September 2010

29 Variations on Lobster Stew

1. Lydia Shire’s Lobster Stew

Serves 6

6 each 1 pound live Maine lobsters

As needed, salt

14 tablespoons butter, softened

1 cup medium-dry or cream sherry

6 cups milk

2 cups heavy cream

1 pinch cayenne

1-2 pinches paprika

To taste, salt and freshly ground black pepper

½ teaspoon fresh lemon juice

2 sprigs parsley, leaves only, cut into thin strips

Plunge the Maine lobsters into a large pot of boiling salted water over high heat and boil until just cooked through, about 4 minutes. Transfer Maine lobsters to a large bowl of ice water to prevent them from cooking any longer, and keep them submerged until completely cool. Drain Maine lobsters; separate tails and claws from bodies, setting bodies aside. Crack shells and remove the meat from the tails and claws, reserving tail shells. Cut the Maine lobster meat into large pieces and set aside in the refrigerator.

Melt 8 tablespoons of butter in a large, wide heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add Maine lobster bodies and tail shells and cook, turning often, until shells turn deep red, 5-8 minutes. Add sherry and boil for 2 minutes, then add milk and cream and return to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring often, until milk and cream reduce by one-quarter and thickens slightly, 20-25 minutes. Add cayenne, paprika, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove pot from heat, set this milk infusion aside to cool, cover, and refrigerate overnight.

The following day, strain milk infusion into another medium pot, discarding solids, and bring just to a simmer over medium heat. Meanwhile, melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add Maine lobster meat and heat until warmed through, 3-5 minutes, and then add to milk infusion in pot. Add lemon juice and adjust seasonings. Divide stew between 6 warm bowls, add some of the remaining 2 tablespoons butter to each bowl, and garnish with parsley.

2. Jasper White’s Home-Style Lobster Stew

Yield: approximately 7 cups

3 hard shell or 4 new shell live 1-pound chicken lobsters

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 teaspoon sweet Hungarian paprika

freshly ground black pepper

4 cups whole milk

1/2 cup heavy cream

Kosher or sea salt

1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives for garnish

1 tablespoon chopped fresh chervil (or parsley)

Equipment: You will need a large steam pot to cook the lobsters, a deep 10- or 12-inch skillet, a set of tongs, and a ladle.

Making Ahead: Since this dish literally takes minutes, the only thing you really need to prepare ahead is the lobsters. That being said, you can make lobster stew, from start to finish, and keep it refrigerated for up to 2 days.

1. Steam the lobsters for 8 minutes total. Using tongs, remove the lobsters to a pan or platter and let cool to room temperature. When cool enough to handle, remove the meat from the tails, knuckles and claws, reserving any liquid from the lobster. Cut the meat into large 3/4-inch chunks. Remove any roe from the female lobsters, coarsely chop it and add it to the lobster meat. You may also pick the meat from the carcasses and the walking legs; otherwise, wrap and freeze them for later use.

2. About an hour before serving the stew, drain the chunks of lobster so that they are somewhat dry, reserving the juice. Over medium heat, warm a deep 10- or 12-inch skillet (you want plenty of surface area). Melt the butter in the pan. When it is foamy add the lobster meat with the roe and sizzle it gently for about 1 minute. Turn the pieces with tongs and cook 1 minute more. The butter will have a red color. Sprinkle with paprika and grind a little fresh pepper over the lobster meat. Reduce the heat to low and cook 1 minute more.

3. Pour the milk and cream over the lobster. Let it heat slowly until the stew is hot, but not quite boiling, about 5 minutes. Do not boil. Remove from the heat and let the stew sit for a minimum of 30 minutes. The sitting time is crucial for it allows the flavors to expand and the stew to transform itself from good to great. If the stew isn’t to be eaten within an hour, refrigerate it after it is at room temperature. Cover it with plastic wrap after it is completely chilled.

4. To serve, return the stew to low heat. Season again with pepper and a little salt, if needed. When the stew is very hot, but not boiling, ladle it into warmed cups or bowls and sprinkle with chopped chives and chervil. Serve immediately.

Recipe by Jasper White; The Summer Shack Cookbook; summershackrestaurant.com W.W. Norton ©2007

3. Sam Hayward’s Lobster Stew

Serves 6

16 tablespoons (1⁄2 lb.) unsalted butter

12 oz. hen of the woods or chanterelle mushrooms, cleaned, trimmed, and sliced

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

6  1 1⁄2–2-lb. live Maine lobsters

24 small or 12 medium halved thin-skinned potatoes, such as fingerlings or white creamers, parboiled

1⁄2 cup calvados, bourbon, or hard cider

2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

1 medium shallot, peeled and minced

Leaves of 1⁄4 bunch parsley, chopped

12 chives, chopped

6–8 sprigs chervil, chopped

1. Make a wood fire in a fireplace. Bring a large pot of water to a boil on top of the stove over high heat. Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms, season to taste with salt and pepper, and cook until just tender, 3–5 minutes. Set aside.

