Grilled Lobster And Potatoes With Basil Vinaigrette Recipes

GRILLED LOBSTER AND POTATOES WITH BASIL VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Plunge lobsters headfirst into a 12-quart pot of boiling salted water . Cook, covered, over high heat 4 minutes (for 1 1/4-lb lobster) to 5 minutes (for 1 1/2-lb lobster) from time they enter water. Transfer with tongs to a large colander to drain and cool. (Lobsters will not be fully cooked.) Return cooking water to a boil.
• Add potatoes to boiling water and simmer, uncovered, until just tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain in a colander.
• When lobsters are cool enough to handle, twist off claws (including knuckles) and crack with a meat mallet or rolling pin. Halve lobsters lengthwise using a large heavy knife. Reserve green tomalley and any orange roe from bodies for another use if desired.
• Prepare grill for direct-heat cooking over medium-hot charcoal (moderately high heat for gas).
• While grill heats, whisk together vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, red-pepper flakes, sugar, and salt in a bowl. Add oil in a slow stream, whisking until well blended, then stir in basil.
• Halve potatoes. Oil grill rack, then grill potatoes, cut sides down, covered only if using a gas grill, turning over once, until grill marks appear, about 4 minutes total. Transfer to a bowl and toss with 2 tablespoons vinaigrette. Keep potatoes warm, covered.
• Oil grill rack, then grill 4 lobster halves, cut sides down, and all of claws, covered only if using a gas grill, until grill marks appear on meat, about 4 minutes. Turn over bodies and claws and grill in same manner 4 minutes more. Transfer to a large bowl and toss with 1/4 cup vinaigrette, then keep warm, covered. Grill remaining lobster halves in same manner and add to same bowl, tossing to coat.
• Arrange arugula on a large platter and top with grilled lobster and potatoes. Drizzle with 1/2 cup vinaigrette and serve remaining vinaigrette on the side.

GRILLED LOBSTER SMOTHERED IN BASIL BUTTER

Steps:

• Combine the butter, basil, and salt and pepper to taste in a food processor and blend until smooth. Pack the mixture into a medium ramekin, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Split the lobsters in half lengthwise. Bring the knife down through the tail, making sure to cut just through the meat and to leave the shell connected. Lay the lobster open, leaving the two halves slightly attached. Pull off claws and legs from the lobsters and crack them slightly with the knife handle. Place the claws and legs on the grill over medium-low heat and cover with a pie pan. Cook them for 5 to 7 minutes per side. Brush the lobster bodies with the oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Place them fleshside down on the grill over medium heat. Grill 8 to 10 minutes
• Remove the lobsters and slather with the basil butter.

SAUTéED LOBSTER WITH POTATOES, TOMATOES AND BASIL

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Put the oil in a wide skillet and turn the heat to medium-high. Add the potatoes and sprinkling of salt and pepper and proceed to brown them on all sides, slowly and carefully, adjusting the heat as necessary.
• Meanwhile, boil the lobsters for 2 minutes, then plunge them (reserve the water) into an ice-water bath. Break off the claws and remove the meat from them; break off the tails and cut each into three or four sections, leaving the shell on. Take all remaining parts of the lobster, return them to the boiling water, and simmer, covered, for about an hour.
• Add the butter to the (hopefully now nearly perfectly browned) potatoes. Raise the heat to fairly high, add the lobster pieces as well, and brown lightly, turning once or twice. Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring once or twice, to heat through. Stir in the basil leaves, taste and adjust seasoning, and serve.

COLD LOBSTER WITH BASIL VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Put the water, peppercorns, salt, thyme, bay leaves and pepper flakes in a kettle large enough to hold the lobsters. Cover and bring to a boil.
• Add the lobsters quickly, one at a time, and cover. When the water returns to a boil, cook the lobsters for 10 minutes and drain thoroughly. When the lobsters are cool enough to handle, break off the tails and remove the meat from each in one piece. Crack the large claws and remove the meat from each in one piece. Remove the meat from the remaining claw shells. Put all the meat in a bowl.
• Stack the basil leaves and cut them into fine shreds. There should be about 1/2 cup. Add to the bowl.
• Put the olive oil, shallots, vinegar and salt in a small mixing bowl and toss to blend well.
• To serve, cut each piece of tail meat on the bias into 1/2-inch-thick medallions. Reassemble the slices from one lobster tail on a plate. Arrange two of the large pieces of claw meat at the top of the tail meat to resemble a lobster shape. Spoon about a quarter of the sauce over the tail and claw meat. Scatter a quarter of the small pieces of lobster meat around. Garnish each side of the tail meat with a quarter of the recipe for three-salad chiffonade. Repeat with the remaining lobster meat and three-salad chiffonade.

GRILLED LOBSTER WITH BASIL MAYONNAISE

Steps:

• For basil oil, place basil leaves in a bowl and pour boiling water over them, leave for approximately 30 seconds until they turn a brighter green. Drain adn refresh under cold running water, drain again and squeeze dry with paper towel. Place in a food processor and add both oils and process to a purée.
• Line sieve wih cheese cloth and set it over a deep bowl. Pour basil and oil purée and leave undisturbed for 1 hour, or until all the oils have filtered through into the bowl. The solids left behind in the sieve can now be discarded.
• Combine mayonnaise wih a splash of basil oil. Add Dion mustard, lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste. Cover well and chill until needed. NOTE: Remainder of basil can be used wih pizza, pasta, grill fish or grill shrimp.
• Preheat grill to 350°F.
• If you have to kill the lobster yourself, freeze the loster for 2 hours, before placing them into a pot of salted boiling for water for only 2 minutes. Remove the lobster and plunge them into cold water to refresh. Cut them in half, Remove the stomach sac from behnd the eyes.
• Brush basil oil over the cut side of each lobster half. Place cut side down on grill, cover and grill for 8 minutes, or until they are cooked through.
• Serve grilled lobster with basil oil mayonnaise.