American lobster . The name of this delicious shellfish dish has, like many others, a confused origin that is still a matter of dispute between writers and gastronomic critics.
Summary
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- 1 entry
- 2 History
- 1 Background
- 2 Appearance
- 3 recipes
- 1 American style lobster (Seraphim)
- 2 Preparation
- 4 American Lobster (Simone)
- 1 Preparation
- 5 See also
- 6 Sources
Entry
Lobster is one of the most appreciated seafood in world cuisine. The diversity of their recipes and their prices in restaurants in different parts of the world vary according to the category of the restaurant, as well as the country. There are them where they are alive and the client chooses the one he wants to eat. The downside, in addition to paying something more, is a long wait according to the recipe.
In Cuba and many other Latin American countries it is customary to eat enchiladas more or less spicy and with variable ingredients for sauces. As a starter or appetizer they are only used boiled in cold cocktails and with a mayonnaise sauce or its variants, as well as in salads.
Also its dough becomes an ingredient in other types of dishes such as pizzas, rice with seafood , paellas, etc. They are still used in so-called crudes and ceviches.
History
Background
Although this dish is not dedicated to any famous person, it is worth knowing its controversial history. The question lies in the name ” Lobster a la americana” or “a la armoricana”. Some do not consider it an invention of an American kitchen, considering it rather a misspelling. But to accept it as original that of “Lobster to the armoricana” supposes to attribute a Breton origin, and this gives us some problems related to the ingredients.
The dish was already popular in the 19th century , among Armorique fishermen on the coasts of Brittany . They had the custom to heat in a large saucepan cider and brand of the country, throwing the live lobsters, cut into pieces. But, the dish also contains garlic, tomato, olive oil and cognac, ingredients not typical of these coasts. The culture of garlic, tomato and oil has its roots in the Mediterranean . Hence, gastronomes doubt the Breton origin of this dish.
On the other hand, a similar recipe appears in “Le cuisiniér moderne”, a 4-volume work from between the years 1735 and 1763 and its author, Vincent de la Chapelle, was Lord Chesterfield’s chef de cuisine. This recipe from La Chapelle, a century later, was used by Constant Guillet, chef de cuisine at the Bonnefoy restaurant in Paris , under the name “a la Bonnefoy”.
But, there is also the “Lobster a la Bordeaux”, with the same ingredients, except that the wine is from Bordeaux . Another similar recipe is the “Catalan Lobster”. And in the middle of the 19th century, another way for this crustacean, the “Provencal Lobster”, which logically uses the region’s own products: garlic, tomato and oil , was already known in southern Provence of France .
Appearance
But the well-worn dish had not yet made an appearance in any restaurant, which happened for the first time around 1870 at Peter’s in Paris . The owner was called Pierre Fraisse, born in Séte, France . He had worked as a cook for a long time in Chicago , in the United States . Upon returning to France, he opened his own restaurant in Paris under the name of Peter’s in memory of the years he was in America .
One night he was in his restaurant with a group of diners, friends and good lovers of gastronomy, according to the story of M. Garrigue, friend in his youth of the chef and gourmet, they begged Pierre to serve them a dinner, at which That this one agreed with pleasure, despite the fact that the kitchen was already collected. Already between the stoves, and while the group was whetting their appetite with some appetizers, he began to imagine what kind of dish he could prepare. He only had live lobsters to serve them the next day. And he had the happy occurrence of pouring oil, garlic, rosemary, white wine and enough cognac in a saucepan.
When all this started to boil, he thought the only way the lobsters could get done quickly was to cut them alive into pieces. The dish delighted customers and asked for its name. “American lobster,” replied Pierre, perhaps transferring his previous stay in the United States.
Would Pierre Friasse’s knowledge really be the different lobster dishes prepared in a similar way or was his gastronomic creation a pure coincidence? It cannot be forgotten that he was born on the shores of the Mediterranean, exactly in Séte, a coastal city, whose only important port is Languedoc. The Languedoc and Provence are adjacent, so the “Lobster to the Provencal” should be familiar to a man who like Friasse was of the trade.
