The first Thanksgiving feast celebrating the harvest of 1621 included wild turkey, waterfowl, venison, pumpkin, squash, berries and seafood such as fish, clams and lobster.
Back in the 1600s when the Pilgrims were settling the East Coast and Thanksgiving was being celebrated, lobster was abundant, especially in Maine and Massachusetts. It was so common that it was served to prisoners and servants and was considered food for the impoverished. Lobster was also used as fertilizer.
It wasn’t until the mid-19th century that New Yorkers and Bostonians developed a liking for lobster, and as transportation systems grew, so did the ability to transport lobster to other areas. Today, of course, lobster is considered a delicacy, food for special occasions — no doubt because of its special price!
As a luxury food item, lobster itself deserves a special occasion, and Thanksgiving is as great a holiday as any.
Forgoing turkey for Thanksgiving, I serve lobster. Fortunately I live near Kona Cold Lobster, where I can procure live Maine lobsters, the sweetest and most succulent of all. But live lobsters from your favorite seafood store or even frozen lobster tails can be prepared in one of the most sumptuous dishes ever: butter-poached lobster.
This is not a difficult dish to prepare, nor will it take all day. And for those of you who don’t like all the leftovers from a traditional Thanksgiving dinner, trust me, there will be none.
Have a source for a live lobster? Plan on a 1- to 1 1⁄2-pound lobster per person. To get it ready for poaching, you’ll have to kill it: Bring a large pot of water to boil, dunk the lobster, head first, in the boiling water for 2 minutes and remove it to a sheet pan. Do one lobster at a time. When the lobster has cooled, break off the claws and the tail. Return the claws to the boiling water for 3 to 4 minutes and then remove to cool.
Remove the meat from the claws. Remove the tail from its shell. Place all the lobster meat on a plate until ready to cook. Cover and refrigerate. You could do this a day ahead.
Frozen lobster tails are an alternative. Thaw them slowly in the refrigerator, starting the day before you’re going to serve them. Remove the tail meat from the shell.
Beurre monte is the key to perfect butter-poached lobster (see sidebar). Don’t be intimidated by the fancy French name; it is easy to make. Once it’s made, the lobster is gently cooked in the butter, flavoring the lobster and keeping it moist and succulent.
My favorite way to serve butter-poached lobster is in a bowl over pasta, handmade or, my favorite, squid ink linguine for the color contrast it provides — black pasta, red and white lobster, yellow butter sauce and a sprinkling of chopped parsley. The pasta needs nothing more than a spoonful or two of the beurre monte, now lobster-flavored. A simple salad will balance out the meal, and perhaps a chardonnay. It’s a memorable Thanksgiving feast in a bowl!
HOW TO TURN BUTTER INTO BEURRE MONTE
When butter melts, it usually separates into fat, milk solids and water. Clarified butter is melted butter with the milk solids removed.
Beurre monte is a melted butter sauce that doesn’t separate. Don’t be put off by this; it’s not difficult to make, and there are many applications for this sauce.
To make beurre monte, bring unsalted butter to room temperature. Cut the butter into 6 or 8 pieces per stick. Bring a tablespoon of water to a boil in a saucepan. Over medium to medium-low heat, add a piece of butter and whisk it into the water. Continue to add pieces of butter, blending it with a whisk. When you’ve added all your butter and it’s all melted, you have beurre monte.
A tablespoon of water is enough for up to a pound (4 sticks) of butter.
A little beurre monte over a piece of grilled fish or chicken will add great flavor; drizzle it over steamed vegetables. Leftover beurre monte can be refrigerated and used like regular butter. But if you’ve poached lobster in it, you may want to use it just for fish or shellfish.
BUTTER-POACHED LOBSTER
1/2 pound pasta
4 lobster tails, 1 to
1-1/2 pounds each,
shells removed
8 lobster claws (optional)
1/2 pound unsalted butter for beurre monte sauce
2 tablespoons minced parsley
Lemon wedges‘
Make the beurre monte (instructions at right) in a small saute pan that will also hold the lobster pieces in one layer. When beurre monte is ready, keep it warm over medium-low heat, at 160-190 degrees.
Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add 1 tablespoon salt and pasta. Cook pasta until al dente.
While pasta is cooking, place lobster tails in beurre monte and gently cook 5 to 6 minutes.
When pasta is ready, remove from heat and drain well. Divide into 4 bowls.
Place lobster tail and 2 claws atop pasta in each bowl. Spoon beurre monte over lobster. Garnish with parsley and lemon wedges. Serve at once. Serves 4.
Approximate nutritional information, per serving (based on 1 pound lobster tail — no claws): 1,100 calories, 53 g fat, 30 g saturated fat, 600 mg cholesterol, greater than 1,500 mg sodium, 50 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 1 g sugar, 100 g protein
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Nutritional analysis by Joannie Dobbs, Ph.D., C.N.S.
