One lobster? 8 people! Handmade Lobster Ravoli

Handmade presents are scary because they reveal that you have too much free time. – Douglas Coupland

This is the last weekend of the holiday season for 2014/2015. Once again we soon will move back into “normal” life and the start of a brand new year. May yours be filled with dreams fulfilled. Mine will be filled with more blog posts. Or at least I will try – very hard.

Since this is the last hurrah of the holidays, some of us are still in entertaining mode. You might even still have a scheduled weekend get-together. That’s a plus, but the down side is that the entertainment budget has probably been stretched paper thin.

What if I told you that you could turn an average-sized lobster (currently about $7 in Nova Scotia) into a gourmet feast for a table full of friends? You would rightly be skeptical.

I am here to turn you into a believer.

This recipe makes 48 “not small” ravioli. If you count six for an appetizer or eight for a meal, that feeds quite a few. Also, all of this can be made ahead – days ahead.

I just checked the online menu for The Bicycle Thief, an upscale restaurant in Halifax. They are offering “Lobster Ravioloni” (small ravioli??) for $25 per plate. I’m assuming that is a maximum of six, but knowing the penchant for small plates I wouldn’t be surprised if it was four.

So as you can see, you would be treating your eight guests to a plate that would cost you $400 if you were dining out. That’s impressive.

This is one of the best pasta dough recipes I have ever made. It's pliable to roll and perfectly springy when cooked. Very nice. A keeper.

To gild the lily, I’m also posting a recipe for a rosé vodka sauce. Note the recipe makes 500 ml of sauce, so you may want to adjust it up or down. It's enough for 32 ravioli, but you may just want to make more. It's that delicious.

Since I wasn’t entertaining, I opted to freeze my ravioli in bags of 16. One down, two to go!

So without further ado...

Lobster Ravioli with Vodka Sauce
Time: 1.5 hours  |  Yield 48 (2” x 3”)

Freeze the ravioli, if not using right away.

special equipment: pasta machine
pasta dough:
1 cup unbleached white flour
1 cup semolina flour
1/4 tsp salt
3 lg eggs
1 tbsp olive oil
filling:
2 garlic cloves
2 tbsp yellow onion
1.25 lb cooked lobster meat, cleaned
250 g ricotta
1 tbsp brandy
1 tbsp dried tarragon
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cracked black pepper

Frozen, and then bagged for later use.

Make the dough first. Place the two flours and salt in a bowl and whisk with a fork. Make a well in the centre and crack the eggs into it. Then add the olive oil. 

Using a fork, whisk the eggs and oil together, slowly incorporating the flour as you go. Continue until almost all of the flour is incorporated. The start to knead in the bowl until all the flour is combined. Transfer to the counter and knead for five minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic.

Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and let rest on the counter for at least 1/2 hour. This resting allows the gluten strands to align and makes the dough even more elastic.

To make the filling, roughly chop the garlic and onion and place it in a food processor. Pulse until fairly fine. Dice the lobster. Add the lobster, brandy, tarragon, salt and pepper and pulse until the lobster is minced. 

Add the ricotta and pulse until just incorporated. taste for seasonings and adjust. It needs to be well flavoured, since only a small amount is in each ravioli. To divide the filling evenly you can mark the top in quarters, so you know how much to use per sheet of dough.

To make the ravioli:
Cut the dough into four equal pieces. Starting on the widest setting, roll one piece out into a long sheet, ending on setting 6. Usual settings on a pasta roller go from 1 through 7 – 7 being very thin. You will end up with a sheet of pasta about 30” long by about 4.5” wide.

Dust a working surface with a little flour. Place the sheet down and begin to add filling. Using a teaspoon measure, drop 12 heaping spoonfuls onto one edge of the sheet, evenly spaced apart.

Using a small brush or your finger, wet the dough well around each pile of filling. Fold the dough up over itself. Seal each ravioli by pressing well using your palms and fingers. If you don’t do this step well they ravioli will come apart while boiling.

Trim off the far edges of the ravioli sheet and then cut between. Place on a lightly floured surface if not freezing. If freezing, place on cookie sheets lined with plastic wrap. Do not overlap.

Repeat with the other 3 pieces of dough.

