ONLINE EXCLUSIVE
In the Kitchen with Lobsterwoman Linda Greenlaw
After a successful 17-year career as a swordboat captain, which earned her a portrayal in the best-selling book and George Clooney flick The Perfect Storm, Linda Greenlaw moved home to a tiny town in Maine and became a lobsterwoman. Author of nonfiction bestsellers The Hungry Ocean (Hyperion, 2000) and The Lobster Chronicles (Hyperion, 2002), she recently published her first novel, Slipknot (Hyperion, 2007), and a cookbook with her mother, Martha. Here are a few of her favorites from Recipes From a Very Small Island (Hyperion, 2005):
Martha's Famous Lobster Casserole
Ingredients:
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups light cream
3 tablespoons Madeira or medium-dry sherry
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon minced yellow onion
1 tablespoon minced parsley
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
Dash of cayenne pepper
5 to 6 cups cooked lobster meat, cut into bite-sized chunks
1 1/2 cups fresh bread crumbs
2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted
Recipe:
Serves 6-8
1. Butter a shallow 2-quart baking dish
2. In a large saucepan or deep skillet, melt the butter. Add the flour and cook over medium heat, whisking, for 2 minutes. Whisk in the cream, bring to a simmer, and cook, whisking, until the sauce is smooth and thick, 3 to 4 minutes. In a small bowl, whisk together the sherry and egg yolk. Whisk a little of the hot sauce in to temper the egg yolk, then whisk the egg yolk mixture into the hot sauce. Add the onion, parsley, salt, pepper, celery seed, and cayenne, and stir in the lobster meat. Transfer to the prepared baking dish, sprinkle with the bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese, and drizzle with the melted butter. (The casserole can be prepared up to 8 hours ahead to this point and refrigerated.)
3. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
4. If cold, bake the casserole, loosely covered with foil for the first 15 minutes, until the sauce is bubbly and the crumbs are lightly browned, a total of about 35 minutes. If freshly prepared, bake uncovered for 20-35 minutes.
Note: You get about 1 cup of meat from a 1 1/4 pound lobster- a little less if it's a soft-shell
Grilled Swordfish with Tomato and Sweet Pepper Salsa
Ingredients:
2 ripe tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1/3 cup diced green pepper
1/3 cup diced yellow pepper
1/3 cup diced red onion
2 tablespoons, plus 2 teaspoons olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 large garlic clove, crushed through a press or minced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Four 6-ounce swordfish steaks, about 1 ½ inches thick
Recipe:
Serves 4
1. In a large bowl, combine the tomatoes, green pepper, yellow pepper, red onion, 2 tablespoons oil, lime juice, vinegar, garlic, basil and thyme. Season with salt and pepper to taste. The salsa can be made up to three hours ahead.
2. Build a hot charcoal fire or preheat a gas grill. Brush the fish with the remaining 2 teaspoons of oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill, turning once, until nicely charred and the fish is just cooked through, about 5 minutes per side.
3. Spoon the salsa over the fish and serve.
Note: Swordfish steaks are often quite large, so simply cut the large piece of fish into serving-sized pieces.
Maine Blueberry Pie
Ingredients:
5 cups blueberries, preferably Maine wild blueberries, rinsed and picked over
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter, cut in small chunks
Flaky pie crust for a double-crust pie, or purchased pie crusts
Recipe:
Makes one 9-inch Pie
1. In a large bowl, toss the blueberries with the sugar, flour, cinnamon, lemon zest, lemon juice, and salt. Set aside while preparing the pastry.
2. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
3. Fit a 12-inch round of pastry dough in a 9-inch pie plate. Spoon the blueberry filling into the shell and dot with butter. Cover with the top crust and trim the overhanging dough ¾ inch all around. Turn the edges under and crimp or flute to seal. Use a sharp knife to cut steam vents.
4. Bake until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbly, about 40 minutes
Read about Greenlaw in "Lobstering Lady" in the August.September issue of PINK (on newsstands now).
