Seafood Boil

  A seafood boil is easier than you would think and makes for a special dinner.  Cover your table with butcher paper or newspapers and put several large bowls in the center.  Everyone serves themselves from a large platter of food.  Provide hot sauce, cocktail sauce and/or melted butter as condiments. Warm bread is the only side dish needed! Eat with your fingers and enjoy! Bibs are a fun addition!

INGREDIENTS for 8 - 10 people

8 quarts water

1/3 cup olive oil

4 bay leaves

3 large onions, quartered

2 bulbs of garlic,  cut in half horizonally

1 Tablespoons peppercorns

1/2 cup Old Bay Seasoning

1 1/2 tsp salt

2 lemons, quartered

3 pounds small round potatoes

6 ears of corn, halved

5 artichokes (we choose the cook the artichokes separately, but they could be added to the seafood boil pot)

2 pounds sausage

3 1/2 pounds jumbo shrimp

2 pound  frozen mussels

8 - 10 lobster tails

INSTRUCTIONS

Put water in large container. We use our turkey fryer. Add oil, bay leaves, onions, lemons, garlic, peppercorns, seasoning and salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer.

Add potatoes (and artichokes). Set timer for 12 minutes.

Add corn. Set timer for 5 minutes

Add lobster, shrimp and sausage. Set timer for 10 minutes.

Add mussels. Set timer for 2 minutes.

Turn off heat. Allow to sit for 10 minutes.

Drain and pour all the food onto a very large tray.

Let everyone serve themselves!

Lobster and Shrimp Spaghetti

 A decadent dish that will impress your guests - and simple to make.

Ingredients 

1/2 pound spaghetti

2 4-ounce lobster tails

6 ounces shrimp

1 Tablespoon melted butter

1 Tablespoon olive oil

8 ounces grape tomatoes

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 cup basil leaves, rough chop

Lemon slices

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Prepare lobster by slicing down the shell and exposing the meat. Place lobster tails in baking dish. Arrange shrimp around the lobster. Drizzle melted butter on top of lobster and shrimp. Place 1 Tablespoon water in bottom of dish.  Bake for 8 - 12 minutes. Check often and remove as soon as the meat is cooked. Be careful not to overcook or the lobster and shrimp will become rubbery. Allow to cool slightly.  Remove lobster meat from shell. Remove shrimp shells. Cut meat into bite size pieces.

Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Add spaghetti and cook until al dente. Drain, reserving one cup of cooking water.

While the pasta is cooking, heat olive oil in large skillet. Add tomatoes and cook until they start to break down and release their juices, about 8-10 minutes. Stir in garlic and red pepper flakes.  Season with salt and pepper. 

Add lobster meat and shrimp to the skillet and stir to coat. Add 1/4 cup reserved pasta water. Cook over medium heat stirring constantly. Add additional pasta water, 1/4 cup at a time, until the sauce has your desired consistency. Add basil and turn off heat.

To serve, place pasta in individual serving bowls. Add sauce on top. Top with freshly grated parmesan cheese, freshly ground black pepper and a squeeze of lemon.

Lobster Mac and Cheese

This is a decadent dish, perfect to wrap up the holiday season.
This recipe comes from Chef John at  www.foodwishes.blogspot.com. The recipe is prepared for two people in individual gratin dishes. I made increased the recipe by 1/2 and served it in a larger casserole as a side dish and it easily served 6 adults.

Ingredients

2 teaspoons vegetable oil
2 lobster tails (5-6 oz each)
2 Tablespoons butter
1 1/2 Tablespoons flour
1 1/2 cups milk
Cayenne to taste
1/4 teaspoon sweet paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt or more to taste
Pinch of ground nutmeg
Few drops of Worchestshire sauce
4 ounces grated sharp white cheddar cheese
1 ounce grated Gruyere cheese
1 generous cup elbow macaroni
1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

For the crumb topping
3 Tablespoons panko bread crumbs
1 Tablespoon melted butter
2 Tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

With a sharp knife, slice the lobster tails in half (the long way).  Remove any veins or small pieces of shell that might have broken.
Put vegetable oil in skillet on medium high. When skillet is hot, add lobster tails halves. Cook about two minutes on each side. You do not want to cook them completely.  Remove from skillet and set aside to cool.
When cool enough to handle, place your thumb under the meat and remove from the shell. Chop the meat into large chunks and set aside.
Boil elbow macaroni according to manufacturer's instructions. Add the lobster shells to the boiling water along with the macaroni to add more lobster flavor to the dish.  When macaroni is cooked, removed lobster shells and set aside. Drain macaroni, reserving about a cup of cooking liquid.

In same skillet that was used to saute the lobster tails, add butter. Stir over medium heat until melted. Add flour and cook for about 30 seconds. Add cold milk and cook, stirring until bubbly and thickened. Reduce heat to low. Add cayenne, paprika, salt, nutmeg and Worchestshire sauce.
Stir to combine and allow to cook on low for about 3 - 5 minutes. Add cheeses and stir until melted, but take care not to overcook.
Add cooked macaroni and stir to combine.  The mixture should be wet and saucy. If not, it will become too dry when baked. If it is not, add a portion of the reserved macaroni cooking liquid to achieve a saucy mixture.
Put macaroni mixture into buttered casserole or gratin pan. Place lobster meat pieces on top. Use a fork to poke them down into the macaroni and cheese.

Prepare crumb topping by combining 3 Tablespoons melted butter with panko crumbs and Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle crumb mixture on top of the lobster mac and cheese. Poke into the mixture with a fork,

Bake at 400 degrees for 20  minutes.  Or, prepare and refrigerate before baking. Then, allow the mac and cheese to sit out for 30 minutes before baking at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Garnish with reserved lobster tails.