Recipes
American lobster (Seraphim)
Ingredients:
- 1 one kilo live lobster (also made with lobster).
Lobster 1.jpg
- 4 tablespoons of olive oil .
- 2 You tablespoons butter .
- 100 grams of butter .
- 4 tablespoons of cognac .
- 5 deciliters of dry white wine .
- 2 steps.
- 6 tomatoes .
- Garlic
- Salt
- Pepper
- Parsley .
- Cayenne pepper.
- 4-5 tablespoons of meat fat.
- 4-5 tablespoons of Demi Glaçe
- ½ glass of lemon juice.
Preparation
To bring this dish to a successful conclusion, it is essential that the lobster or lobster are alive. Open it lengthwise and remove a bag that is at head height and that generally contains grit. Set aside, on a plate, the creamy and slightly greenish part that is next to this bag, mix it with a spoon of butter, which will crush well with the fork; detach the legs and break the tongs, to facilitate the extraction of the meat, once cooked. Chop each half lobster into three or more pieces. Season with salt and pepper.
Thoroughly heat olive oil and two tablespoons of butter in a frying pan. Add the lobster pieces and sauté until the meat has stuck and the shell has turned bright red. Sprinkle it with the cognac and the wine, setting it on fire so that the alcohol dissipates. Add the chopped chops and the peeled and seedless peeled tomatoes, a small point of garlic, a pinch of chopped parsley, a pinch of cayenne pepper, the fat from the melted meat and the demi glaçe. Cover the saucepan and cook the lobster for 18 to 20 minutes over high heat.
Place the lobster pieces in a deep dish; add to the broth the creamy part left in reserve and mix it in the mixer; cook it for a few seconds and add, out of the fire, 100 grams of butter to bits and the juice of half a lemon; pour it over the lobster pieces and sprinkle with chopped parsley. The lobster pieces should rest in the source on the side of the shell, so that the meat remains covered in sauce. It is served with pilaf rice.
- step: Onion type.
American lobster (Simone)
Ingredients
- 2 medium lobster tails
- 50 gr of butter
- 1 glass of water
- 1 glass of white wine
- 1 glass of cognac (4 oz.)
- 300 gr of very ripe tomatoes
- 1 garlic clove (large)
- 1 pinch of aromatic herbs
- 1 small onion (50 gr)
- Chives, chopped (20 gr)
- 1 tablespoon of flour
- 1 teaspoon (tea) of meat extract
- Pinch of ground black pepper.
- Pinch of cayenne pepper
- Salt
Preparation
Lobsters are cut in half or in rings; if they are whole, when straining they try to reserve the liquid and the soft parts of the head, as well as the roe if they are “milled”. This is collected in a small saucepan along with the butter and a little of the cognac, crushed a little, set aside. Put half the oil in a skillet with the peeled and crushed garlic clove (s) (with the knife handle) until golden and garlic is removed. Put on the half shells or rings and fry until they are very red.
Drain the oil from the pan. The rest of the cognac is heated in one case by pouring over the lobsters and carefully flamed when lighting a match (match). Once well flamed, they are set aside on a plate.
In the same pan put the rest of the oil, and when it is hot add the onion and the well-chopped chives, for 5 minutes until the onion becomes transparent. Add the flour and turn it over with a wooden spoon. Peeled and seedless tomatoes cut into small pieces are added; they cool a while crushing them with the same edge of the spoon. After this time the wine, the meat extract, the aromatic herbs, the salt (with care since the extract is usually salty), the black pepper and the Cayenne pepper (in moderation) are added. This sauce is cooked for about 15 minutes before adding the lobster and it is given 10 more minutes of cooking (the most can be added without the shell)
In the meantime, crush the reserved in the saucepan, heating to melt the butter well. Strain and add to the stew for about 2 or three minutes before removing from the heat.