To cook, bring lots of salted water to a boil. If cooking fresh, boil for 3-4 minutes after the water comes back to a boil. If using frozen, cook for 6-7 minutes.

Sorry for the out-of-focus photo.

Rosé Vodka Sauce
Time: 20-30 min  |  Yield 500ml
2 cups whipping cream
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
1-1/2 tsp dried tarragon
2 tbsp finely minced onion
1 cup plain tomato sauce
1/4 cup vodka
salt and pepper, to taste

Combine the cream, garlic, tarragon and onion in a saucepan. Bring to a gentle boil and let reduce to half, stirring often so the cream doesn't stick to the bottom and burn. 

Then add the tomato sauce, vodka, salt and pepper. Bring back to a gentle boil and let cook for another 2-3 minutes.

This sauce can be made ahead, sealed well and refrigerated for at least 3-4 days.

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Baked Lobster & Penne 2

The first fall of snow is not only an event, it is a magical event. You go to bed in one kind of a world and wake up in another quite different, and if this is not enchantment then where is it to be found? – J. B. Priestley

I love the crunchy bits of penne.

We received our first real snow here in the country last night. Two inches of white, fluffy solitude. There’s a feeling that arrived with it I haven’t experienced for a very long time. I have nowhere I need to go so can enjoy it for its beauty, like a child. That’s one of the benefits of working from home.

I was listening to our national broadcaster, CBC, this morning and my ears perked up when I heard the word “lobster.” I had almost forgotten that lobster season is to start today in the waters off Nova Scotia.

They were interviewing someone about pricing and today's delayed start of the season in the Atlantic from Halifax to Digby in the Bay of Fundy. That’s a big area.

It's due to the weather. It’s a bit too dangerous to allow men and their small boats out to set traps. Our Department of Fisheries and Oceans will make another call about safety on Wednesday. The season lasts for six months. 

The interview reminded me it’s been a while since I had of one of my most favourite of foods –  and how crazy the pricing can be leading up to Christmas. But if you think lobster is too rich for your wallet, read on.

The price is vastly different between wharf and processors. It can be almost as much as three times more at our esteemed grocery chains than what our fishers are being paid. It is always a complaint and friction between the two.

So the secret is to know someone with connections who can get them “off the boat.” In the city, you can find fishers selling in mall parking lots for less than in the grocery chains. Support your local fishers if you can. It costs a lot to run and maintain a boat, gear and crew. They don’t have debit machines. Carry money.

There’s a thousand ways to cook lobster, the most common ones at home being freshly shelled with butter, or in a chowder.

But they’re certainly not the only two that are easy to pull off at home. This recipe is a little unusual, being a baked pasta dish. It doesn’t have a “sauce” per se, but you'll never miss it.

The stated time does not include boiling and cleaning a lobster, but I would recommend it. It’s so much better than canned meat or even a pre-cooked lobster from the store. A 1.5 lb lobster will take 15-18 minutes in well salted water. Since this is baked, go for the lower time.

This would make an excellent buffet dish – just in case you’re attending one or two over the next four weeks – and no one’s allergic to shellfish. Anaphylactic shock is a real concern. 

This recipe is really easy. It makes a decent sized pan, too, at 8x8x3. Certainly enough for 4-6 for a main meal.

Baked Lobster & Penne 2

Prep: 15 min  |  Bake: 35 min  |  Serves 4-6

1.5 lb steamed lobster

350 g penne

400g ricotta

1/2 cup tomato paste

1/2 cup 18% cream

1 cup white wine

1 cup black olives, sliced

1 cup grated mozzarella

1/2 tsp chilli flakes

1 tsp garlic powder

1 cup chopped fresh basil

1 tbsp capers, drained and chopped

1 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

1 bunch green onions, sliced

1 slice fresh bread, grated

Grease an 8x8x3 baking dish with butter. Cook the penne and drain. Preheat the oven to 400°F. 

Clean the lobster and cut the meat into bite-sized pieces. Grate the slice of bread into crumbs.

Whisk the ricotta, tomato paste, cream and wine together in a mixing bowl. Stir in the chilli flakes, garlic powder, chopped basil, capers, salt, pepper, green onions and black olives.

Add the drained penne and half of the cheese. Mix well and then stir in the lobster.

Pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top and then the grated bread.

