Huntington Harbor’s Prime Restaurant 117 New York Ave, Huntington | 631.385.1515
Grilled Spiced Lobster with Baby Bok Choy, White Port Ginger Emulsion and Shiso (serves two) Executive Chef Gregg Lauletta of Prime restaurant commented, “What Long Islander doesn’t love lobster? What makes this recipe a favorite is the marriage of sweet spice, earthiness from the grill and crispness of vegetables. Grilling on a gas grill yields fine results and is amazingly convenient, but there is nothing like grilling over hardwood or wood charcoal.”
A Two-for-One Dish After cooking according to the recipe, crack the claws and knuckles to remove the meat. For an amazing lobster salad, mix with some mayonnaise, lemon juice, tarragon, a dash of Tabasco, salt and pepper and serve on a piece of toasted brioche. Chef Laulette’s Spicy Suggestion “You can certainly buy the five-spice powder, but it is remarkably better if you make it yourself. I freshly grind all of these ingredients and combine. After, I sift the spices through a fine sieve.” 1 tsp ground Szechuan pepper 1 tsp ground star anise 1¼ tsp ground fennel seeds ½ tsp ground cloves ½ tsp ground cinnamon ½ tsp salt ¼ tsp ground white pepper
What You’ll Need 3, 1¼ lb live hard shell lobsters 2 heads baby bok choy ½ cup imported white port wine ¼ cup fresh lime juice 1 tbsp minced shallots 3 tbsp heavy cream ½ cup steamed spinach (about 6 oz raw) fine sea salt and cayenne pepper
½ cup white vinegar 1 tbsp Asian five-spice powder (purchase at an Asian market) 1 tbsp minced garlic 1 tbsp minced fresh ginger 1 stick sweet butter cut into small pieces 1 bunch micro shiso
How to Prepare For the lobster, boil 2-3 gallons of water with the vinegar in a large stockpot. Cook the lobsters for 4 minutes to set the meat. Place the lobsters on a cutting board and remove the claws and knuckles from the body. Separate the tails and cut them in half using a heavy knife and set aside. Add the claws and knuckles back to the pot and cook them for an additional 5 minutes (they will not be used for this dish). To blanch the baby bok choy, chop off the ends and wash very well. Cook for a few minutes in salted boiling water (it should not become limp). Remove from heat and rinse or submerge in very cold water to stop the cooking process. Drain and set aside. Then start the white port ginger emulsion by bringing the white port, lime juice, garlic, shallots and ginger to a boil in a small saucepan. Reduce to about 2 tbsp. Add the cream and bring to a boil. Then remove from heat and season with sea salt and pinch of cayenne. Whisk in butter one piece at a time and strain. Keep this mixture warm. Brush the halved lobster tails with olive oil and season with sea salt and the five-spice powder. On a medium preheated grill, cook the lobster tails for 3 minutes on the flesh side, then 3 more minutes on the shell side. To plate, place the steamed spinach in the center of a warmed dish. Stand the bok choy upright next to the spinach. Then by interlocking the tails, stand them up on the spinach. Spoon the white port ginger emulsion around and garnish with shiso.
Deli Boss 390 Willis Ave, Roslyn Heights | 516.484.3354
Grilled Banana Leaf Salmon (serves three) The pros at Deli Boss of Roslyn Heights suggested, “If banana leaf is not available, this marinade works beautifully for plain grilled salmon. Jasmine rice and a colorful salad complete this delicious and heart healthy meal.” What You’ll Need 3, 8 oz filets of salmon 1 cup orange juice 1 cup White Zinfandel 1 tsp minced garlic 2 sprigs fresh dill 1 large carrot 1 medium zucchini 1 medium yellow squash 2 large banana leaves How to Prepare For the marinade, cut dill leaves with a scissor; then add in orange juice, Zinfandel and garlic. Mix well and let stand for 15 minutes. Rinse the salmon, pat dry and place in marinade for 30 minutes. Cut carrots, zucchini and squash into julienne strips (see photo) and mix together. Cut banana leaves into squares to fit salmon as you would with gift wrap. Slice some thin long strips left from leaves to create six ties. Transfer marinated salmon to the center of each leaf, placing 1/3 of the vegetables on top of the fish. Wrap with banana leaf and tie with the leaf strips. Grill on medium-high heat for 8-10 minutes on each side, depending on the thickness of the salmon you chose.
90 summer 2011 woodbury
Banana leaves can be found at specialty shop and florists; just be sure they are the edible variety.