Looking for new ways to use the summer's best seafood? Take a tip from Jawn Chasteen, the executive chef at New York City's The Sea Grill. He has the perfect recipe to get you out of your summer seafood slump.
Recipe: Butter-basted lobster with spoon bread, chorizo, mussels and Long Island clams (on this page)To make the lobsters:
Boil the lobsters for three minutes and immediately shock them in a large basin of ice and water. Let the lobsters cool for 10 minutes.
Remove the knuckles and claws from the lobsters. Split the carapaces and tails in half lengthwise. Now wash out the interior of the carapace with cold water. Keep the tail meat connected and remove any discolored tubes from the interior of the tail. Using good quality kitchen shears remove the claw meat and knuckle meat. Keep lobsters cold and dry.
Melt the butter in a pan until it gently begins to bubble.
Add the remaining ingredients, reduce heat and let the flavors infuse into the butter for five minutes.
Now add half the lobsters, increase heat by 30 percent and baste with butter. Regulate heat to keep the butter around 180 degrees Fahrenheit and cook the lobster gently through, which takes about six to eight minutes in the butter.
Remove lobsters from pan, keep warm and repeat these steps for the remaining lobsters.
To make the spoon bread:
Combine the butter, milk and cream in a medium size pot and bring to a boil. Whisk in corn meal and remove from heat.
Continue to stir for an additional minute, then let stand for five minutes to cool slightly.
Add the roasted corn kernels and cayenne pepper, and whisk in egg yolks. Add the grated cheese and sugar to the batter.
In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites and until firm peaks are established.
Meanwhile sprinkle chives, scallions and baking powder over the corn meal batter. Once your egg whites form peaks, begin to fold them into the batter.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Butter the inside of ten 6-ounce ramekins or soufflé molds.
Spoon the batter into the buttered ramekins, filling each one 70 percent. Cook for 25 to 30 minutes or until an internal temperature of 150 degrees Fahrenheit is reached. Serve hot.
To make the shellfish boil:
In a large pot, gently sweat and stir the chorizo and garlic over medium heat until the garlic is lightly toasted, being careful not to burn it.
Add the clams, mussels and remaining vegetables. Cover and increase heat slightly. Allow it to cook, covered, for about eight to 10 minutes.
When all clams and mussels are open, reduce heat and stir in butter and season with lemon juice and pepper. There should be plenty of natural salt in the seafood, so no need to add more.
You may need to adjust consistency of sauce. If it's too thin, continue to cook and reduce slightly; if it's too thick, add a little vermouth or clam juice. Add pepper to taste.
To plate:
Place one spoon bread on each serving plate. Spoon the mussel, clam and chorizo blend over the plate.
Now lay one lobster over this on each plate.
Finish with a drizzle of the seafood jus from the mussels and clams.
Serves five
© 2012 MSNBC Interactive
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