Add more pepper if desired and bake for 35 minutes, or until bubbly and golden.

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Authentic Nova Scotia Lobster Rolls

A woman should never be seen eating or drinking, unless it be lobster salad and Champagne, the only true feminine and becoming viands. – Lord Byron 

Best eaten overlooking the ocean – but that's just my opinion.

Here’s one that I have no idea why I haven’t posted before. It’s just so Nova Scotian. Duh...

One of the things we’re most famous for in Atlantic Canada is our lobster. It’s something that most visitors just have to have when they vacation here. Being so rich and delicious, it’s a luxury.

Did you know that wasn’t always the case? 

Atlantic lobster. Photo: Wiki CC.

Lobsters used to be extremely abundant on the Atlantic coast – so much so that often they would wash ashore after storms. This was the 1600 and 1700s – when cod was also so plentiful that it was said you could walk across their backs on the ocean. A slight exaggeration, I’m sure.

Since they were so easy to harvest, many less well-off families used lobster as a free food source. Because of that connection they were seen as food only fit for “poor folks,” a bias that stuck for many years. 

It had such a mark of disdain that some servants in Atlantic Canada and New England had it written into their indenture agreements they would only eat lobster a certain number of times a week. It reflected badly on their employers if they ate it too often.

It’s amazing how something so valued now had such stigma attached to it. Lobsters were also routinely cut up and used as bait, or as fertilizer. What a waste...

During those times, it was not uncommon for lobsters to be in the 20-30 lb range. So you can see how they were an easy, and bountiful, food source. A 20 lb lobster would easily feed a family of 8 people.

It wasn’t until the mid-1800s that diners began to recognize lobster as a quality food. Commercial fishing began, taking its toll on the populations within decades. 

But how could over-fishing happen so quickly? Part of the reason is that science suggests lobsters become more fertile as they age, and as they age they grow larger. So smaller lobsters do not produce as many young as those 20 pounders. Unfortunately, it was the big ones that were harvested. 

With scarcity comes price increases. Now the cost of lobster makes them a luxury, being out of reach to many people except on special occasions. A lobster dinner at a not too fancy restaurant can easily cost you well in excess of $20.

There is much to be said about the cost paid to fishers today and the cost at the store. I will not claim to know all the ins and outs of it, so I’ll leave that for others to discuss.

Standard lobster size now is in the 1.5  to 2 lb range – a far cry from their historical size. Today the lobster industry is highly regulated.

Making a good lobster sandwich is a breeze, although there are a couple things that are necessary that may not come to mind. One is lemon juice and the other is onion. Both add “brightness” and bite to a lobster roll that just isn’t there without them.

You can make lobster rolls with tinned lobster, but it is nowhere near as good as if you use fresh. Keep that in mind.

So without further ado, here’s a standard recipe. Easy to make at home in minutes. Bring memories of the sea shore to your backyard.

As an FYI, I’m working on a “true” lobster sausage recipe. Stay tuned...

This essentially lobster salad, so if you wish it can
be served just as well on a bed of lettuce.

Nova Scotia Lobster Roll

Prep: 10 min*  |  Yield: 4-8, depending on size

3/4 lb cooked lobster meat (1 can)

1 cup shredded iceberg lettuce

1/2 cup mayonnaise 

1/4 cup celery, chopped small

2 tbsp onion, diced

juice from 1/2 lemon (about 2 tbsp)

1/4 tsp cracked black pepper

salt, optional

Rolls, hamburger buns or sandwich bread

Chop the cooked lobster meat into bite-sized pieces – not too small. Mix in the remaining ingredients together and refrigerate.

The recipe calls for 1/2 cup of mayonnaise. You can add more if you wish.

I find tinned lobster meat a bit salty, so if using it you may want to omit salt. Also, if using tinned meat press out the liquid after thawing. 

I know it seems like a waste, but if you don’t your lobster filling will be very wet.

This isn’t necessary if using fresh cooked.

* This time doesn't include cooking and cleaning live lobster. You can purchase pre-cooked to save time and anxiety.

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Christmas Eve: Decadent Lobster Chowder

I have always thought of sophistication as rather a feeble substitute for decadence. – Christopher Hampton

Golden yellow with notes of truffle. Fantastic.

