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Maine Lobster with Butternut
Spaghetti
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Ingredients: For
the Lobster
- 4 each 1 ½ pound live Maine lobsters
Preparation:
In a large 9-quart stockpot with lid, boil
2” of water. At the boil, add the Maine
Lobsters and replace the lid. Cook covered
for 12 minutes. Remove from the pot and
place on a pan to cool. Reserve the cooking
liquid. When the Maine Lobsters are cool
enough to handle, remove the meat from the
tail (discarding the vein), knuckles and
claws. Cut off the tail fin to use as a
garnish. Place the meat and the tail fins
on an ovenproof pan or plate with sides
just large enough to hold the meat in a
single layer. Add 2 ounces of the reserved
cooking liquid to the pan with the meat
and cover with foil. Reserve.
Ingredients: For the Spaghetti
- 1 butternut squash (2 lb. squash
will yield 1 lb. of usable flesh)
- ¾ teaspoon salt, divided
- 1-1/2 cups semolina flour
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
Preparation:
Peel, halve and discard the seeds from the
butternut squash. Cut into one inch pieces,
cover with cool water in a small saucepan
and add ¼ teaspoon salt. Cover the pan and
cook over medium heat for approximately
20 minutes or until the squash is tender.
Strain off the liquid, allowing the squash
to become rather dry and place the squash
in a food processor or blender to puree.
Cool slightly and measure out ½ cup of the
puree. Reserve the remaining puree for the
sauce. Place flour on a clean work surface
and make a well in the center. Add ½ teaspoon
salt, olive oil and the butternut squash
puree. Mixing with your hands, gradually
bring flour into the center of the well,
producing a soft smooth dough. Add warm
water if necessary to make a smooth workable
dough. Knead the dough for about 10 minutes.
Allow the dough to rest for one hour. Roll
the dough into a thin sheet using a pasta
machine and run it through the spaghetti
cutter. Reserve the pasta until service.
Ingredients: For the Vanilla-Butternut
Beurre Blanc
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small Spanish onion
- ½ cup white wine
- 2 tablespoons white vinegar
- 1 small bay leaf
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ½ vanilla bean (or ¼ teaspoon pure
vanilla extract)
- To taste salt and pepper
Preparation:
Dice the butter and bring to room temperature.
Heat the oil in a small saucepan. Chop the
onions finely. Sauté the onions for two
minutes, but do not allow them to brown.
Deglaze with the white wine and vinegar.
Add the bay leaf and reduce over medium
heat until all the liquid has evaporated.
Again, do not brown. Add the heavy cream
and reduce the mixture by half, whisking
occasionally. Add the remaining butternut
squash puree. Remove pan from the heat and
immediately whisk in the butter until well
incorporated. Strain through a fine mesh
strainer into a small bowl. Discard the
solids. Cut the vanilla bean in half lengthwise
and scrape out the seeds. Add the seeds
to the sauce and season with salt and white
pepper. Keep in a warm place (not too hot
or it will break) until service.
For the Presentation
- 3 each carrots, medium sized
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- To taste salt and white pepper
- 1 small bunch fresh chives
Peel and cut the carrots into bâtonnets (small sticks measuring ¼” x ¼” x 2” long), six per plate. Blanch the carrot sticks in boiling water for two minutes, remove and shock in cold iced water until cooled. Reserve.
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place Maine lobster (in prepared pans) in the oven for 20 minutes. Boil salted water in a large sauce pan for the spaghetti. Heat carrots in olive oil and season with salt and white pepper. Add spaghetti to boiling water and cook for one minute or until al dente. Strain pasta and reserve in a bowl, covered. Toss the cooked spaghetti with half of the vanilla beurre blanc and season with salt and white pepper. Remove Maine lobster meat from the oven. Spread out the tail fin and place at the bottom of a warmed dinner plate. Make a small nest of spaghetti in the center of the plate. Fan three of the carrot bâtonnets on each side of the spaghetti nest (representing the legs of the Maine lobsters). Slice the tail meat into six slices and place over the spaghetti nest. Place the claws at 10 o’clock and 2 o’clock on the plate and the knuckle meat below them. Top the tail meat with the vanilla beurre blanc and sprinkle with the chopped chives. Serve immediately.
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