winter before the you-know-what, and it came up thick and bright and peppery.  Tom tossed it with EVOO and vinegar (which vinegar, Tom, the sherry?), and the combination was perfect.  For wine, Tom brought, as I recall, some 1993 California cab.  Sorry, Tom, I can’t remember which ones. Robert Mondavi? I made a peach jam tart for dessert and, at Rob’s direction, a zabaglione ice cream.  It was the least I could do to follow that matchless meal. And on top of that, Cathie cleaned up after Tom, so I was able to sit and enjoy, and not face a forest of glassware and mountains of dirty dishes the next morning. Many many thanks, Tom and Cathie.  You two are the best. See you around the kitchen, lb