Boiled Lobster

Seasonality is a wonderful thing. Along with all of the fantastically fresh local veggies this time of year, there are a few other things that are at their peak and lobster is one of them. Lobsters shed their shells in the spring and form newer, softer shells which are much easier to crack.

Fortunately for my family, summer is a big birthday season, which coincides perfectly with lobster season. It’s a tradition in my family to gather this time of year for birthday feasts of boiled lobster, grilled or boiled local sweet corn, potato salad and a nice green salad with fresh local vegetables.

For size, I like to stay within the 1 -1 1/2 lb. range, as lobster meat can get a bit tough once it hits the 2 lb. mark. Apart from being a healthy, low fat source of animal protein, rich in B vitamins and omega-3s, lobster is also incredibly easy to prepare. It’s literally as simple as boiling water.

Don’t be intimidated by lobster. My personal preference is to give them as much space as possible to cook, by either boiling them one at a time or in two separate pots, to ensure that they meet their end as quickly as possible. The water temperature drops with each lobster added to the pot, so if the pot is over-loaded, it will take longer to get back up to a rolling boil. Also, and this is just my own neurosis, if cooking one at a time, I like to place the cooked lobster on the opposite side of the room from the one about to go into the pot. Yes, I cook and eat lobster, but I’m not that heartless.

Once cooked, there is the issue of getting the meat from the shell. Don’t be intimidated. Busting into a lobster is not a delicate practice by nature, so don’t fret about getting your hands all lobstery. I recommend cracking the claws and knuckles with the dull end of a knife in the kitchen before serving. This helps excess water to drain from the shell and it also makes the meat easier to remove with a cracker and a pick at the table, just be careful of shards. For the tail meat, simply twist the tail off and open the shell by cracking the under side with your thumbs.  The best meat is arguably found in the claws and tail, though some meat can be found in the little legs and joints – also called knuckles – on the lobster’s body.

Lastly, don’t wear a bib.

Boiled Lobster - serves 2

2 – 1 1/2 lb lobsters
water
2 T salt per pot
1/4 C drawn butter

Fill one or two large stockpots about three quarters full with water and add the salt. Cover and bring to a rolling boil. Drop the lobster in head first, one per pot, and cover immediately. Boil for 15 minutes, lowering heat to medium halfway through. Remove the lobster from the water and allow 5 to 10 minutes to cool.

Remove elastic bands. To reduce the amount of water released when the lobster is served, crack the claws before serving. Place the lobster on a cutting board and using the dull end of a knife crack each claw and the two knuckle joints. Lift the lobster and allow to drain.

Serve with drawn butter.

Barbecue Steamed Fiddleheads

Fiddleheads, a type of fern harvested before the plant has a chance to unfurl, are as much a harbinger of spring in New England – and as fleeting – as a migratory bird passing through. They come up in the middle of spring, around the end of April and into May, when the soil has thawed and early vegetation makes its presence known.

The flavor is fresh and grassy, and offers a good contrast to heavier meats.

The following recipe uses the grill, so that while you happen to have the barbecue fired up anyway, you can toss your fiddleheads on toward the end for a quick steam in a foil pouch. The fiddleheads absorb the butter as it melts, turning each into a little net of creaminess.

If it’s still raining where you are, this recipe works just as will in a pan on the stove.

Barbecue Steamed Fiddleheads – serves 2 – 4

2 dozen fiddleheads
1 T butter, cut into 1/8 inch cubes
1 wedge of lemon

Clean the fiddleheads by rinsing them with cool water and cutting off the stems to expose a fresher surface.

Place them in the center of a large piece of aluminum foil. Evenly distribute the cubes of butter over the fiddleheads.

Fold fold the two opposite sides together and fold and press the ends together to form a pouch.

Place on a 400 degree grill for 5 – 7 minutes, flipping once. To avoid overcooking, it’s a good idea to do this once any meats or fish are just finishing up on the grill, since the fiddleheads need very little time to cook.

Remove from foil, place in a serving dish and squeeze with fresh lemon.

Ingredient origins – Fiddleheads – Maine; Butter – Maine; Lemon – Mexico

Boston Baked Beans

At one time Boston Baked Beans were popular throughout New England as a winter survival food – a nutrient and protein-rich pantry item that could be stored throughout the cold months. Refrigeration has obviously changed things a bit, and we’re no longer living on beans all winter, but it’s good to keep tradition alive.

It’s also good to not constantly import produce and things from halfway around the world when what we need is right here in our own region. The beans for this post were grown locally by Baer’s Best Beans.

Thankfully, Boston Baked Beans is one of those dishes that actually does seem to get passed on through generations and, even more thankfully, not much has gotten lost in translation. You don’t often see Baked Beans getting a contemporary makeover. For the most part it’s always consisted of the same few ingredients: molasses, bacon or salt pork and small white beans, which absorb the molasses, turning them a golden brown. Salem, Massachusetts, more so than Boston, had a booming spice trade in the late 18th and early 19th Centuries, so it’s not difficult to imagine someone tossing a clove or allspice berry into the pot at some point.

I learned to make Boston Baked Beans from my mother. (Thanks mom!) Having seen and tried all the regular players for this dish, the following recipe is a formula using all of the components that I like to see in a Baked Bean. Also, I don’t like having odd chunks of things floating around in my Baked Bean, so I like to grate the onion rather than chopping it, which allows the onion to impart its flavor without keeping too much of a physical presence in the dish. Just the right amount of liquid thickens in the pot without becoming soupy. The result is a good blend of savory from the bacon, onion and mustard, sweet from the molasses and brown sugar, and tang from the allspice, clove and ginger.

