For Starters - Salmon-Chickpea Rolls in Lobster Reduction

Now if you have any of that yummy lobster stock left, here's what you can do!

Ingredients:

• Smoked salmon slices (plain)
• Hummus
  
• Fresh dill
  
• Salmon roe
• Lobster broth
• Saffron

Method:

1. To make the lobster reduction, take 2 cups of lobster broth and heat in a skillet
2. Add 5-10 saffron threads, leave to simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally
3. Add just a little salt so that it ends up slightly saltier than the smoked salmon
4. Dissolve 1 teaspoon corn flour in a bit of water, and add this to the broth. Stir frequently and simmer till 1/3 of the original volume is gone, then leave to cool.
5. Lay a slice of smoked salmon on a surface board, and place a teaspoon-sized mound of hummus on the lower 1/3 of the slice. Roll it up so that the entire thing resembles a sushi, and stand it on the round end.
   
6. Place a generous teaspoon of salmon roe on top, garnish with a small piece of fresh dill.
7. To serve, arrange the rolls on a plate, pour in lobster reduction at the base, and chill for 30 minutes before serving.
   

Posted by R. at 7:59 PM | Permalink | Comments

Lobster risotto

Ingredients (serves 3-4):

• Fresh slipper lobsters x 4-6 (the more lobsters, the better your stock)
• Lobster stock / prawn stock / lobster bisque
  
• Arborio rice
• Butter 1/2 stick
• Salt / pepper
  

Method:

1. Wash and scrub slipper lobsters. Throw into boiling water with a tablespoon of salt and cook for 10 minutes
2. Remove lobsters, save the stock.
   
3. Cut lobsters into half, lengthwise, and leave aside to cool.
   
4. Add pre-made lobster stock/prawn stock/lobster bisque into the stock pot, boil for 5 minutes and set aside.
   
5. Prepare arborio rice - melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a saucepan, and add rice. Stir continuous under high heat until rice grains turn translucent and you get this delicious nutty smell.
   
6. Add lobster stock one ladle at a time to rice, all the while stirring continuously. When rice is almost dry, add another ladle of stock and so on. The continuous stirring will help to release starch from the rice grains, lending to it risotto's characteristic texture.
   
7. Cooking time should be 15-20 minutes. Once the arborio rice is soft but not mushy, turn off heat. Add rest of butter and fold into rice, then add a final ladle of stock.
   
8. Serve warm with halved lobsters.
   

Now for the prawn stock part - I find that it is extremely useful if you save up prawn shells along the way. Prawn heads add a tremendous amount of flavour (and cholesterol). Keep a ziplock bag in the freezer just for shells, and when you do soups or dishes that need de-shelled prawns, chuck them into this bag! (You will, of course, have to do some explaining to your mom/girlfriend/wife about this .. Try to reassure them that you are not a psychopath.) To make a beautiful prawn stock:

1. Defrost your stash of shells.
2. To a saucepan, add 1 tablespoon of butter and melt it.
   
3. Dump in prawn shells and stir-fry until red and crisp.
4. Add a selection of stem and root vegetables, all cubed - carrots, onions, a touch of garlic, celery, a sprig of parsley, parsnip etc. Cook until just very slightly soft.
   
5. Add 1L of water and bring to the boil for 30 minutes - 1 hour. If you have a pressure cooker, by all means use it. The gold standard by my reckoning is still to leave the stock to simmer over charcoal overnight, but that's just me.
   
6. When you're satisfied that no more flavour can possibly be extracted from the ingredients, sieve the stock and freeze it up. Remember that this is unsalted, which leaves you a lot of room when you do use the stock.
   

Posted by R. at 6:24 PM | Permalink | Comments