Here’s a little decadence for you to think about serving for Christmas Eve dinner.

Many families gather together the night before for a celebration. Almost everyone who’s coming home for Christmas has arrived – and they have to be fed.

The meat from three lobsters.

Lobster is very popular at this time of year in Europe. Many of us here serve lobster as well. It’s doubly something to think about this year since the cost is so low. One local grocery has them for $5.99 per pound and it's cheaper if you buy from a lobster fisher from their truck. That’s low.

This recipe is a good way to really stretch three of the beasts into a veritable feast. This recipe makes eight bowls and the lobster only cost $21. There’s only one problem with lobster – shelling them. It takes time, and some effort. Oh, well.

I didn’t list the time for cooking and cleaning the lobsters. I cheated and bought mine pre-cooked but still in the shell. Hopefully you’ll have some help to shell yours. Choose carefully. It takes some will power to stay out of it as you clean!

This recipe started out life as a down-home lobster chowder, but I tarted it up. The carrot adds a sweetness and colour that usually isn’t there and the truffle oil… well it’s truffle oil.

The vegetables simmer in stock.

Truffle oil has a thousand uses in the kitchen and the cost isn’t astronomical, even at $4 for a small bottle. It only takes a little to impart its truffle flavour.

This chowder has a healthy does of butter so a little will go a long way due to its richness.

If you’re thinking about making something with lobster this holiday season give this recipe close consideration.

It may even become a family tradition.

Decadent Lobster Chowder

Cook: 30 min  |  Serves 8

2 lbs lobster meat (from 3 whole lobsters)

1/4 cup butter

1 tbsp truffle oil

1 medium onion, diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup grated carrot

5 medium potatoes, in 1/2” dice

5 cups chicken stock

2 cans evaporated milk

2 tbsp flour

salt and pepper

Clean the lobsters and cut the meat into bite-sized pieces.

Heat half the butter and all of the oil in a large stock pot. Sauté the onion, garlic and carrot until the onions are translucent, about 8 minutes.

Add the peeled and diced potatoes and the stock. Add the salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and let simmer for 15 minutes.

Knead the remaining butter with the 2 tbsp of flour so that it forms a paste.* Set aside.

At the end of the time add the evaporated milk and bring back to heat. Add the butter/flour mixture and stir until the liquid in the pot thickens. Cook for 2 minutes.

Add the lobster to the pot and bring the chowder back to full heat. Serve in bowls with crusty bread.

*  Kneading butter with flour is a great secret for smooth gravy as well. No lumps!

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Recipe: Baked Lobster Penne

Nowadays people know the price of everything and the value of nothing. – Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray

Easy, delicious recipe. I love the crunchy bits of baked penne.

I had a birthday on Wednesday (21 again...). As I was leaving work many people asked what I was going to do for fun that evening.

Photo: patrikneckman, Flickr ccl

In truth, at my age, doing nothing with a glass of wine sounds like a good idea. So that’s what I did. Except for cooking dinner. I really find it difficult to justify going out and dropping $100 on a dinner for two in these tight financial times.

So I spent my birthday in the kitchen. I guess that was a good present for myself. The kitchen is just about my favourite place to be.

Of course I couldn’t let it pass without doing something a little special. That’s what I had in mind when I trundled off to the grocery store. I had already settled on lobster. To me “treat” and “lobster” are the same word. 

Just how my crustaceon was to land on the plate was up for conjecture.

I had come across a recipe earlier for lobster macaroni in a mozzarella cheese sauce that sounded really good, but by the time I was walking around the grocery it had morphed. It probably started with penne being on sale, and was given a coup de grâce by the cost of the required mascapone cheese. ($5 for 300 g – pricy.)

But back to the main ingredient, if I may. Try to help me understand this, please. I paid $10 for a (very slightly) over one-pound lobster, pre-cooked. There is no price difference per pound between live and cooked. The large chains will even cook yours for you if you're willing to wait.

This is lobster season in Nova Scotia. Currently the lobster fishers are being paid $3 per pound – or less. I understand there are steps involved between the ocean and the seafood counter, but it seems someone is making a bit of profit…

Last year this time they were selling at the grocery for about $6.50 if I remember correctly. And the fishers were getting the same cost as they are now at the wharf.

