The snow this past week put a halt on my original Valentine post, so I decided Doc @ What Cooking With Doc could have this dish for his site as per his request.
No, I am not in love with Doc! However he is a cutie, can cook, loves to travel, and is a real doctor!
I am IN love however...with my husband, and ALSO with a new product that I found at Trader Joe's...
Dark chocolate covered Edamame…
Yes, they are intriguing aren't they? They also have chocolate covered Pom Seeds, and I cannot wait to play with those in a recipe...
Little chocolate crunchy nibbles, oh I knew there was trouble after the first bite!
I also knew I had to use them in a recipe that you might not expect...a butter poached lobster salad, with endive, leafy lettuce, radicchio, red onion, blue cheese, and dressed with a port wine dressing.
In order to read more and see the finished salad, you have to go over to Doc's site...I am only posting the 'how to' photos here...
For your mise en place you will need-
The key to this salad is making the Port Wine Dressing first- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, 1 tablespoon honey, 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar, 1 ½ tablespoon EVO, ¼ cup (Six Grapes) Port Wine: Mix well.
Clean and prepare to heads of endive, cut in half; 1 small head of radicchio, torn into pieces; 1 small head of leafy green lettuce torn into small pieces; ¼ thinly sliced red onion; handful of blue cheese crumbled; handful pecan pieces, or chocolate covered nuts (I am sure most would work)- dress salad before you add lobster and plate all together. Dressing will go to the bottom of bowl, so sprinkle more just before serving.
Butter Poached Lobster (I used three 1 ½ lb tails):
This is a typical recipe you will find for butter poaching, the only difference is I cut my tails into about ¼ inch pieces, horizontal cuts, and then cooked them.
When you are about an hour from serving the lobster tails, take them out of the refrigerator and bring them to room temperature.
When ready to poach the lobster tails, in a pan large enough to hold the lobster tails and using a thermometer, bring the prepared Beurre Monte up to at least 160° degrees F., but not over 190° degrees F.
Depending on how large and how many lobster tails you are preparing, will determine how long to poach them; it usually takes from 5 to 7 minutes (do not overcook. They should not be rubbery but of a soft consistency (almost as if not completely cooked). The lobster should be white and not very opaque in color. When done, remove them from the Beaurre Monte and serve.
Definition of Beurre Monte: Butter is an emulsification of 80% milk fat, 18% water, and 2% milk solids. Heating butter above 160 degrees will cause it to "break" or separate into its different composition parts. A Beuree Monte is a technique of keeping melted butter in an emulsified state between 180 degrees and 190 degrees, which is sufficient to poach meats or vegetables.
Determine how much butter you will need for the Beurre Monte by placing the lobster tails in a large enough pan, side by side; add just enough water to cover. Immediately remove the lobster tails, drain them, set aside; and measure the water in the pan. You will need this amount of butter to cover and poach the tails.
In a saucepan, bring the 1 tablespoon of water to a boil over high heat; reduce the heat to low and begin adding the chunks of butter (a little at a time) whisking to emulsify. Once the emulsion is started, more butter may be whisked in faster. Hold the temperature of the Beurre Monte between 160 and 190 degrees F. for poaching.
DO NOT BOIL OR THE MIXTURE WILL BREAK! The mixture should have the consistency of a very thick butter sauce. NOTE: Beurre Monte can be set aside on the stove after being prepared. You should use the beurre monte within an hour after you make it.
Wine: Newton Chardonnay, St Helen, Napa Valley, '06, $48- Complimented the buttery lobster, and all the other ingredients, and when you are done eating, you can sip on some Six Grapes Port left over from the dressing with your dessert! (I noticed online the price varied $32 and up, $69 Dean & Deluca, so I do feel it was mid-range).
I made a Rum Raisin Goat Cheese Pie for our dessert- I will post that with Wine-Down Wednesday...
