Lobster In A Paper Bag
I’m still featuring Maine chefs and their wonderful creations. Here is another example of the talent that will be featured at the Kennepunkport Festival 2012.
Over twenty years ago, chefs Mark Gaier and Clark Frasier pioneered sustainable dining with the opening of Arrows in Ogunquit, Maine, where their farm-to-table philosophy still governs the restaurant today. The chefs champion old world practices that include growing and foraging their own crops, curing their own meats, and making their own cheese. In 2010, the prestigious James Beard Foundation named the duo as “Best Chefs in the Northeast.” Their inimitable style of seasonal cooking and farm fresh recipes have been featured in the nation’s leading magazines including Bon Appétit, Food & Wine, Time, Travel + Leisure and Vanity Fair and they have made frequent appearances on local and national television programs including the CBS Early Show, NBC’s TODAY show and the Cooking Channel’s Unique Eats.
The inspiration for the chefs’ culinary style traces back to California, where Mark & Clark met while working with acclaimed chef Jeremiah Tower at Stars Restaurant in San Francisco. Together, the culinary team penned “The Arrows Cookbook: Cooking and Gardening from Maine’s Most Beautiful Farmhouse Restaurant,” (2003) a collection of the restaurant’s most celebrated and accessible recipes with useful cooking and gardening tips. In spring 2011, the Maine-based duo released their second cookbook, “Maine Classics,” 150 delicious recipes from Down East.
Lobster in a “Paper Bag” with Green Curry
Courtesy of Chefs Mark Gaier and Clark Frasier, Maine Classics
Running Press, 2011
This dish comes from our travels in Southeast Asia. Using a really fresh green curry and hints of lime and coconut with Maine’s fresh shellfish was a no-brainer for us. Heating the ingredients in paper is a gentle way to cook, and you can make I ahead of time and then bake them at the last minute. For a dramatic effect at a dinner party, open the paper bags at the table, serving the sauce on the side. Your guests will gasp when the steam is release, bringing the aroma of lobster and spices to the room.
Yield: 6 servings
Green Curry Sauce
1 cup cilantro leaves, washed and picked
½ cup basil leaves, washed and picked
¼ cup parsley, washed and picked
½ Tbsp peeled and finely chopped fresh ginger
3 shallots, peeled nad finely chopped
1 (8-ounce) can unsweetened coconut milk
1 serrano pepper (about 2 tea), stem removed, seeded, and finely chopped
½ cup canola oil
Juice of 3 large limes (about 6 Tbsp)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Lobster
6 (18×13-inch) sheets parchment paper
1 large zucchini squash (about 6 ounces), julienned and seeds discarded
6 (1 ¼ pound) lobsters, boiled and picked (page 65)
1 large yellow (summer) squash (about 6 ounces), julienned and seeds discarded
6 Tbsp unsalted butter, dividied
1 ½ tea kosher salt, divided
Freshly ground black pepper
For the Green Curry Sauce:
Place all the ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. Set aside.
For the Lobster:
Prepare the paper “bags.” Fold one parchment sheet in half, shorter end to shorter end. Using as much of the paper as possible, start at the upper folded edge and cut out a heart shape (as if making a valentine in grade school). Discard the remainder of the paper. Continue for the remaining five bags. Lay the left side of the heart over the right side. Starting at the top of the heart, fold down the edge section by section, crimping down the edge as you go. Continue folding and crimping until you reach the bottom and the bag is fully sealed. At the bottom, twist the pointy end of the heart and tuck under. Place a baking sheet in the oven to warm.
Divide the squash into six portions. Place each portion (about 4 Tbsp) inside the heart on the right side. Add the meat of each lobster on top of the squash. Top each with 1 Tbsp butter, ¼ tea salt, and a pinch of pepper.
Place the bags on the cookie sheet in the oven. Bake for 8 minutes and remove from the oven. To serve, cut a hole in the center of the bag about 6 inches across, leaving part of the cut intact to create a flap. Roll back the flap and present the bag at the table. Serve the green curry sauce on the side, or drizzle some on the bag contents at the table or before serving.
Kennepunkport Festival 2012
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This event is produced and presented by Maine Magazine in cooperation with The Kennebunkport Festival Committee. There are many sponsors who support this endeavor as it benefits Share our Strength. The event will have art shows, cocktail parties, dinners and unforgettable experiences.
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Maralyn D. Hill, The Epicurean Explorer
President, International Food Wine & Travel Writers Association
