December 31, 2015 a day of Seafood, boiled Shrimp, Oysters on the half shell, and Homard A La Americaine
Today was a tribute to Albertson's Seafood selection in its Butcher
Block department.
After breakfast of granola at 9:00 we drove to Ranch Market where we bought large ($1.25 each) and small avocados (4 for $.99), limes ($.89/lb.), and a pineapple (2/lb. for $.99).
We then drove to Albertson's at the corner of Coors and Central, where we bought a six package of Roma tomatoes for $2.00 and a nice bunch of eight or nine green onions for $.89. Then we rolled to the butcher block, where we saw an amazing assortment of seafood at great prices, including Alaskan King Crab legs for $14.99, large 16-20 count shrimp for $5.99/lb., fresh oysters for $.99 each, and Atlantic farm raised Salmon for $5.99/lb..
We bought 1½ lb. of the shrimp and a dozen fresh oysters. Then we bought a 2 lb. live lobster for $15.99/lb. We drove our seafood home and then drove to our cabinet maker’s house to see if he. Was in town, which it appeared he was not. We then drove to Fano bakery and bought a baguette for $3.00 and then home.
At around 4:00 we boiled the shrimp and put them on ice to chill. I revived the PPI cocktail sauce with lemon, catsup, Tabasco, and horseradish. I toasted a few slices of the fresh baguette and Suzette drank a beer and I drank the last of the Mendoza Station Sauvignon Blanc.
At 6:00 we shucked the oysters and put them on a bed of ice. I made a dipping sauce with mayonnaise, a bit of Latin crema, lemon juice, and lumpfish caviar. We drank a glass of Nicolas Feuillate Brut Rose that Pierre gave us for Christmas. Here is a picture of the two bottles Pierre gave us and a champagne glass Suzette bought at Murano Island in Venice about ten years ago.
We loved the tender fresh oysters and the lovely caviar sauce with sips of the creamy brut rose that had wonderful body and almost a chewiness.
Then at 8:30 we started preparing the Homard A La Americaine. Here is the recipe we used, which closely copies Julia Child’s recipe (I can not find my Mastering the Art of French Cooking) so am relying on the Internet.
Homard Á L'Américaine (Lobster w/ Wine, Tomatoes, Garlic & Herbs)
Serves 6
http://how2heroes.com/videos/seafood/homard-lamricaine-lobster-w-wine-tomatoe
INGREDIENTS
• 3 (1½-lb) live lobsters (or 6 frozen lobster tails, partially defrosted & cut in half lengthwise)
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium carrot, finely diced
• 1 medium onion, finely diced
• salt
• pepper
• 3 tbsp minced shallots or green onions
• 1 clove mashed garlic
• ⅓ cup cognac
• 1 tbsp fresh, ripe, tomatoes, peeled, seeded & chopped
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 cup fish stock (or ⅓ cup bottled clam juice)
• 2 cups dry white wine (or 1 cup dry white vermouth)
• 2 tbsp parsley, chopped
• 1 tbsp tarragon, chopped
Compound Butter
• 6 tbsp butter, room temperature
• 2 tbsp parsley, chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh tarragon, chopped (or 1 tsp dried tarragon)
• the lobster coral (roe) and green matter (tamale, lobster liver)
• juice of ½ lemon
• salt
• pepper
Garnish Suggestions
• fennel
• parsley sprigs
• edible flowers (pansies)
Special Equipment
• heavy 12" enameled skillet or casserole
• 3-quart mixing bowl
HOW-TO
1. Split the lobsters in two lengthwise. Remove stomach sacks (in the head) and intestinal tubes. Reserve coral and green matter. Remove claws and joints and crack them. Separate tails from chests. (Watch Jody's Breaking Down a Lobster to see how this is done.)
2. Heat the oil in the skillet until it is very hot but not smoking. Add the lobster pieces, meat-side down, and saute for several minutes, turning them, until the shells are bright red. Remove lobster to a side dish
3. Stir in the diced carrot and onion, and cook slowly for 5 minutes or until almost tender.
4. With the skillet over moderate heat, pour in the cognac. Avert your face while you do this and ignite the cognac and shake the skillet slowly until the flames have subsided. Season the lobster, return it to the skillet, and add the shallots and the garlic. Stir in tomatoes, tomato paste, fish stock or clam juice, wine, parsley, and tarragon. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring the lobster occasionally during this time
5. While lobster is simmering, make the compound butter. Force the lobster coral and green matter with the butter through a fine sieve into the mixing bowl and set aside
6. When the lobster is done, remove it to a side dish. Set skillet with its cooking liquids over high heat and boil down rapidly until sauce has reduced and thickened slightly. It will acquire more body later when the butter and coral mixture is added. Taste very carefully for seasoning
7. Beat a couple of spoonfuls of hot pan juices by driblets into the coral and butter mixture. Return the lobster to the sauce, turn off heat, then pour the butter mixture into the skillet with the lobster and stir to coat the lobsters
8. Arrange the lobster on a serving platter. Thin sauce with water if necessary, then pour over lobster arrangement. Decorate with herbs, and serve immediately
Serving Suggestion
• Garnish with fennel, parsley leaves and edible flowers. Serve with pasta or rice with a glass of Chablis. Bon appetit!
Adapted from Mastering the Art of French Cooking
by Julia Child, Louisette Bertholle, Simone Beck, and Sidonie Coryn
The lobster was exceedingly frisky and we did not want to execute it with a knife, so we killed the lobster in a pot of boiling water that we had heated for the egg noodles. I the cut the lobster lengthwise and removed the tumuly and liver to a separate bowl. I then broke each half of the lobster into three pieces. I peeled and diced I small carrot and 1/3small onion and then Suzette sautéed them in 1 Tbsp. of olive oil. I diced 1 Roma tomato and 1 clove of garlic and we added the tomato and garlic and lobster pieces and 3/4 cup of fish stock, ¾ cup of white wine and 1 good Tbsp. of cognac and then the minced parsley and tarragon to the pan. I then mashed 2 Tbsp. of butter into the tumuly and liver and put the compound butter into the lobster and sauce.
While the lobster was being prepared Suzette boiled egg noodles and Sautéed shaved Brussels sprouts, bread crumbs and cheese and piñon nuts in olive oil, salt and pepper.
After about ten minutes of sautéing the lobster dish, we were ready to eat. I opened and poured the bottle of 2013 Chateau de Montfort Vouvray Demi sec and was produced at the chateau at Noizay, which had a slightly sweet and fruity flavor that complemented the lobster dish nicely.
We had had so much food and wine we could not eat very much. We could only eat a portion of the dish.
Later we ate slices of the Italian cloud cake Suzette had made with grapefruit zest, pouring custard, and pieces of pomelo with the last of the Rose brut Nicolas Feuillate at midnight.
The Italian Cloud cake
We then soaked in the hot tub and went to bed around 12:30.
Bon Appetit
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