Recently I saw an episode of Chef Anne Burrell's Secrets of a Restaurant Chef. That woman is my HERO(ine). The episode was "The Secret to Lobster Rolls" and it was all about fresh, homemade New England clam chowder and lobster rolls. I was like, aw Chef, seafood is so expensive, why do you have to make it look so delicious?! It's already my favorite thing to eat! Wwwweeelllllll... All the things I'll need are on sale this week! Plus, boyfriend's boss gave us some frozen sea scallops (those are the BIG ones) that were about to expire (but who cares, they're frozen, right?). I guess I'm trying it out!
A whole seafood feast, for just over twenty dollars? Yes, please! Allow me to share with you the recipes! My changes: For the lobster rolls, I cut the recipe in half because there are only two of us, and I will be serving it on Italian bread because it's my favorite. For the chowder, I halved the amount of clams so I could incorporate the big, juicy scallops. So excited to get started!
Lobster Rolls
Ingredients
To cook the lobsters:
Kosher salt
1 1/2 lemons
1 head garlic, split horizontally
1 thyme bundle
2 dried bay leaves
2 (1 1/2-pound) lobsters
For the lobster rolls:
1/2 to 3/4 cup mayonnaise
1 celery rib, cut into 1/4 inch dice
1/2 bunch of chives, finely chopped
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Celery salt
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) of unsalted butter
1 clove garlic, smashed
4 top split hot dog rolls
Directions
To cook the lobsters:
Fill a large pot with water and season it generously with salt. Squeeze the lemons into the water and drop them in and toss in the garlic, thyme bundle and bay leaves. Bring the water to a boil and drop the lobsters in. Cover and cook for 11 minutes. Remove the lobsters from the pot and let cool.
Remove the lobster claws, knuckles and tails from the shells and coarsely chop.
In a large mixing bowl combine the chopped lobster, 1/2 cup of mayo, celery, chives and lemon juice. Mix together and season with celery salt. Add remaining 1/4 cup of mayo if you like the mix a little creamier (this is traditionally a very low mayo type deal). Taste to make sure the lobster is delicious and reserve.
Toss the butter and garlic into a large saute pan and melt the butter. When the butter is melted, bubbly and very garlicky smelling, remove the garlic clove and discard it. Add the hot dog rolls to the pan and cook in the garlic butter on both sides until the butter is absorbed and the rolls and crispy on both sides.
Divide the reserved lobster between the 4 buttered rolls and serve immediately.
New England Clam Chowder
Ingredients
4 dozen little neck or cherry stone clams, scrubbed
4 thick slices bacon, cut into lardons
1 large onions, cut into 1/4 inch dice
Kosher salt
11/2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch dice
3 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1 bundle of thyme
2 bay leaves
1 to 2 shakes hot sauce, optional (recommended: Tabasco)
Extra-virgin olive oil
Directions
Place the clams and 1 cup of water in a large pot. Cover and place over a high heat and cook the clams for 6 to 7 minutes. Uncover and remove the open clams.Cover the pot again and continue cooking the clams that haven't opened yet. Cook the clams for another 2 to 3 minutes. Turn off the heat and discard any clams that have not opened. Strain the liquid from the pot through a mesh strainer lined with a coffee filter and reserve.
Coarsely chop the clams and reserve.
Drizzle a few drops of olive oil into the bottom of the clam pot and toss in the bacon. Bring the pan to a medium heat. When the bacon has let off a lot of fat and become brown and crispy, toss in the onions and season lightly with salt. Cook the onions until they are very soft and aromatic but have no color, 7 to 8 minutes. Add the potatoes and cook for another 5 minutes.
Sprinkle the flour over the onions and potato mixture and stir to combine. Gradually whisk in the reserved clam juice. When the clam juice has been whisked in and there are no lumps, whisk in the milk and heavy cream and toss in the bay leaves and thyme. Taste for seasoning and adjust if needed. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer and simmer until the potatoes are cooked through, 10 to 15 minutes.
Toss in the reserved clams. Taste and re-season if needed and add hot sauce if using.
Hope you all enjoy! ^_^ ~Pixie
A whole seafood feast, for just over twenty dollars? Yes, please! Allow me to share with you the recipes! My changes: For the lobster rolls, I cut the recipe in half because there are only two of us, and I will be serving it on Italian bread because it's my favorite. For the chowder, I halved the amount of clams so I could incorporate the big, juicy scallops. So excited to get started!
Lobster Rolls
Ingredients
To cook the lobsters:
Kosher salt
1 1/2 lemons
1 head garlic, split horizontally
1 thyme bundle
2 dried bay leaves
2 (1 1/2-pound) lobsters
For the lobster rolls:
1/2 to 3/4 cup mayonnaise
1 celery rib, cut into 1/4 inch dice
1/2 bunch of chives, finely chopped
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Celery salt
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) of unsalted butter
1 clove garlic, smashed
4 top split hot dog rolls
Directions
To cook the lobsters:
Fill a large pot with water and season it generously with salt. Squeeze the lemons into the water and drop them in and toss in the garlic, thyme bundle and bay leaves. Bring the water to a boil and drop the lobsters in. Cover and cook for 11 minutes. Remove the lobsters from the pot and let cool.
Remove the lobster claws, knuckles and tails from the shells and coarsely chop.
In a large mixing bowl combine the chopped lobster, 1/2 cup of mayo, celery, chives and lemon juice. Mix together and season with celery salt. Add remaining 1/4 cup of mayo if you like the mix a little creamier (this is traditionally a very low mayo type deal). Taste to make sure the lobster is delicious and reserve.
Toss the butter and garlic into a large saute pan and melt the butter. When the butter is melted, bubbly and very garlicky smelling, remove the garlic clove and discard it. Add the hot dog rolls to the pan and cook in the garlic butter on both sides until the butter is absorbed and the rolls and crispy on both sides.
Divide the reserved lobster between the 4 buttered rolls and serve immediately.
New England Clam Chowder
Ingredients
4 dozen little neck or cherry stone clams, scrubbed
4 thick slices bacon, cut into lardons
1 large onions, cut into 1/4 inch dice
Kosher salt
11/2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch dice
3 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1 bundle of thyme
2 bay leaves
1 to 2 shakes hot sauce, optional (recommended: Tabasco)
Extra-virgin olive oil
Directions
Place the clams and 1 cup of water in a large pot. Cover and place over a high heat and cook the clams for 6 to 7 minutes. Uncover and remove the open clams.Cover the pot again and continue cooking the clams that haven't opened yet. Cook the clams for another 2 to 3 minutes. Turn off the heat and discard any clams that have not opened. Strain the liquid from the pot through a mesh strainer lined with a coffee filter and reserve.
Coarsely chop the clams and reserve.
Drizzle a few drops of olive oil into the bottom of the clam pot and toss in the bacon. Bring the pan to a medium heat. When the bacon has let off a lot of fat and become brown and crispy, toss in the onions and season lightly with salt. Cook the onions until they are very soft and aromatic but have no color, 7 to 8 minutes. Add the potatoes and cook for another 5 minutes.
Sprinkle the flour over the onions and potato mixture and stir to combine. Gradually whisk in the reserved clam juice. When the clam juice has been whisked in and there are no lumps, whisk in the milk and heavy cream and toss in the bay leaves and thyme. Taste for seasoning and adjust if needed. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer and simmer until the potatoes are cooked through, 10 to 15 minutes.
Toss in the reserved clams. Taste and re-season if needed and add hot sauce if using.
Hope you all enjoy! ^_^ ~Pixie
