Truffled Lobster Mac 'n' Cheese with Crispy Pancetta

We spent a week last fall on Martha's Vineyard - just the three of us. It was a fabulous relaxing week. We enjoyed a lot of local seafood, but one of the most memorable for my husband was the lobster mac 'n' cheese he had at the Newes Pub in Edgartown. It was creamy and cheesy with big chunks of lobster. So, when we got home, I had to give it a shot.

For my first attempt, I looked for a recipe but decided to stick with my trusted mac'n'cheese and just add some chunks of lobster. It was good, but not great. I recently tried again and this time drizzled it with a little white truffle oil and topped it not only with fresh bread crumbs, but also some crispy pancetta. Voila! It was a hit. The truffle oil gave it another level of richness and a little luxuriousness and the pancetta gave it a salty bite. Perfect-o!

I like to steam my own lobsters. When making it for mac'n'cheese, I cook them a minute less than I would if we were just eating them steamed. The lobster will cook a little more while the mac'n'cheese bakes. You can also do the lobsters a day ahead, just shell them and reserve the meat. And don't forget the juicy bits in the legs... Roll over each with a rolling pin and you'll be surprised how much meat squeezes out!

Truffled Lobster Mac 'n' Cheese with Crispy Pancetta

Meat from 2 1-1/2 pound lobsters, torn into 1-inch chunks
3 oz. pancetta, cubed
4 slices white bread, cubed
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 1/2 Tbsp. butter, divided
1 garlic clove, minced
1 1/2 tsp. dry mustard
3 Tbsp. flour
2 cups milk, preferably whole
1/2 cup mascarpone cheese
1 1/2 cups grated extra sharp cheddar cheese
12 oz. medium shells, cooked to al dente
White truffle oil, optional

Preheat oven to 400F.

In a frying pan, brown the pancetta until crisp then drain on paper towels. Set aside.

Drain excess grease then add olive oil and 1/2 tablespoon of butter to the pan. And the bread cubes and cook until golden. Remove from pan and set aside.

Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a saucepan. Whisk in the garlic and mustard and cook for about 1 minute. Whisk in the flour and continue whisking until a paste is formed. Stir in the milk and increase heat. Bring to a boil, whisking constantly. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and stair in both cheeses.

In a large bowl, combine the cooked pasta, cheese sauce and reserved lobster. Pour into a baking dish and sprinkle with the bread cubes and pancetta.

Bake for about 20 minutes or until golden and bubbly. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. To serve, scoop mac 'n' cheese into large bowls and drizzle with white truffle oil.

Serves 4.

Steamed Lobster in Gingered Lime and Scallion Broth with Baby Bok Choy

My little eclair has gone mobile. No, no cell phone yet - not that kind of mobile. She started crawling (and is quickly bumping and bruising her way to walking). So when did this all begin? Oh, round about the time of my last post. (Moms reading this post are smiling right now with a note of recognition.) So instead of cooking and blogging, I've been chasing - and what fun it is. I simply adore that little tush crawling around the house - right through anything in her way.

It's taken awhile, but we're adjusting. Cabinets are locked, gates abound. She recently discovered that the handle on the oven makes a fabulous monkey bar. (Off I went to Babies R Us for an oven lock). But the kitchen's heating up as everything else settles down.

As is usually the case at this time of year in the Northeast, lobster prices are right about the same level as deli meat. So we had our share of steamed lobster and then I ventured out to try a few new recipes... This one is pretty simple to prepare and tastes great. We added more cayenne and salt and I switched the original shitake mushrooms to oyster mushrooms (hubby hates shitakes). The original calls for 6 lobsters, but I cut it down to two and kept the broth proportions about the same - that likely accounts for the lack of saltiness...

Ah and word to the wise - the veg stock used here is made from fennel, celery and onion with parsley and thyme. So don't think you can skate through with store bought stock...

