Monday, December 31, 2012

Merry Christmas Lobster.



Good Neighbor Zippy
brought us two live lobsters for Christmas.
About an inch of water in the pot,
and bring to a boil for about 12 minutes, covered.

Welcome, readers, to the mind of Rosie,
as she considers how to dispatch these lobsters.

Hmmmm.
Lemme think.

OK.
Got it.

Pull the meat out
and save the shells.

Pour a little oil into your stock pan
over medium heat
and add the shells.

Use a wood spatula to crack up the shells.

When the shells are ROFLTAO ...
... add in about 1 1/2 - 2 cups champagne.
I was feeling generous.
Champagne does that to me.


I added in some fresh bay leaves.


Fresh thyme.

And a quart of my shrimp stock.
I like the smoke here.

While the block of stock melted,
 I kept breaking up the shrimp shells.


From the garden,
I have parsley, scallions, and tarragon.
The candle was orange and evergreen.
Very nice!


I'm still breaking up the shells.

I let this cook on low,
not even at a simmer,
for about 30 minutes.
You want it to reduce to about half.

Beau, Giada, and Junior
play a game of "Sheet."
You can see a tail and one leg of Giada's.



Pour the stock through cheesecloth and a strainer.

Let drain for a few minutes,
shaking occasionally.


 
I added another cup of champagne and
cooked on low until my sauce had reduced by about half again.

The color intensifies along with the flavors.



I added the juice of one lime.


Add in pats of butter,
one at a time,
whisking over low heat,
and incorporating the butter.

Keep swirling in the butter ...

...  until you have a nice, rich emulsion.
Maybe 1/2 stick,
a tablespoon at a time,
whisking constantly.
You want the butter to be incorporated,
not separated.

Add a little green herbalicious goodness to the sauce.


I wanted some crunch to go along with the lobsters
so I cut some egg roll wrappers into triangles.
I always have egg roll wrappers in the freezer.
They come in very handy for lots of applications.
Slice and fry.
Use your imagination for the accoutrements.

Fry at medium high ...

... until golden brown.

Drain on paper towels
and give it some herbal loving.




I coarse-chopped my lobster and ...

... added it to the sauce.

Pour the lobster and sauce over the fried egg roll wrappers.
Add a shiny red Christmas ball
and a pretty green bow.

Sprinkle with the tarragon, green onion, and parsley.


Lobster on fried egg roll wrapper points
with a reduced lobster/champagne sauce.

With fresh herbs - green onions, parsley, and tarragon.
Don't forget the glass of champagne to go along with this.
Champagne and lobster  -  the ultimate pairing.



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Sunday, December 30, 2012

Ahh. Good Times.

 Hee!
I just came across this picture of Dixie and Junior.
From 2009.

The Hawthornes Make Spring Rolls.




We're having spring rolls tonight,
along with our requisite champagne.
After all, Maxine is here.








Mr. Hawthorne soaks a spring roll
in warm water to soften it up.

Our fillings.
We have:
Sushi rice sprinkled with rice vinegar
Boston lettuce
avocado slices soaking in lime juice
shrimp
sprouts
julienned carrots
cucumber strips
red onion
radishes
pickled ginger
Wasabi dipping sauce
Soy dipping sauce made with Tamari, Mirin, rice vinegar,
garlic, honey, scallions, toasted sesame seeds

Mr. Hawthorne begins.
The trick is to not put too much filling on the wrapper.



Start rolling.



Mix and match.










My turn at rolling now.
A little lettuce and limed avocado.

I like a little dipping sauce on my rice inside the roll.

Add in the shrimp slices.

Some julienned carrot and cucumber.
Sprouts and onions.




Some radish slices.

Roll up tightly.

I love the pretty green colors.