2. Boil lobsters in pot of water for 2 minutes. Drain, then plunge lobsters into a large bowl of ice water to stop them from cooking further. Drain lobsters when cool. Working over a large colander set into a large bowl, separate tails and claws from lobster bodies. Remove meat from knuckles and put into a large, footed cast-iron pot with lid. Crack claws and add to pot. Cut tails into thirds crosswise and add to pot. Pour into pot 1 cup of the lobster juices that have accumulated in the bowl under the colander. Add potatoes, mushrooms, calvados, garlic, shallots, parsley, chives, chervil, remaining butter, and salt and pepper to taste to pot. Cover pot with lid.

3. When there is a full bed of hot embers in the hearth of the fireplace, set pot on top of the burning embers. Using a metal shovel, cover lid with more hot embers. Cook stew for 8–10 minutes. Sweep off embers, uncover pot, and serve stew.

This recipe first published in Saveur in Issue #81.

4. Lobster, butter, cream, paprika

5. Lobster, butter, cream, sherry

6. Lobster, butter, cream, sherry, paprika

7. Lobster, butter, cream, salt, pepper, dollop of butter on top (George Olson’s version)

8. Lobster, butter, cream, salt, pepper, paprika, onions

9. Lobster, butter, cream, salt, pepper, paprika, dry mustard

10. Lobster, butter, cream, salt, pepper, paprika, garlic

11. Lobster, butter, cream, onions, salt, pepper, tabasco

12. Lobster, lobster stock, tomato paste, spices (Chef Harding Lee Smith)

13. Lobster, butter, milk, salt, cayenne pepper (Boston Cooking School’s Cookbook of 1884)

14. Lobster, butter, claret, nutmeg, orange slices (Robert May’s Accomplisht Cook, 1685)

15. Autumn Maine Lobster Stew (lobster, parsley, thyme, sage, bay leaves, peppercorns, corn, garlic, cognac, heavy cream, shallots, butternut squash, acorn squash, red bliss potato, celery)

16. Classic Lobster Stew (lobster, onion, garlic, celery, carrot, fennel, plum tomatoes, white wine, chicken stock, bay leaves, dried thyme, saffron, cubed potato, brandy)

17. Fish & Lobster Stew (lobster, halibut, butter, onion, bacon, potato, salt/pepper, milk)

18. Hugh’s Low-Fat Lobster Stew (lobster, butter, 2% milk, cream)

19. Casco-Bay Lobster Stew (lobster, onion, butter, tabasco, bay leaf, light cream, salt/pepper)

20. Classic Maine Lobster Stew II  (lobster, bay leaves, garlic, heavy cream, leek, carrots, onion, tomato, parsley, tarragon, salt/pepper, butter, cognac)

21. Classic Maine Lobster Stew III (lobster, butter, onions, shallots, garlic, salt, white wine, chicken consomme, tarragon, chervil, brandy, heavy cream, cayenne, salt/pepper, potato, string beans,carrots, turnip, peas, egg)

22. Lobsterman’s Stew (lobster paste, butter, onion, garlic, Madeira, cream)

23. Maine Lobster Stew with Vine-Ripened Tomatoes (lobster, tomatoes, yellow onion, salt/pepper, garlic, nutmeg, sugar, Worcestershire sauce, butter, sherry, cream, basil, hot sauce)

24. The Ultimate Maine Lobster Stew (lobster, butter, Maine Lobster Cream, tabasco, sherry, chives)

25. Brazilian Lobster Stew (lobster, garlic, shallots, tomatoes, coconut milk, seafood stock, cilantro, scallions, manioc root, salt/pepper, Polenta or Spanish rice)

26. Lawrence Klang’s “Thai Style” Lobster Stew (lobster, stewed tomato, shallot, white port, ginger, green curry paste, tumeric, saffron, kaffir lime leaves, vegetable stock with carrot juice)

27. Chef Buerhause’s Mediterranean/Caribbean Stew (lobster, sweet chili, wild boar bacon, purple Peruvian potatoes, sweet potatoes)

28. Cal Hancock’s variation (proprietary) that won a gold medal in 2007 from the National Association of Speciality Foods

29. Chef Larry Matthews’s variation (proprietary) at the Back Bay Grill