Steamed Lobster in Gingered Lime and Scallion Broth with Baby Bok Choy
adapted from Fresh from the Market by Laurent Tourondel



2 live lobsters, 2 pounds each
1/2 cup Chablis or another dry white wine
3 cups Vegetable Stock (see below)
6-8 oyster mushrooms, sliced
2 tablespoons matchstick-size strips peeled fresh ginger
11/2 tablespoons ginger juice (see below)
6 baby bok choy
4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, diced
4 scallions, thinly sliced on the bias
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
Zest of 2 limes
Pinch of cayenne pepper

To make the ginger juice, grate a 5-inch piece of fresh, peeled ginger onto a piece of cheese cloth, then squeeze the juice into a small dish.

Vegetable stock
1 onion, thinly sliced

3 celery stalks, thinly sliced
½ fennel bulb, thinly sliced
5 fresh thyme sprigs
1 bunch parsley stems
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns

Directions
Combine the onion, celery, fennel, thyme, parsley stems, and peppercorns in a medium pot along with 2 tablespoons water and place over medium heat. Sweat the vegetables just until they begin to wilt, making sure they do not develop any color. Add 6 cups of cold water and simmer for 30 minutes, skimming the top as necessary with a ladle or spoon.

Strain the stock through a fine-mesh strainer into a clean bowl set over a bowl of ice water to cool. Discard the solids. Once the stock has cooled, transfer it to an airtight container. The stock will keep in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days or several weeks in the freezer.


Prepare the broth
Holding the lobster body in 1 hand and the tail in the other hand, twist the lobster until the body and tail separate. Repeat with the remaining lobster. Using the back of a chef’s knife, crack the claws off the lobster bodies just below the knuckles. Reserve the bodies for making lobster stock or freeze them for another use.

Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil over high heat. Add the lobster claws and cook until the shells become bright red and the claw meat is just barely cooked through, about 8 minutes. Transfer the claws to a bowl of ice water.

Once cool, remove the claw meat from the shells.

Using a chef’s knife, cut the lobster tails in half lengthwise and discard any intestines that may be clinging to the tail.

Leave the meat in the shells. Bring the Chablis to boil in a large saucepan. Add the lobster tails, flesh side down, and the vegetable stock. Cover and cook until the lobster meat is just barely cooked through, about 3 minutes.

Remove the tails from the broth.
Using a fine-mesh strainer, strain the broth into a clean medium saucepan over medium heat.

Add the shitake mushrooms, ginger, and ginger juice to the broth and simmer until the ginger is soft, about 3 minutes. Strain the broth again through a fine-mesh strainer and into a large saucepan, reserving the mushrooms and ginger.

Finish the broth
Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the bok choy and cook until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes.
Immediately transfer the bok choy to a bowl of ice water and allow to cool.

Using an immersion blender, blend the cold butter into the strained broth until emulsified.

Return the reserved mushrooms and ginger, lobster claw meat, and blanched bok choy to the broth along with the scallions, cilantro, lime juice, lime zest, and cayenne and continue to cook over low heat for 2 minutes.

To serve
Divide the lobster tails among 6 large shallow bowls. Arrange the claw meat and 1 bok choy over each lobster tail. Spoon the sauce and vegetables over the lobster tails and claws and serve.

Braised calamari stuffed with shrimp and spinach

It's hard to recall life before DVRs. I don't really watch much TV, but most of the shows I do watch are on thru the day - no, not soaps. I'm talking about cooking shows, of course. Most air thru the day so I have our DVR set to record my favorites: Giada at Home, Secrets of a Restaurant Chef, Jamie at Home, occasionally Tyler's Ultimate... the list goes on. Add to that the competitive cooking shows - currently I'm watching the Next Food Network Star and I know the season finale of Top Chef Masters is awaiting me. All of this usually leads to a back-up of food shows on the DVR. Add that to my husband's motocross events, news shows, and concerts, and our DVR tends to be pretty full. But it's so much better than sitting through all those commercials.

After dinner I usually head upstairs to watch one of my shows while he heads downstairs to play guitar. Since I can fast forward through commericals (and recipes I don't like), it takes no more then 20 minutes to watch most shows. I do get a lot of ideas from them - not only for recipes, but also techniques. One show I've tried many recipes from is Secrets of a Restaurant Chef. Our all-time favorite from the show is Anne Burrell's Eggs Flamenco, but I've tried many others. I saw her make this calamari and decided I must try it. I knew I could get whole calamari at Whole Foods and the other ingredients are all standard in my kitchen.



