Okay, yes it's truthfully an extremely belated New Year's Eve meal, but it's equally romantic for an upcoming Valentine's Day dinner in. We decided to cook something elaborate, rather than pay what would have been a $75 prix fixe for a dinner that would regularly cost us half that.
The lobster was previously cooked and frozen, and my editor gave me a good tip to steam rather than boil the lobster for reheating so he (or she) didn't become waterlogged. Good idea. Cook her for only 5-8 minutes. As an accompaniment, I whipped and heated up some butter with rosemary and garlic, just to spruce up the regular butter dip.
As it was New Year's Eve, I also jazzed up one of my favourites, risotto, by using sparkling wine (okay technically it wasn't Champagne either) and added asparagus, and covered it in three jumbo pan seared scallops (seared until golden to dark brown with a splash of white wine and about a half tablespoon of butter and sprinkled with smoked sea salt. Recipe below picture.
Champagne risotto with asparagus:
2 tbsp. butter
1 bunch asparagus
1 shallot, chopped
2/3 cup arborio rice
1 cup sparkling wine
2 cups chicken broth
juice of 1/2 lemon
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Directions:
Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium heat. Add shallot and saute, 1 minute. Add rice and saute two minutes. Add sparkling wine and let simmer until liquid fully evaporates, stirring, 3-4 minutes. Add one cup of broth and simmer until rice is almost soft, about 15-20 minutes. Add second cup of broth and simmer another 10-15 minutes. Add in asparagus and cook until rice is soft, if it's not add a bit more broth. Stir in lemon juice Parmesan and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Plate and add seared scallops on top.
Serves: 2
A good way to steam these big guys if you dont have a steamer big enough is to take a metal bowl that fits into your big pot and turn it upside down.add water until it covers just over half of the bowl and then rest the lobsters on top.
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