Lobster Bake into Paella? This morning please : )?!
Lobster Bake into Paella? This morning please : )?
I have ordered 4 lobster bakes for my mother's 50 birthday tomorrow, just a few close friends are coming over - she refused a party. So instead I figured we'd just have a small cookout in her backyard. Each bake contains 1 whole lobster, 1 dozen little neck clams, 1 sausage, 1/2 chicken, plus all the veggies. I was thinking that for lunch we would cook up three of the bakes, and then I would prepare a paella for her and my father for a late evening romantic dinner. Is this possible with these ingredients? If so do you have a recipe? And how well would it work for an after 7pm dinner if it's cooked by 5? Thanks in advance.
Answers:
WOW, you are a special daughter, your mother is so very blessed! She has to be an awesome mom.
Here is a recipe that you might enjoy:
Lobster Paella on the Grill
ACTIVE TIME: 1 HR
TOTAL TIME: 1 HR 20 MIN
SERVES: 8
This impressive and subtly smoky paella―studded with lobster, shrimp, clams and chorizo―cooks on the grill in one big pan. Make sure to use a large pile of coals that will stay hot for an hour or so.
ingredients
6 cups chicken stock or low-sodium broth
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat (about 2 pounds)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
3 chorizo sausages, cut into 1-inch chunks (about 1/2 pound)
2 medium onions, coarsely chopped
3 bell peppers―preferably 1 red, 1 yellow and 1 orange, cut lengthwise into 1-inch strips
6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
3 cups medium-grain Spanish rice, such as Valencia, or arborio rice (18 ounces)
1/2 teaspoon saffron threads
Two 1 1/4-pound lobsters―tails split lengthwise, claws and knuckles cracked and heads discarded (see Note)
2 pounds large shrimp, shelled and deveined
1 pound littleneck clams, scrubbed
1 pound mussels, scrubbed and debearded
Lemon wedges, for serving
directions
Light a grill. In a medium saucepan, cover the chicken stock and bring to a simmer on the grill. Set aside, covered.
Set a paella pan or a very large skillet over the hot fire and add the olive oil. Add the chicken thighs and season with salt and pepper. Add the chorizo and cook until the chicken and sausage are lightly browned on both sides, about 6 minutes; transfer to a plate. Add the onions, peppers and garlic to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until all the vegetables are softened, about 6 minutes.
Add the rice to the pan and cook, stirring, until golden, about 3 minutes. Stir in the warm stock, crumble in the saffron and add a large pinch of salt. Add the chicken thighs and chorizo. Cover the grill and cook until the stock has reduced to 2 cups, about 12 minutes. Nestle the lobster pieces in the rice, cover the grill and cook for 3 minutes. Arrange the shrimp, clams and mussels in the rice, cover the grill and simmer until the chicken, shrimp and lobster are cooked through and the clams and mussels are open, about 10 minutes longer. Discard any shellfish that don't open. Spoon the paella into shallow bowls and serve piping hot with lemon wedges.
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Lobster Paella
Nestling the lobster meat in the paella after removing it from the oven ensures the lobster will remain sweet, tender and juicy while it reheats. For a more flavorful broth to add to the rice, you can make a fresh lobster stock from the leftover shells and bodies.
1 Tbs. salt, plus more, to taste
4 live lobsters, each about 1 1/4 lb.
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 fennel bulbs, stalks removed, cut into 1/2-
inch dice
2 cups Calasparra rice
1/3 cup Pernod
1/4 tsp. crumbled saffron, soaked in 1 Tbs.
lemon juice
1 cup sliced piquillo peppers or roasted red bell
peppers
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 Tbs. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 Tbs. chopped fresh tarragon
Lemon wedges for serving
Bring a large pot three-fourths full of water to a boil over high heat and add the 1 Tbs. salt. Add the lobsters one at a time, headfirst. Cover and cook until the lobsters are red, about 7 minutes. Transfer the lobsters to a large bowl filled with ice water and let cool completely. Reserve 5 cups of the cooking liquid.
Separate the claws and tail from the bodies, reserving the bodies to make stock, if desired (see note). Remove the meat from the claws, knuckles and tails. Keep the claw and knuckle meat whole, and cut the tail meat in half lengthwise. Cover and refrigerate immediately. The meat will stay fresh up to 1 day.
Preheat an oven to 425oF.
In an ovenproof bistro pan or other large pan over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil. Add the onion and garlic and sauté, stirring occasionally, until tender and translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the fennel and sauté, stirring occasionally, until tender, 3 to 4 minutes more. Stir in the rice, the reserved cooking liquid, the Pernod, saffron mixture and piquillo peppers. Season well with salt and pepper, bring to a simmer and cover.
Transfer the pan to the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the lid and continue baking until the rice is just tender, about 12 minutes more. Remove the pan from the oven, nestle the lobster meat in the rice, cover and let stand until the lobster is hot, 4 to 5 minutes. Sprinkle the paella with the parsley and tarragon and serve immediately with lemon wedges alongside. Serves 4 to 6.
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Tell your Mom HAPPY BIRTHDAY!