It comes together pretty quickly. If you're having company, you can stuff the rolls and prep the sauce ahead, then just pop the rolls into the sauce about 30 minutes before you want to serve dinner. Anne's original recipe calls for pulsing the shrimp in a food processor but I left mine chunky because we prefer more bite. I have to say, this was very tasty but texturally it wasn't our favorite. The filling, even with the chunks of shrimp, was very soft - if I made it again, I'd probably try to use more shrimp and less breadcrumb and egg. But give it a try - you might love the texture - and cooking the rolls in the sauce lends a delicious taste.
Braised Calamari Stuffed with Shrimp and Spinach
recipe adapted from Secrets of a Restaurant Chef with Anne Burrell



For the calamari:

• 11 clean medium calamari tubes, about 5 to 6 inches long
• 1/2 pound peeled, deveined medium shrimp, roughly chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
• 2 cups coarsely chopped baby spinach
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 to 3/4 cup bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
• 1/2 bunch fresh oregano, leaves chopped
• 2 pinches crushed red pepper flakes
• Kosher salt

For the sauce:

• Extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large or 2 small onions, finely diced
• Pinch crushed red pepper flakes
• Kosher salt
• 2 cloves garlic, smashed and finely chopped
• 3/4 cup dry white wine
• 1 (28-ounce) can Italian plum tomatoes

Directions

To make the calamari:
Roughly chop 3 of the calamari tubes and add to a large bowl with the coarsely chopped shrimp and garlic. Add the spinach, eggs, bread crumbs, cheese, herbs, and pinch of crushed red pepper. Season with salt and stir to combine. The mixture should be a little chunky but moist and holding together. Optional: Test the seasoning of the mix by making a mini patty, cooking it in a small pan and eating it. It should taste really good! If it doesn't it is probably missing salt. Add more salt, to taste. Divide the stuffing among the 8 remaining calamari bodies and secure closed with toothpicks.

To make the sauce:

Coat a large, wide skillet or saucepan with olive oil and add the onions and a pinch of crushed red pepper. Season with salt and put the saucepan over medium heat. Saute the onions until they are soft and aromatic, about 7 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook another 2 minutes until fragrant. Stir in the wine and cook until the wine has reduced by half. Pass the tomatoes through a food mill or puree them in a food processor and add them and 1 cup of water to the pan. Season with salt, to taste, and simmer the sauce for 15 minutes.

Add the calamari to the pan and cook for 20 to 25 minutes turning them over halfway through the cooking time. Remove the calamari from the pan and remove the toothpicks. Reduce the sauce to thicken, if needed. Arrange the calamari on a serving platter and cover with the sauce before serving.

Daring Cooks: Spanish rice with Cuttlefish!

This month’s Daring Cooks’ Challenge came from Olga from Las Cosas de Olga and Olga’s Recipes She chose a delicious Spanish recipe, Rice with mushrooms, cuttlefish and artichokes by José Andrés, one of the most important Spanish Chefs at the moment.The recipe is from his US TV show Made in Spain.

A quick note about my lack of photos: I sit here blogging on my laptop because my desktop, where ALL my pictures are stored, has a nasty virus and won't let me on the internet. So until that gets sorted, you'll have to imagine my yummy rice!

How appropriate that we had a Spanish dish this month! It whetted our appetites for our fast-approaching trip to Spain. (Yes, we do plan vacations around food... and drink... Can you say "Rioja"? But I digress...

And what a good recipe it was! After many stops, I finally found baby cuttlefish. I also added some shrimp, chorizo, chicken, and a little lobster! YUM! I couldn't find the Spanish rice called for but Whole Foods carried a short grain brown rice. It gave the dish a nutty texture so common with brown rice, not to mention all of the health benefits. To make sure the chicken was super-tender, I sprinkled it with salt, pepper and smoked Spanish paprika, then browned it before letting it simmer with the rice.

