Butter Poached Maine Lobster with golden potato gnocchi
Serves 6 people
Ingredients:
- 6ea. 1 ¼ pound live main lobsters
- 1lb. sweet butter
- 6 Tablespoons shallots, minced
- 6 Tablespoons diced tomato (skins and seeds removed)
- 1 bottle white wine
- 1cup brandy
- 4 cups diced vegetables (equal parts onion, leek, carrot, celery)
- One pinch saffron threads
- 1 Tablespoons tomato paste
- 6 sprigs tarragon
- 6 ea. petit heads butter lettuce, outer leaves discarded and quartered
- 12 basil leaves, torn or snipped into pinky size pieces
- 1 recipe potato gnocchi (see below)
- ¼ cup soft herbs (equal parts parsley, tarragon, chervil, chive)
Method:
Poaching the lobster and making the lobster Fume
- .Separate the tails and the claws from the lobster bodies. Reserve the bodies for stock.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add the large lobster claws, cook for 5 minutes. After 1 minute, add the smaller lobster claws. After two minutes, add the tails.
- Place all of the lobster parts in a bath of ice water to chill immediately after time is up.
- Crack lobster claws with a mallet or shellfish crackers and extract the meat. Delicately crack open tails, clean thoroughly discarding the dark vein running down the tail, and reserve the meat.
- Scrape the gills and lungs from the lobster bodies, cut into quarters and sauté in olive oil over medium heat for 10 minutes.
- Add the diced vegetable and continue cooking until lightly caramelized.
- Stir in 1 tablespoon of tomato paste, add the brandy and reduce to a glaze.
- Add the white wine and let simmer for 45 minutes.
- Add the tarragon sprigs, a pinch of saffron and allow to simmer for an additional 10 minutes.
- Place the lobster bodies in a food processor and pulse for several minutes. Strain through a fine meshed sieve, and reserve.
Gnocchi
Ingredients:
- 4lb. Yukon gold potatoes (skin on)
- 4 large egg yolks
- 3 cups 00 semolina flour, sifted
- 1 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 2 Teaspoons salt
- Prick the potatoes several times with a fork and place in a 375-degree convection oven for one hour, or until the potatoes are tender.
- Flesh out the potatoes onto a tamis while still hot. Discard the potato peel and press the potato flesh through the tamis.
- Make a well in the center of the potatoes and add the 4ea. Lg. egg yolks. Incorporate the egg yolks into the potato and add the 1-tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil, and the 2 teaspoons of salt. Lightly sift 2/3 of the flour over the dough.
- Cut the dough several times with a spatula so that the ingredients become homogenous. Lightly kneed the dough adding more flour as needed so that the dough is moist but not tacky.
- Roll the dough out into ½" inch thick logs and cut across lengthwise with a spatula to a ¾" length.
- Boil and serve immediately or reserve in the freezer. Gnocchi should be cooked at a medium boil in a large pot of salted water. Freshly prepared gnocchi require 15-30 seconds of floating time once the dumpling rises to the surface. Frozen Gnocchi require 45-60 seconds.
Final Assembly and presentation:
- Make emulsified butter: Add one tablespoon of water to a large saucepan and place over low heat, whisk in a knob of butter, let it emulsify with the water, repeat the process until one pound of butter is homogeneous.
- Place the lobster meat into the warm butter. Continue heating on very low heat ensuring the butter hovers around 115 degrees and never exceed120 degrees. Let cook like this for approximately 30 minutes, or until the lobster meat is warmed through.
- Sauté shallots, garlic and diced tomato in extra virgin olive oil over medium heat, add 2 cups of lobster stock and allow to simmer for 2 minutes, add the butter lettuce wedges and baste with the hot sauce for 90 seconds or until the lettuce just begins to soften. Turn off the heat, add the torn basil leaves to the pan, season to taste with salt, an reserve for plating.
- Simmer the gnocchi for two minutes, or until cooked through, the general rule is to give the gnocchi 20 seconds of additional cooking time once they float. strain and reserve in a few tablespoons of the emulsified lobster butter.
- Divide the braised lettuces and lobster sauce evenly into 6 bowls. Add one lobster tail and two claws to each bowl. Spoon the gnocchi over and around the dish. Garnish with soft herbs.
Cauliflower & Preserved Lemon Risotto
Ingredients:
- 2lbs. carnaroli rice (1 box)
- 3 cups yellow onion, very small dice (approx. 2 med. Onions)
- 8 oz. butter
- 2.5 cups white wine
- 6 cups blond chicken stock(plus additional stock for the pick up)
- salt & white pepper to taste
- Sheet pan with parchment paper
- Lg. rondo
- Wooden spoon
- Stock pot
- On low heat in a lg. rondo melt butter and add 3 cups diced onions. Cook onions until they are soft to the tooth and translucent, about 20 minutes. season with salt. Add carnaroli rice, turn heat to medium and toast for 3 minutes stirring frequently. Cover with the 2 ½ cups white wine and continue stirring until bone dry.
