Lobster Dip

This lobster dip is probably the most easy and fast recipe on our list, yet it is a flavorful way to enjoy fresh lobster. Try if for the Super Bowl, holidays, special occasions, or just cause.

Also, have fun it by changing it up! Following the directions below it is meant to be served chilled, and is best after letting the flavors mingle overnight.

We also suggest you also try sprinkling your favorite cheese and some bread crumbs on top before putting it under the broiler to serve warmed and browned. Also consider adding in fresh spinach or chopped green onion to give it color with a kick.

Serves 8

1 lb fresh lobster meat, chopped up
1 tbsp minced onion
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
4 tbsps butter, softened
1 tbsp prepared horseradish

In a medium bowl, mix together the lobster meat, onion, lemon juice, cream cheese, butter and prepared horseradish. Continue mixing until smooth. Cover and chill in the refrigerator until serving, or chill before browning under the broiler and serving warm.

King Crab Quiche

Enjoy King crab legs and fresh herbs folded into the most flaky pastry crust you’ll ever make. This recipe is perfect for any meal, will be a hit for brunches or special occasions, and can be frozen for up to a week.

We’ve included a preparation short cut, although can’t encourage you enough to make your own pastry and use the freshest ingredients you can find.

Pastry Ingredients:

1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
¾ stick (6 tbsps) cold unsalted butter cut into ½ inch cubes
2 tbsps cold vegetable shortening
¼ tspn salt
3 to 4 tbsps ice water
(Can substitute with store-bough frozen, premade deep-dish pastry crust)

Filling Ingredients:

1 lb of King crab legs, thawed if frozen
3 large eggs
1 ½ cups heavy cream (can substitute with half and half)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
½ cup red pepper, chopped
½ cup spinach, chopped
2 tbsps fresh chives, finely chopped
2 tbsps fresh parsley, finely chopped
2 tbsps fresh cilantro, finely chopped
½ tspn seafood seasoning, such as Old Bay Seasoning
½ tspn salt
¼ tspn black pepper
1/8 tspn freshly grated nutmeg
½ cup coarsely grated Monterey Jack cheese
½ cup coarsely grated Swiss cheese

Pastry:

Blend together flour, butter, shortening and salt in a bowl with your fingertips or a pastry blender (or pulse in a food processor) just until most of mixture resembles coarse meal with some roughly pea-size butter lumps. Drizzle evenly with 3 tablespoons ice water and gently stir with a fork (or pulse in processor) until incorporated.

Squeeze a small handful: If it doesn't hold together, add more ice water, ½ tablespoon at a time, stirring (or pulsing) until just incorporated, then test again. (Do not overwork mixture, or pastry will be tough.)

Turn out mixture onto a work surface and divide into 4 portions. With heel of your hand, smear each portion once or twice in a forward motion to help distribute fat. Gather dough together with scraper and press into a ball, then flatten into a 4-inch disk. Chill dough, wrapped in plastic wrap, until firm, at least 1 hour.

Roll out dough into a 12 inch round on a lightly floured surface with a floured rolling pin and fit into 9 inch glass or ceramic deep-dish pie plate. Trim excess dough, leaving a 1/2-inch overhang, then fold overhang under pastry and press against rim of pie plate to reinforce edge. Decoratively crimp edge and lightly prick bottom and side of shell with a fork. Chill until firm, about 30 minutes.

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375°F.

Line shell with foil and fill with pie weights (or raw rice). Bake until pastry is pale golden along rim and set underneath foil, about 20 minutes. Carefully remove foil and weights and bake shell until bottom and side are pale golden, about 10 minutes more. Cool completely in pie plate on a rack, about 20 minutes.

Filling:

Hack through the crab leg shells with a large heavy knife and cut meat into ½ inch pieces. Discard shells.

Heat olive oil in small heavy bottom skillet and sauté onion and garlic till translucent, adding in red pepper and spinach for the last minute, stirring regularly.

In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, cream, herbs, seafood seasoning, salt, pepper, and nutmeg.