One of my Facebook friends at home is arranging with a fisher to bring a truckload of lobsters to the village where I grew up. Folks are placing their orders now. The seller is charging $5 per pound. He may need two trucks!

In the city, you can find lobster sellers in mall parking lots for about the same cost. Try Bayers Lake this weekend if you dare. It is getting close to Christmas. Support your local fishers if you can.

Well, I wasn’t in a mall parking lot. I was at the grocery, so I had to bite the bullet. At least it was cheaper than $18 per frozen can.

This recipe is really good, and a little unexpected with the lobster. It doesn’t have a “sauce” per se, unlike mac and cheese. It’s far drier.

The time listed does not include boiling and cleaning lobster, but I would recommend it. It’s so much better than canned, mechanically separated meat.

This would make an excellent buffet dish – just in case you’re attending one over the next week or two. It’s really just combine the sauce, then the penne and lobster and bake.

Enjoy! We did, and have some “birthday leftovers” too.

This pan is 8" x 8" x 3". If you don't have one that is
that high, use something bigger. It was full to the top.

Baked Lobster Penne

Prep: 15 min  |  Bake: 35 min  |  Serves 4

1.5 lb cooked lobster meat

350 g penne

400g ricotta

1/2 cup tomato paste

1 cup white wine

1/2 tsp chilli flakes

1 tsp garlic powder

1 cup chopped basil

1 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

1 bunch green onions, sliced

1 cup black olives, sliced

1 cup grated mozzarella

1 slice fresh bread

Grease an 8x8x3 baking dish with butter.

Cook the penne and drain. Preheat the oven to 400°F. 

Clean the lobster and cut the meat into bite-sized pieces. Grate the slice of bread into crumbs.

Whisk the ricotta, tomato paste and wine together in a mixing bowl. Stir in the chilli flakes, garlic powder, chopped basil, salt, pepper green onions and black olives.

Add the drained penne and half of the cheese. Mix well and then stir in the lobster.

Pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top and then the grated bread.

Add more pepper if desired and bake for 35 minutes, or until bubbly and golden.

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Recipe: Lobster Gnocchi in Whisky Cream Sauce

The truth is that life is delicious, horrible, charming, frightful, sweet, bitter, and that is everything. – Anatole France 

Fluffy gnocchi in a frighteningly delicious sauce.

Oh, my.

That’s what actually came out of my mouth after the first taste of this dish. If you like lobster you’re going to LOVE this.

Gnocchi before kneading.

Picture a delicate lobster sauce with sauteed onions, mushrooms and hints of garlic. Then imagine that sauce enveloping light, creamy gnocchi…that just happen to be pan fried to a light golden brown.

Heaven, right? Sometimes my food is really good (not all the time), but then every once in a while I knock one out of the park. This night was one. Wow.

Lobster isn’t common in my repertoire. I really enjoy it, but it’s usually too expensive. I couldn’t believe my eyes the other day when one of our local groceries was selling frozen lobster tails at a deep discount. I had to grab a couple packages. I had to.

When lobster's on sale this recipe is quite affordable as a meal for four. Off and on you can get a bargain direct from lobster fishers, too. They frequent busy places around the province and sell for less than the groceries or fish shops. The other main ingredient – potatoes – are cheap as dirt.

This one’s definitely a sunday dinner kind of thing. It’s…involved. I usually cook more complex things when I’m stressed. The house sale business is really starting to bum me out and it’s being reflected in my cooking: lemon pull apart bread, baguettes, Greek pastry, etc., etc. I guess being busy in the kitchen calms my mind.

Individual gnocchi. Pillow form. I know, it's cheating.

Gnocchi really aren’t that difficult and can actually be made ahead and frozen. That may be something to remember. Making them will eat up an hour no problem.

Cooking the gnocchi only takes a few minutes per batch. I “gilded the lily” by pan frying them in a little olive oil. It’s optional.

The sauce itself is really quite quick. It only takes the time to fry the mushrooms, reduce cream and whisky and throw in the lobster. Don’t worry. The whisky is only a subtle flavour. Anyone eating this would be hard pressed to know it’s there – but its absence would really make a difference.

This is rich, filling stuff. Of that there is no doubt. It is also one of the best meals I have prepared in a while.

Make this for someone special. Seriously. Make this.