- About 3 minutes. set timer for 10 minutes. add two cups of hot chicken Stock and start timer. Cook until dry, stirring frequently. Add two more cups chicken stock and conitnue cooking until dry.
- Add a final (3rd) addition of chicken stock and cook until bone dry. Season to taste with salt and spread evenly on a sheet pan to cool in refrigerator.
>> PRINT A SHOPPING LIST FOR THIS RECIPE
Cauliflower Mousse
Ingredients:
- 3 cups cauliflower florets, sliced paper thin
- 3T butter
- 1 cups yellow onion diced
- 1 cup cream
- salt & white pepper to taste
- Sweat 1 cup yellow onion in 4T butter, season with salt and white pepper, and simmer slowly in a covered pot until tender, about 20 minutes. Add the cauliflower florets and one cup of cream and continue cooking on low heat until tender, about 15 minutes.
- Season to taste with salt and white pepper and puree in a high speed blender until the consistency is creamy. Pass through a fine chinoise, or tamis.
Crispy Cauliflower & Pancetta Bread Crumbs
Ingredients:
- 2 cups cauliflower florettes, pared down to tiny flowers 1/3 inch in diameter
- 2 cups day old bread, hand torn into pea size pieces
- 2T butter
- ½ cup pancetta, thinly sliced to 1/8th inch and minced
- ½ cup parsley, finely minced
- zest of 4 lemons, finely grated
- Saute the pancetta over medium heat for 90 seconds, add the bread crumbs, and cauliflower and continue cooking stirring frequently for an additional 90 seconds.
- Turn the heat up and continue cooking until the crumbs and cauliflower are golden brown, finish with the minced parsley and zested lemons and serve over the risotto.
Preserved Lemon
Ingredients:
- 12 ea. organic lemons, quartered
- Sea salt
- Sugar
-
Place quartered lemons in a bowl and reserve. Mix 2 parts salt to one part sugar and generously coat lemons. Place in sterile vessel and cover liberally with the salt-sugar mixture.
Cover with plastic wrap and weigh with a ceramic plate. Let stand at room temperature for 10 days, refrigerate thereafter. Lemons will be fully preserved in 6 weeks.
For use, scrape or shave the pith from the lemon rind and rinse with cold water.
Serves 4-6
Ingredients:
- 3 cups carnaroli rice
- 2 yellow onions, small dice
- 2 cups white wine
- 1 lg. pinch saffron
- Nutmeg, whole and grater (microplane)
- Chicken stock, 2 quarts (homemade is best)
- 2 cups French red pumpkin puree
- 2 cups dice butternut squash
- 1 bunch sage, chiffonade
- Walnuts (slightly candied is best)
- Butter
- Mascarpone
- Parmesan cheese
- On medium heat sweat diced onions for 20 minutes. season with salt and pepper
- add carnaroli rice and toast for 3 minutes.
- add saffron and white wine. Reduce wine to glaze.
- while risotto is cooking place a large sauté pan over high heat, add 3 T butter and allow to foam. Once foamy add the diced squash. Cook until caramelized and tender. Add sage and walnuts and turn off the heat. Note* cook until the butter is nutty and brown.
- moisten rice with simmering chicken stock, as it reduces add more stock. Stir frequently. cook in this manner for about thirty minutes. Taste for doneness and season with salt and pepper. Continue cooking until done. Once you feel the rice is just right, take off the heat, beat in 2 cups warm pumpkin puree, 2T Butter, 2T mascarpone, and 2T parmesan. Taste and adjust final seasoning.
- Place risotto into the bowls. Top with sauted squash, nuts and sage. Grate fresh nutmeg to finish
Greyhound's Tooth
Ingredients:
- 3/4 oz Bénédictine
- 1 oz Vodka
- 1/3 oz Honey Water (Honey based simple syrup; 60% honey 40% water)
- 1/2 oz Lemon Juice
- 3/4 oz Grapefruit Juice
- 2 Dashes Fee's Grapefruit Bitters
- Combine all in mixing glass.
- Add ice and shake vigorously.
- Strain into chilled cocktail glass, and garnish with thick cut grapefruit twist.
Ingredients:
- Spiced Pomegranate Juice
- Pomelo-Aid
- Pomegranate Seeds
- Pinch of herbs: Myrrh, Hyssop, Coriander, Cinnamon, Cardamom, Nutmeg, Angelica Root, Vanilla
- Pour Spiced Pomegranate into Collins glass.
