Lobster recipe: Maine Lobster Tamales

Maine Lobster Tamales Recipe

INGREDIENTS

Lobster

1. 1 shallot, sliced
2. Juice of ½ lemon
3. ½ pound cold unsalted butter, large dice
4. 1 ounce canola oil
5. 4 Maine lobsters, tails and claws removed (reserve the bodies for the lobster oil)
   

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Guajillo Chili Sauce

1. ¼,pound dried guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded
2. 1 teaspoon cumin seed
3. 1 ounce canola oil
4. 8 cloves garlic, sliced
5. ½ cup medium diced onion
6. Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
7. 2 quarts hot chicken stock

Lobster Oil

1. 1 quart canola oil
2. 4 reserved lobster bodies, cleaned
3. ½ cup medium-diced, white onion
4. 2 carrots, medium dice
5. 2 ribs celery, medium dice
6. Salt and pepper, to taste
7. 1 tablespoon tomato paste

Masa (dough)

1. 4 cups corn masa
2. Salt, to taste
3. 1 tablespoon baking powder
4. 1½ cups Lobster Oil, room temperature, divided, (from above recipe)
5. 1 to 1½ cups chicken stock, divided, room temperature

Tamale

1. Reserved lobster knuckle meat (from above recipe)
2. Guajillo Sauce, as needed (from above recipe)
3. 12 corn husks, soaked in hot water to become pliable
4. Masa Dough (from above recipe)

To Assemble

1. Guajillo/lobster knuckle meat mixture, (from tamale recipe above), as needed
2. Lobster tail and claw meat
3. Fresh corn, as needed
4. Green onion, sliced, as needed

DIRECTIONS

Lobster

1. In a saucepot over medium high heat, place the shallot, lemon juice and 2 cups of water.
2. Simmer for a few minutes and begin whisking in the butter to create an emulsion. Hold at a warm temperature.
3. Add the canola oil to a second saucepot over medium high heat. When oil is hot, add the lobster tails and claws. Cook until the shells are bright red.
4. Pour out the oil from the pan and carefully add the butter sauce. Allow the lobster to cook just a minute more, then remove the pot from the heat, cover and allow the lobster to gently continue cooking off the fire, for about 10 minutes.
5. De-shell the lobster, reserve the knuckle meat for the tamale, and hold the tail and claws in the warm butter until plating, (devein the lobster tail from the underside).

Guajillo Chili Sauce

1. In a dry saucepot over medium heat add the chilies and allow to lightly “toast” for 5 minutes stirring a few times. Add the cumin and allow it to also toast.
2. Add the oil and garlic, cook a few minutes.
3. Add the onions and season with salt and pepper. Continue to cook until the onions are tender.
4. Add the hot stock and simmer for 20 minutes, allowing the mixture to reduce by one third.
5. Place mixture in a blender and puree, taking extreme care with the hot liquid.
6. Add additional salt or pepper if needed and pass through a fine strainer.

Lobster Oil

1. In a saucepot over medium high heat, place a splash of the oil. Add the lobster bodies and sear for a few minutes.
2. Add the onion, carrots, celery, salt and pepper, and cook until the vegetables are tender.
3. Add the tomato paste and cook a few minutes more.
4. Add the remaining oil and heat until it becomes hot to the touch.
5. Remove from heat and allow it to steep for at least an hour.
6. Strain and allow to cool, store in the refrigerator.

Masa (dough)

1. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, place the masa, salt, baking powder and half of the oil and mix on medium speed.
2. Alternate adding the remaining oil with half the stock.
3. Increase the speed to high and whip for one minute. Check the consistency which should be soft and loose but not too runny. Add more stock if necessary.

Tamale

1. Roughly chop the reserved knuckle meat and mix with some of the guajillo sauce to produce about a 1-cup mixture, (saving some for the final assembly).
2. While holding the cornhusk in your hand with the tapered end toward you with the smooth textured side facing in, place a spoonful of the masa in the center of the husk.
3. Top the masa with some of the lobster mixture, then top with more masa.
4. Bring the sides into the center and then the bottom up, creating a rectangle shape.
5. Place the tamales resting on each other to hold their shape, with the folded side down in a bamboo or suitable steamer.
6. Steam all the tamales at once, for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Tamales can be steamed, and re-heated in the steamer later.

To Assemble

1. Unfold the husk on a hot tamale, top with some of the remaining guajillo and lobster meat mixture; add the warm lobster tail and claw meat. Garnish with fresh corn and green onion.

By Brad Steelman, Executive Chef at The River Café