The gnocchi are done after they float in the boiling water
for about 1-2 minutes.

Lobster Gnocchi in Whisky Cream Sauce

Time: 2 hours  |  Cook: 20-25 min  |  Serves 4

2 lbs starchy potatoes, like russet

1/2 tsp salt

1 large egg

1 cup white flour , give or take

1 tbsp olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 medium onion, diced

200 g white mushrooms, sliced

1-1/2 cups whipping cream

1/4 cup whisky

1-1/2 lbs fresh lobster meat

1/2 tsp cracked black pepper

salt, as desired

grated parmesan cheese

Yes, there are six tails, but they were quite small.

The gnocchi

Boil unpeeled potatoes in salted water until tender, about 30 minutes.

Let them cool slightly and then remove the skins. Break up the potatoes either with a ricer or a fork. Ensure there are no lumps.

Once the potatoes have cooled slightly (enough not to cook the egg), stir in the salt and egg. Mix well until the egg is completely incorporated.

Add 3/4 cup of flour and stir in with a fork. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead. Add more flour as required to make a soft dough that is barely no longer sticky. Too much flour will make the gnocchi tough.

Divide the dough in four and roll each out into a long cylinder. Cut individual gnocchi and toss well with flour. At this point they can be frozen until ready to use. (Freeze them in one layer. They’ll stick together if in a pile.)

Make this for guests – or a date. It's impressive.

When ready to cook, bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the gnocchi in batches. Once they begin to float, let them cook an additional 1-2 minutes. Then remove with a slotted spoon. If desired fry in batches in a little olive oil. This step is optional.

The sauce

In a deep, wide sauté pan heat the 1 tbsp of olive oil. Add the garlic, onion and mushrooms. Cook until the mushrooms reduce in volume and brown slightly.

Add the cream and whisky and cook until reduced to 2/3 the original volume. Then add in the lobster and allow the sauce to reduce to half its original volume. Add the pepper and taste for salt. Adjust if desired.

Take the cooked gnocchi and add to the sauce. Toss well to coat and let them heat through.

Serve in bowls with some grated parmesan cheese.

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Recipe: Fra Diavolo Pasta Sauce

A politician is the devil's quilted anvil; He fashions all sins on him, and the blows are never heard. – John Webster 

Always a delicious meal.

This sauce never ceases to amaze me. It's one of the simplest to put together and delivers taste quite unlike any other sauce. It's name? Fra Diavolo (in English, Brother Devil).

Slow simmering brings out the best in the few ingredients.

This sauce is for seafood and seafood alone. It wouldn’t really go with anything else. It’s slightly sweet and complements seafood wonderfully. Perhaps the onion is to blame…

This recipe may have an Italian name but from what I have read it is an American creation rarely seen in Italy. Interestingly some famous Italian-American chefs have this recipe in their repertoire – ones that I would have thought stayed closer to their traditional roots.

No matter. It’s still delicious.

I have served variations of this sauce with shrimp, scallops, lobster, squid, clams and mussels. All at the same time, too. My two favourites are lobster fra diavolo and shrimp/scallop fra diavolo. 

There’s something about the richness in those particular ingredients that marry unbelievably well with the spicy sauce.

If you have the time, homemade pugliese
goes extremely well with this dish.

I remember one time (decades ago) when we had pugliese bread in the oven, this sauce on the stove, company coming and 3 feet of snow coming down outside. We had a wonderful evening.

This recipe (I do have others for it) uses two rather non-standard ingredients, jalapeno pepper and oregano. It is far more common to find red chilli flakes and basil in a fra diavolo.

The changes were more than acceptable. This dish, if spiced properly, imparts a slight warmth and slight warmth only. Remember you still want to taste the seafood.

My directions include 1 large jalapeno, and also some cayenne. Use the cayenne to fine-tune the heat, if you so desire. That way you can have delicate heat, or blistering – your choice.

If you like spicy food this recipe should make it in to your recipe rotation. It’s delicious.

Add whatever seafood you are using just at the
end of the cook time.