A fabulous dish - and very adaptable. Use whatever meat or seafood suits you. Throw in some veggies and you're on your way to Spain... Oh wait, I'm on my way... can you tell I'm excited!? We leave in just over a week, so check back to see where we're headed.

Rice with mushrooms, cuttlefish and artichokes

Cooking time: 45 minutes

Ingredients (serves 4):

• 4 Artichokes (I used 1 can drained and quartered)
• 12 Mushrooms (button or Portobello)
• 1 or 2 Bay leaves (optional but highly recommended)
• 1 glass of white wine
• 2 Cuttlefish (you can use frozen cuttlefish or squid if you don’t find it fresh)
• “Sofregit” (see recipe below)
• 300 gr (2 cups) Short grain rice (Spanish types Calasparra or Montsant are preferred)
• Water or Fish Stock (use 1 ½ cup of liquid per ½ cup of rice)
• Saffron threads (if you can’t find it or afford to buy it, you can substitute turmeric or yellow coloring powder)
• Allioli (olive oil and garlic sauce, similar to mayonnaise sauce) - optional

Directions:
1. Cut the cuttlefish in little strips.
2. Add 1 or 2 tablespoon of olive oil in a frying pan and put the cuttlefish in the pan.
3. If you use fresh artichokes, clean them and cut into eights (or quarters for smaller ones)
4. Clean the mushrooms and cut them in fourths.
5. Add a bay leaf to the cuttlefish and add also the artichokes and the mushrooms.
6. Sauté until we get a golden color in the artichokes.
7. Put a touch of white wine so all the solids in the bottom of the get mixed, getting a more flavorful dish.
8. Add a couple or three tablespoons of sofregit and mix to make sure everything gets impregnated with the sofregit.
9. Add all the liquid and bring it to boil.
10. Add all the rice. Let boil for about 5 minutes in heavy heat.
11. Add some saffron thread to enrich the dish with its flavor and color. Stir a little bit so the rice and the other ingredients get the entire flavor. If you’re using turmeric or yellow coloring, use only 1/4 teaspoon.
12. Turn to low heat and boil for another 8 minutes (or until rice is a little softer than “al dente”)
13. Put the pan away from heat and let the rice stand a couple of minutes.

Sofregit
(a well cooked and fragrant sauce made of olive oil, tomatoes, garlic and onions, and may at timesdifferent vegetables such as peppers or mushrooms)

Cooking time: aprox. 1 hourIngredients:
· 2 tablespoons of olive oil
· 5 big red ripe tomatoes, chopped
· 2 small onions, chopped
· 1 green pepper, chopped (optional)
· 4 or 5 garlic cloves, chopped
· 1 cup of button or Portobello mushrooms, chopped (optional)
· 1 Bay leaf
· Salt
· Touch of ground cumin
· Touch of dried oregano

Directions:
1. Put all the ingredients together in a frying pan and sauté slowly until all vegetables are soft.
2. Taste and salt if necessary (maybe it’s not!)

Allioli (Traditional recipe)Cooking time: 20 min aprox.Ingredients:
· 4 garlic cloves, peeled
· Pinch of salt
· Fresh lemon juice (some drops)
· Extra-virgin olive oil (Spanish preferred but not essential)

Directions:
1. Place the garlic in a mortar along with the salt.
2. Using a pestle, smash the garlic cloves to a smooth paste. (The salt stops the garlic from slipping at the bottom of the mortar as you pound it down.)
3. Add the lemon juice to the garlic.
4. Drop by drop; pour the olive oil into the mortar slowly as you continue to crush the paste with your pestle.
5. Keep turning your pestle in a slow, continuous circular motion in the mortar. The drip needs to be slow and steady. Make sure the paste soaks up the olive oil as you go.
6. Keep adding the oil, drop by drop, until you have the consistency of a very thick mayonnaise. If your allioli gets too dense, add water to thin it out. This takes time—around 20 minutes of slow motion around the mortar—to create a dense, rich sauce.