On the bottom of the crust, first place the crab meat and then over that evenly distribute the onion and vegetable mixture. The final step is mix together the egg and herb mixture with the cheeses, the pour into the crust over the crab.

Bake until filling puffs and is no longer wobbly in center when quiche is gently shaken, 50 to 60 minutes. Cool in pie plate on rack 15 minutes.

If freezing, simply reheat at 350°F for up to 25 minutes.

Warm Shrimp Endive Salad

Endive is a leafy vegetable that is not used as often as the more common ones like romaine or spinach, yet packs as many nutrients being high in fiber, folate and vitamins A and K.

While it is known for having a somewhat bitter flavor, this feature is mild for it is signature is being satisfyingly crunchy.

Endive is strong enough to be utilized like a scoop upon which you can place a tasty combination of ingredients--think of it as a naturally healthy finger food.

This recipe, however, calls for the endive to be chopped up and added to the meat to make a salad served as an appetizer or snack. The punch of the mustards with sesame and lemon juice take the dish to a new level of savory, while the leaf of the endive brings in a mild bite.

We also recommend substituting the shrimp with freshly cooked lobster tail cut into pieces.


Serves 4

1 medium vine-ripened tomato
2 tspns sesame seeds
¾ lbs large shrimp (about 16)
4 medium Belgian endives
½ cup house vinaigrette
2 tspns Dijon mustard
2 tspns coarse-grained mustard
2 tspns soy sauce
1 tspn fresh lemon juice
Fine sea salt
Freshly ground white pepper to taste
1 tbsp corn oil
2 tbsps thinly sliced fresh cilantro leaves

Peel and seed tomato and cut into ¼ inch dice. In a dry small heavy skillet toast sesame seeds over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 3 minutes. Shell and devein shrimp.

Trim top 1 ¼ inches from each endive and separate leaves, discarding small inner core. With a sharp knife cut away soft yellow edges of each leaf (save trimmings for another use), leaving only firm white centers, and cut centers lengthwise into 1/4-inch-wide strips.

In a small bowl whisk together vinaigrette and mustards. In a bowl combine endives, tomato, sesame seeds, soy sauce, lemon juice, and 3 tablespoons mustard vinaigrette, tossing to coat, and season with sea salt and white pepper.

Season shrimp with sea salt and white pepper. In a large heavy nonstick skillet heat oil over moderately high heat until just smoking. Add shrimp in one layer and sauté until undersides are golden brown, about 1 minute. Turn shrimp over and sauté until just cooked through, about 30 seconds.

Divide shrimp among 4 plates, mounding them. Add 5 teaspoons sliced cilantro to endive mixture, tossing to mix, and mound mixture over shrimp. Garnish salads with remaining teaspoon cilantro.

- Gourmet, July 1998

Lobster Mashed Potatoes

If you have some leftover lobster or are looking for quintessential comfort food, this recipe for lobster mashed potatoes will make your list of favorites!

Consider serving with filets and roasted asparagus for a modified surf ‘n turf, and don’t forget the red wine. We suggest an Oregon Pinot Noir or Australian Shiraz.

Serves 4

1 10-ounce frozen uncooked lobster tail, thawed
½ cup (or more) whole milk
2 tspns chopped fresh tarragon
1 garlic clove, minced

3 ½ lbs russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 2-inch pieces
4 tbsps (½ stick) unsalted butter
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Cook the lobster tail in a large saucepan of boiling salted water until just opaque in center, about 7 minutes. Using tongs, transfer lobster to work surface and cool slightly (reserve water in pan). Remove lobster meat from shell. Cut meat into 1 ½-inch pieces. Bring ½ cup milk and garlic to simmer in medium saucepan. Add lobster meat and tarragon; cover and set aside.

Return reserved water in pan to boil. Add potatoes and boil until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Drain potatoes; return to pan and mash. Add butter and lobster mixture to mashed potatoes and stir until butter melts. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Can be made 3 hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Before serving, rewarm over low heat, stirring often and thinning with more milk, if desired. Or transfer to microwave-safe bowl, cover with plastic, and rewarm in microwave until heated through, about 2 minutes.

An alternative is to use lump lobster meat instead of the lobster tail.