Lobster and Mussel "Chowder" with coconut milk, lime and chilies
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This dish is inspired by a Thai-style yellow curry. The combination of lobster, stock, curry and coconut milk is absolutely delicious with lobster and mussels. This restaurant-size version of the soup base can be scaled down to fit home use.
1/2C Chopped ginger
1 Onion, sliced
4T Chopped garlic
2T Hot curry powder
pinch of saffron threads
6 Dried hot chilies
5 Bay leaves (or dried lime leaves)
8C Lobster stock
8 12oz. cans of coconut milk
2T Fish sauce
In a small stock pot, sauté the ginger, onion, and a garlic with a couple of drops of vegetable oil until translucent. Add the curry powder and cook for a minute more seasoning very lightly with salt. Add the lobster stock and reduce by half to intensify the flavor. Then add the rest of the ingredients and simmer gently for about 20 minutes. It is very important not to boil this soup or the coconut milk might separate. Stir in the fish sauce in the last 5 minutes. Strain the vegetables from the soup, double-check the seasoning and set this chowder base aside to cool.When the cabbage has finished curing in the salt, prepare the "pickling solution". In a saucepan, put the water, salt, sugar, ginger and garlic, and bring this to a quick boil. In the food processor, make a puree of the chili paste, dried shrimp and fish sauce, and add this to the solution. Turn down the heat and allow this to simmer for 20 minutes.
Per serving:
1 one-pound lobster, boiled in salted water and the meat removed from the shell
5 mussels
1/4C cooked jasmine rice
4 very thinly sliced rings of sweet onions
4 thin slices of sweet red bell pepper
3 fiery-hot bird peppers
1t chopped cilantro
the leaves from the one sprig of thai basil
1T Kosher salt
6oz reserved soup base
Put all of the ingredients into a large skillet or small saucepan, and bring them to a quick boil. When the mussels are opened, the " chowder" is ready to serve. Garnish with lime-wedges and some hot chili-garlic sauce.
Prime Rib Roast1 three-rib prime rib roast, first cut, trim and tied
1 tablespoon freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons coarse salt
3 whole short ribs, tied
1 1/2 cups dry red winePlace oven rack on lower level. Heat oven to 450 degrees. Rub
roast all over with salt and pepper. Transfer to heavy 13 by 16
inch metal roasting pan. Arrange fat side up. Place short ribs
in pan. (A nonstick pan will yield fewer cooked-on bits for
flavorful juices.) Cook 20 minutes. Reduce oven to 325 degrees
and continue cooking until instant-read thermometer inserted in
thick end of roast (not touching a bone) reaches 115 degrees, about
1 hour and 25 minutes. If it hasn't, return to oven; check
temperature at 10-minute intervals. Transfer roast to platter;
set aside in warm spot for juices to collect. (As roast rests,
temp will increase by 10 degrees.) Do not tent or crust will get
soggy.Adjust oven to 425 degrees. Pour fat and all drippings out of pan
into a fat separator. Set aside. Place roasting pan over med-high
heat. Pour red wine into ban and deglaze. Cook until reduced by
half. Place a fine sieve in med. heat-proof bowl. Strain juices
and discard solids. Cover bowl tightly and keep warm by placing
in a barely simmering saucepan with 1 inch of water. Reserve pan
drippings for Yorkshire Pudding.
Yorkshire Pudding
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
6 whole large egg
2 1/2 cups milkSift together flour and salt. Place in bowl: make a well, and
place eggs in center. Slowly whisk eggs into flour mixture until
a paste forms. Gradually whisk in 1/2 cup milk. Gradually whisk
in remaining 2 cups milk. Cover with plastic; chill in refrigerator
at least 4 hours or overnight. When roast is finished, set oven
at 425 degrees. When pan has been deglazed, pour 1/4 cup reserved
pan drippings into roasting pan. Heat pan and drippings until very
hot, about 5 min. Remove batter from refrigerator, and shake or
whisk well; quickly pour into hot pan. Cook until crisp and golden,
20 to 30 minutes. Serve warm with Prime Rib.