Boston Baked Beans - makes 10 servings

1 lb white beans, such as yellow eye or great northern
1/2 lb bacon – cut into 1″x1/4″ strips
1/4 C grated yellow onion
2 T tomato paste
1/4 C brown sugar or maple syrup
1/2 C molasses
1/2 t dry ground mustard
1 t dry ground ginger
2 t cloves, ground
5 allspice berries, ground
1/2 t salt
3 C water

Start by soaking the beans overnight in a large stock pot. Drain and rinse.

Cover the beans with fresh water and bring to a simmer – do not boil. Cover and continue to simmer fo 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a large saute pan or deep skillet on low to medium heat until just cooked. Heat the oven to 300 degrees. Drain the bacon of its fat and add the onion to the skillet. Continue to cook on low 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste, molasses, brown sugar, spices, salt and water to the skillet. Stir to blend.

Drain and rinse the beans and transfer them  to an oven-safe casserole dish with a cover. Pour the bacon mixture over the beans and gently stir to combine.

Cover and bake 2 hours. Remove cover and bake for 1 additional hour.

Enjoy with a nice crusty bread or a toast points and a salad.

Ingredient origins: Yellow eye beans – Massachusetts; Nitrate free bacon – unknown; Organic onion – California; Tomato paste – unknown; Brown sugar – Florida; Molasses – New Jersey; Mustard – unknown, Clove – India; Allspice – India

New England Boiled Dinner

There’s always all kinds of hubbub over corned beef and cabbage this time of year. My grandmother used to make New England Boiled Dinner, which is similar. Made with more winter vegetables, it’s a whole meal in itself, including potatoes, parsnips and carrots.

The cabbage and potatoes take on the corned beef’s brininess, which is complemented by the sweetness of the carrots and parsnips, making this one-pot meal a perfect spectrum of flavor.

New England Boiled Dinner – serves 4 – 6

4 medium boiling potatoes
2.5 lb gray (nitrate free) corned beef brisket
1 small head cabbage
4 carrots
water

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Place the corned beef brisket in a large oven safe dutch oven and just cover with water. Place on a burner and bring to a simmer over high heat.

Meanwhile peel the potatoes and cut into quarters. Cut the cabbage into eight wedges and remove the core.

Cover the beef with the cabbage and potatoes. Transfer the dutch oven to the oven and cook, covered for 1 hour.

Using tongs, gently lift the potatoes out of the liquid and submerge the carrots and parsnips. Cover again with the potatoes, being careful not to crush them. Return to the oven and cook for 1 hour.

Remove the corned beef and transfer to a cutting board. Allow to rest 10 minutes before slicing. Plate with cabbage, potato, parsnip, carrot, and little bit of broth. Serve hot.

Ingredient origins: Nitrate free corned beef – Massachusetts; Parsnips – Massachusetts; Potatoes – California; Organic Cabbage – Mexico, Carrots – California

Fried Northern Shrimp

Yesterday was fish share day. We picked up the last 5 lb bag of beautifully fresh native Northern Shrimp of the season from our Community Supported Fishery. Northern shrimp are the only shrimp native to New England and from what I understand, they’re only around in the middle of winter. So this is the end of the line for us until next year. How exciting! What to do, what to do?

I decided to fry them. Northern shrimp are very sweet and you’d think breading and frying would mask their delicate flavor. Not so in this case.

A light coating of flour and panko creates just the right amount of crunch to showcase their tenderness without weighing them down in oil, and the savory seasonings complement the shrimp’s sweetness. The key is starting each batch with the oil at 375 degrees, and keeping it above 300 degrees as it fries. If the temperature slips below 300 degrees, the breading will absorb the oil rather than browning and it will become saturated. That said, these are easy to make, and the result rivals anything you’d find at your local seaside clam shack.

Fried Northern Shrimp – Serves 4 – 6

5 – 6 C Northern Shrimp, peeled with heads and tails removed (about 5 lbs whole)
1.5 C flour
1 C panko crumbs
1 t salt
3 t old bay seasoning
1.5 – 2 quarts canola oil

If purchased whole, remove

In a medium bowl mix flour, panko, salt and old bay seasoning. Dredge the shrimp in the flour mixture and shake off excess.

Arrange paper towels for draining – I like to use a baking sheet covered with one layer of paper towels, then a cooling rack and another layer of paper towels. This way the top layer absorbs oil and the lower layer catches any drips. But hey, it’s your kitchen.

Heat oil to 375 degrees in a large stockpot or fryer. Start off with about a quart and a half, and you may need to add a little bit more with each batch. Carefully drop shrimp into the oil in batches, 2 cups at a time. Adjust with a heat resistant spoon to be sure they do not stick together. Cook 1- 2 minutes. Remove with a spider or strainer and place on paper towels to drain. Let the oil get back up to 375 degrees before adding the next batch.

Serve hot with a squish of lemon and maybe a bit of tartar sauce.

Ingredient origins: Northern shrimp – the waters right outside our door; Flour – Vermont; Panko – unknown; Sea salt – Maine; Seasoning – Maryland; Canola oil – unknown