Fra Diavolo Pasta Sauce

Prep: 10 min  |  Simmer: 30 min  |  Serves 4

1 tbsp olive oil

1 lb shrimp, scallops, pre-cooked lobster or a combination

1 medium onion, chopped

4 garlic cloves, chopped

1 large jalapeno, seeded and diced

1/2 cup red wine

1-1/2 cups tomato sauce

2 plum tomatoes, chopped

1/3 cup fresh oregano
salt and pepper to taste

Optional: cayenne to taste

parmesan cheese

spaghetti for 4 (or linguine)

Heat the oil in a large sauté pan. Sauté the onion, garlic and jalapeno for about 5 minutes. Then add the red wine, tomato sauce and chopped tomatoes. Simmer for 25-30 minutes, stirring to prevent sticking. The sauce will be quite thick and chunky.

At the end of the 25-30 min time add the seafood and cook just until done. This should take about 4-5 minutes. Taste for salt and pepper and adjust.

Serve the sauce on top of the pasta, sprinkled with parmesan cheese to taste.

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Recipe: Scallop (or Shellfish) Mascarpone on Linguine

Most seafoods should be simply threatened with heat and then celebrated with joy. – Jeff Smith (The Frugal Gourmet)

The distinctive scallop shell. Photo: bulletproofsoul, Flickr ccl

Homemade mascarpone.

Words for the wise, that quote is. Sometimes you just need something rich and fatty for dinner. I know tonight is that night for me.

This recipe breaks THE big no-no in most people’s diet books but the result is worth it. Luscious sauce with piquant pieces of pancetta, capers and sun dried tomatoes complement the shellfish perfectly. 

I chose to use scallops only but you can use a blend or another type altogether if you wish. There’s three options in the recipe below.

This is one of my ways to use some of the mascarpone I made a few days ago. I still have a lot to deal with…

Always choose the freshest shellfish possible.
Photo: Pixel_monkie, Flickr ccl

Always purchase the freshest shellfish possible. At certain points in the year you can only get (affordable) frozen of some kinds of shellfish. You can tell the difference, but frozen can be used, of course. The worst one frozen is lobster. The texture is different – almost rubbery.

This recipe is a little open ended in that you can use a medley of seafood or restrict yourself to just one. I would suggest that clams and mussels be off the list all together for this. The richness of the mascarpone would overwhelm them.

I’m not really going to wax eloquently any more about this. It’s time to cook. And eat…

One last point, if you’ve never eaten a raw scallop – and your scallops are very fresh – pop a piece into your mouth. You’ll be very surprised. Those of us who eat sushi know of what I speak.

(Sorry – no photo. My shots didn't turn out as I hoped/ Will post a photo next time I make this...)

Shellfish Mascarpone on Linguine

Prep: 10 min  |  Cook: 12 min (includes frying shellfish)  |  Serves 4

1 tbsp olive oil

1 lb shellfish (can be all scallops, all shrimp, all lobster or a mixture)

1 shallot, minced

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1/2 cup pancetta, chopped

2-3 tbsp capers

2-3 tbsp sun dried tomatoes, chopped

1 cup mascarpone cheese

1/4 cup milk

1 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp cracked black pepper

Cook the pasta according to the package instructions while you make the sauce.

Heat the olive oil in a skillet.

If at this point you are using shrimp and/or scallops, fry quickly on each side until nearly done. Do not crowd the shellfish in the pan. Do in batches. If using all scallops, sear a brown crust on both the bottom and top of each piece. Scallops fry in about 2-3 minutes per side. Shrimp are faster.

Do not dip scallops in flour. Just sprinkle them with a little salt and pepper. All that does is make a lumpy mess and steams the seafood as opposed to searing. Just let each cook on one side until it naturally releases, then turn and do the other side. Perfection every time.

How to cook scallops, the right way

Butter or olive oil. Salt and pepper only. Sear on each side. Easy.
They need to be cooked a bit more than in the picture for this recipe.
They're still quite raw. Photo: Sifu Renka, Flickr ccl

If using only precooked lobster this step can be skipped.

Remove the seafood to a plate.

Add the shallot, garlic and pancetta. Fry until slightly crisp, about 3 minutes. If necessary add a little more olive oil.

Add the capers and sun dried tomatoes. Fry for a further minute.

Stir in the mascarpone, milk, oregano, salt and pepper. Heat until just simmering and then add the seafood and heat through.

Serve over the pasta with parmesan grated on top.

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