Monthly Archives: July 2010
Connecticut Style Lobster Roll
| July 11, 2010 | Posted by Lauren Keating under Fish and Seafood, Sandwiches, Summer, Weekend Meals |
Until last week, I never saw the appeal of lobster rolls. I know that they’re incredibly popular and even pop up at some fast food restaurants during the summer months, but the thought of loading up perfectly good lobster with globs of mayo and celery just seemed wrong to me. But then last weekend at the Food Truck Drive-In, something caught my eye. Along with “regular” lobster rolls, one vendor was selling what they called a Connecticut-Style Lobster Roll that was simply lobster and melted butter. I had never heard of such a thing before! I was already full from the other trucks so I didn’t get to sample their version, but the idea has been with me all week.
I wasn’t sure if the dish was a real thing or something they made up, so I did what any self respecting food blogger would do: I googled it. Apparently it is real, and boy have I been missing out! From what I gather, the mayo-laden lobster roll that I’m familiar with is actually a Maine-style roll or a lobster salad roll. It makes me wish that I had inspected the many booths hawking lobster rolls at the Taste of Hartford a little closer.
There seems to be a bit of a feud about which type of roll is better, and many people seem to complain that the butter of the Connecticut style roll turns the bun into a soggy mess before you can finish eating the sandwich. I figured that problem should be easy enough to solve by toasting the bun and using less butter on the lobster itself — which also has the added benefit of producing a lighter sandwich with less grease. I definitely didn’t have any issues with sogginess — instead I had a delicious sandwich bursting with the sweet flavor of lobster. There was just enough butter to highlight to lobster’s richness, and the toasty edges on the bun added a little texture to a sandwich that would have otherwise been too soft and squishy for my liking.
Served with corn on the cob (sprinkled with Old Bay seasoning) and baked salt and vinegar chips (I love the Kettle brand)—, this was the perfect summer meal.
I didn’t feel like dealing with actual lobsters, so I bought a container of frozen meat. Having done that, I wouldn’t have it any other way. $12 got me more than enough beautiful chunks of lobster — mostly whole claws — for two generous sandwiches. It also meant that the whole dinner could be made in under 10 minutes.
- 7 ounces frozen lobster meat (tails or claws), defrosted
- 1 Tbs + 1 tsp butter, divided
- 2 hot dog buns
Drain the lobster and pat dry.
Spread the insides of the hot dog buns with 1 tsp butter. Heat a large frying pan over high heat. Add the buns to the pan, buttered side down, and cook for 2-3 minutes until the butter has browned and the inside of the roll has gotten slightly crispy. Remove the buns for the pan and set aside.
Reduce the heat to medium-low and melt remaining butter in the same pan. Add the lobster and cook gently until just heated through — it shouldn’t be much warmer than room temperature. Toss well with any butter that remains in the pan. Divide the lobster between the rolls.
Serves 2.
How to Roast a Chicken on the Grill
| July 7, 2010 | Posted by Lauren Keating under Chicken and Poultry, Summer |
It’s hot. I mean, I love summer and all — sunny and 80 is perfect if you ask me — but days and days of weather that’s approaching the triple digits? It’s disgusting. And I’ve had enough. The thought of standing in my non-air-conditioned kitchen making a dinner that’s it’s basically too hot to eat anyway makes me want to cry. There’s absolutely no way I’ll be turning the oven on any time soon. And yet for some strange reason I’ve been craving roast chicken. Apparently the heat has made me lose my sanity.
Luckily, I have discovered a technique for making perfectly roast chicken on the grill. Crispy, crackly skin. Some of the juiciest breast meat that I’ve ever eaten. No need to turn on the oven. Does it get any better than that? Give it a try and you’ll immediately see why this has been my go-to recipe this summer.
How to Roast a Chicken on the Grill
While you can certainly use traditional summertime flavors like barbecue on this chicken, I like to keep it simple with a little bit of butter, lemon zest and Herbs de Provence. That way, I can use the leftovers in a variety of ways throughout the week — salads and sandwiches are great in this stifling heat, but it’s also great in a simple soup. You don’t need any fancy equipment to roast this chicken (no need for a rotisserie or anything like that) but a pair of kitchen shears and an instant-read thermometer are helpful.
- 1 3-to-4 pound roasting chicken, gizzards removed
- zest of 1 lemon
- salt and pepper
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1 Tbs melted butter
- 1 Tbs Herbs de Provence (optional)
Light the grill to a medium-high flame. Let heat for 10 minutes. Put the olive oil on a paper towel and rub down the grates of the grill (you can also use a piece of onion instead of the towel).
Meanwhile, place the chicken on a cutting board, breast side down. Using kitchen shears or a sharp knife, cut the chicken in half along the right side of the backbone. Make a second cut along the left side of the backbone, allowing you to remove and discard it.
Flip the chicken over so that the breast is facing up and gently press down on each side — the chicken should open up like a book and lay relatively flat. Rinse the chicken off, then pat dry. Rub the lemon zest into the skin and season with salt and pepper.
Put the chicken on the grill, skin-side down (See photo #2). Cook for 10 minutes — the skin will turn golden brown and start to crisp up. Turn off one of your burners and turn the other down to medium. Flip the chicken over (Photo #3) and place it over the coolest part of the grill. Brush with a little bit of the butter and sprinkle with the Herbs de Provence. Put the grill lid down.
Let the chicken roast — checking it every 10 minutes or so to ensure it doesn’t burn — for 30-40 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer placed in the thickest part of the breast registers 165F. If needed, flip back over onto the breast side and cook for another 5 minutes over a high flame to get the skin nice and crispy.
Remove from heat and let rest for 5 minutes before carving.
2010 NASFT Fancy Foods Show
| July 5, 2010 | Posted by Lauren Keating under Reviews |
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