Pineapple Glazed Carrots
1-1/2 lbs. carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch slices
1/2 cup unsweetened pineapple chunks, drained and juice reserved
2 tsp. unsalted butter
2 tsp. lemon juice
2 tsp. cornstarchPlace carrots in a steamer basket over boiling water. Cover saucepan
and steam 6-7 minutes or until almost tender. Drain carrots and
return to saucepan. Combine pineapple, butter, lemon juice and
salt to taste in a bowl. Add to carrots. Stir and simmer over low
heat until mixture is heated throughout. Mix cornstarch with 1/4
cup reserved pineapple juice. Add juice to carrots and stir constantly
until mixture thickens. Serve chilled if desired.
Microwave Recipe
Broccoli Shrimp Stuffed Potatoes
Servings: 2
Turn a fluffy baked potato into a full-fledged meal by adding broccoli florets, succulent shrimp and Asian seasonings.
Ingredients:
2 large Idaho Potatoes
1 cup fresh broccoli florets
1 green onion, thinly sliced
3/4 cup chicken broth
2 teaspoons low sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/3 cup fresh or frozen cooked shrimp, or 1 (6-ounce) can shrimp drained
2 teaspoons diced pimento (optional)
Directions:
Scrub potatoes; pierce several times with a fork. Wrap each potato in a microwave-safe paper towel; arrange potatoes 1 inch apart. Microwave at HIGH 6 to 8 minutes, turning and rearranging once, let stand 2 minutes. With a fork, pierce the skin in the form of a cross. Press the ends of the potato toward the center, lifting and fluffing the mat of the potato.
Combine broccoli and onion in a 9-inch microwave-safe pie plate; cover with microwaveable plastic wrap and microwave at HIGH 3 to 4 minutes, or until tender. Drain.
Combine chicken broth, soy sauce, vinegar and cornstarch in a 4-cup glass measure, microwave, uncovered, at HIGH 2 to 3 minutes, or until slightly thickened.
Pour sauce over broccoli; stir in cooked shrimp and pimiento. Spoon mixture over potatoes.
St. Patrick's Day Cheesecake
Ingredients: 1.5 cups chocolate cookie crumbs (about 42 1.5inch chocolate snaps)
1 tbsp. sugar
2 tbsp. butter, melted 2 (8-oz) pkgs. cream cheese at room temperature
1 cup sugar 3 eggs
1/4 cup creme de menthe
2 tbsp. white creme de cacao
4 oz. sweet cooking chocolate
1/2 cup dairy sour creamPreparation
In a small bowl, combine crumbs, 1 tbsp. sugar and melted butter. Press on bottom and 1.5 inches up the side of an 8-inch springform pan; refrigerate. Preheat oven to 350F (175C). In a large mixer bowl, cream the cheese and 1 cup sugar. Add eggs, beating until smooth. Stir in creme de menthe and creme de cacao. Pour into prepared crust. Bake 40 to 45 mins. Cool in pan. Melt chocolate; cool about 5 mins. Stir sour cream into melted chocolate. Spread over slightly cooled cheesecake. Refrigerate until set. Remove side of pan.
Serves:
8--10
WINE
Then the `75 Ducru-Beaucaillou (#50). Breeding. Finesse. Austere
subtlety. We had an `83 Ducru last year, and this was everything that one
was, only smoother. Incredible structure. Layers of complexity that
reveal new tastes on each approach. Hard yet soft. Tannic yet fruity.
Austere yet welcoming and approachable. Each modifier invoked its
opposite. The Teynac was totally destroyed by it. Yet we could see the
Graves similarities ... mushrooms, wet earth or forest floor, some green
thing (thyme ? mint ?), black berries, black cherries. Serious length
with complex evolution of tastes. Did I say that already ? Well, it
needs to be said again. This was a *great* bottle of wine. It makes you
realize how subtle the fab-o stuff is. Could do with a do-box of that.The above are comments from a Ducru-Beaucaillou tasting.
To finish off their dinner, Alistair and Shell chose a well blended aromatic coffee as follows:
IRISH COFFEE
TIP:
*** For variation, use scotch whisky for Scottish coffee. ***
*** Whip the cream before floating it on top of the coffee ***
3 ounces Irish whiskey
2 teaspoons sugar
1 3/4 cups freshly brewed strong hot coffee
3 tablespoons heavy cream
Divide the whiskey and the sugar between two glasses or mugs and stir until sugar is dissolved. Taste and add sugar if you wish. Slowly pour each with half of the cream and let it float, do not stir. Serve immediately.
Serves 2