- Intersperse pomegranate seeds and ice to fill glass.
- Top with Pomelo-Aid. Add a few more seeds and garnish with a thick cut pomelo twist.
- Combine 2 cups pomegranate juice with 1/2 cup sugar in a jar. Shake vigorously. Next toast cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, coriander, myrrh, hyssop, gentian, and angelica root in a 450 degree oven for 4-5 minutes.
- Add herbs/spices to pomegranate mixture. Shake again. Allow to sit for 2-3 hours. Strain through a fine mesh sieve.
Spruce
3640 Sacramento St
San Francisco, CA 94118
Phone: (415) 931-5100
Website: www.sprucesf.com
About Mark Sullivan:
Mark's harmonious connection to his craft is evident in his role as Executive Chef/Partner of Spruce in San Francisco and Partner of The Village Pub in Woodside, California. With no formal culinary education, Sullivan has always relied on his intuition and innate pleasure for cooking when creating his soulful food with clean, bright flavors.
Sullivan's intellectual approach to being a chef involves a deep respect for his ingredients and challenging methods in an ongoing exploration of old world and modern cooking. His elegant yet approachable food has made his restaurants both a local's favorite and a destination restaurant for out-of-towners. I
It's also what landed him on the cover of Food & Wine Magazine as one of "America's Best New Chefs" of 2002 and most recently led to his recognition as chef at Spruce in Esquire magazine's 2008 "Best New Restaurants" issue.
About Brian Clements:
As Bar Manager, Brandon Clements oversees the beverage programs at Spruce in San Francisco and Spruce Park City. It was in 1999 that Clements left his hometown of Los Angeles to pursue a degree in Theatre Arts at San Francisco State University. Upon his arrival to San Francisco, Clements was immediately hired as a singing waiter at Max's Opera Cafe.
At the age of 21, he was given the opportunity to begin working behind the bar. Working as a bartender, Clements was exposed to an abundance of classic cocktails that the Opera and Symphony crowds favored, and that he too quickly found a passion for.
After a few years behind the bar at Max's, Clements decided to seek another position where he could further his profession. His next move was to Betelnut, and then Zebulon. In addition, Clements has managed the bar programs at Mecca and Mercury lounge, all of which were located in his new beloved hometown, San Francisco.
It was at Mecca, under the tutelage of then bar manager Neyah White, currently at NOPA, that his passion for the craft was cultivated. In 2007, Clements signed on as an opening member of Spruce, located in the Presidio Heights neighborhood.
It didn't take long for him to prove his skill, within months, Clements was promoted to the position of bar manager and asked to oversee their entire bar program. Since 2007, Brandon has crafted a number of original cocktails that are now featured on the cocktail lists at both, Spruce in San Francisco and Spruce Park City, as well as at their sister restaurant, The Village Pub in Woodside, Ca.
About Dakota Mountain Lodge & Golden Door Spa and Spruce Park City:
Located at the base of Utah's largest ski and snowboard resort - The Canyons, Dakota Mountain Lodge & Golden Door Spa, a member of the Waldorf Astoria Collection, offers unparalleled luxury while providing premier access to Utah's famous "Greatest Snow on Earth."
Spacious accommodations featuring full kitchens and access to the renowned Golden Door Spa and Spruce Restaurant along with the convenience of true ski-in/ski-out access, is unmatched in the region.
For more information, www.dakotamountainlodge.com
About Bénédictine:
Bénédictine Liqueur has made its name on nearly 500 years of mystery and mystique. Created in 1510 by Don Benardo Vincelli, a Bénédictine monk, the brand's story is woven through the drama of the past five centuries, surviving uprisings and world wars.
After years of passing the recipe down through the Bénédictine order, it was lost in 1789 when the monks were forced to flee the country during the French Revolution.
Nearly a century later, in 1863, the recipe was discovered by wine merchant Alexandre Le Grand, who recreated the extraordinary liqueur and consecrated it to God as "D.O.M. Bénédictine" - the "D.O.M." is short for the Latin phrase "Deo Optimo Maximo" meaning "To God, Most God, Most Great."
This unique elixir is comprised of 27 plants and spices - an extremely intricate recipe that is only known by three people at any given time. The intense and meticulous distillation process begins with the weighing and separation of all 27 spices in four batches. Two of these batches have vanilla and lemon peel added for flavor.
These two batches are infused and distilled for four to six months. All four batches are aged for an additional three months before being combined into one batch complete batch, which is aged for another eight months. After the eight month aging process Saffron, Cognac, Otard, Honey and Caramel are added before another four month aging process begins.
Before the product is honored with the Bénédictine name, it is filtered and quality tested. From start to finish, the distillation process for one bottle of Bénédictine takes two years.
