Tag: Kitchen

Poor Man’s LOBSTER

Making Poor Man’s Lobster!

Though this recipe for Poor Man’s Lobster may seem like a play on words here in the Poor Man’s Gourmet Kitchen, I assure you the title and name of this recipe is for real.  Poor Man’s Lobster dates way back and it is a legitimate recipe and cheaper alternative to the real thing.  I can buy a healthy Filet of Cod that will break down into over a dozen 5 oz Lobster tail size pieces for only $12 bucks!  Poor man’s Lobster can be made with Halibut too, and it is the preferred method as far as flavor goes, but you’re also going to be spending a little more for that cut to equal the amount of meat you can slice out of a Cod.  Either way, you will find your self with a few more bills in your wallet if you purchase these two fish and follow a recipe like this one, vs. shelling out the clams for the real deal.  A dozen 5 to 8 oz Lobster tails is going to cost you a minimum of 60 bucks.  So stay with me here and I’ll show you a cheaper, healthy Alternative!

Cutting your Fillet is Simple.  Using a sharp knife, cut across the width of the fillet keeping a 1 1/2 inch portion between each slice.  This will accurately portion out every cut piece to approximately the same size of tail meat you would be pulling from the average lobster tail.  Now all you have to do is follow the recipe below to properly season the water for your Poor Man’s Lobster boil.

Poor Man’s Lobster Ingredients:

1 cod filet
1 pot of water (approximately 1 qt)
1/4 cup salt
1/4 cup sugar
2 tbsp lemon juice or half squeezed lemon
1/4 stick of butter
2 bay leaves (optional)

Steamed Clams

Steamed ClamsSteamed Clams are GrrrrrrEAT!

For me, Steamed Clams have turned into a fun and exciting dish to snack on.  It really has that jaw dropping ooh and awe effect on people who really appreciate a whole plate of them when they hit the table.  These are Little-Neck Clams and for me, they have a very impressive and distinct taste.  Not to mention they are fun to cook.  Steamed Clams are an excellent appetizer, even if the dinner guests don’t particularly care for shellfish or seafood.  Can you guess why?  Take a look at this picture below.  It’s impressive, right?  Of course right.  So whether or not you get the credit you deserve for making such a scrumptious and tasty treat, at least you’ll get points for being eccentric.  This particular recipe couldn’t be any easier either.  All you need is 10 minutes and a few ingredients and you are off and running.

If you’re worried about the sand in Clam Shells and how to get rid of the Grittiness, there are several things you can do.  First off, the Clams I used in this video were Farm raised.  So if you are using these, you don’t really have to worry about the sand because they’re always cleaned out before they are shipped off.  Secondly, if you haven’t watched the video yet you’ll see that these Little-Neck Clams are rinsed and washed off before they are Steamed.  So consider that before you ponder your options.  If they are wild clams, just give them a soak in cold water for approximately 20 minutes.  I do the same thing with Crawfish only I cover them with salt so that they can purge.  Both clams and Crawfish spit out the muddy sand they’ve ingested as part of their daily diet.  You can also give them a real quick rinse after they’ve been steamed.  This helps to cut down on the Grittiness, if there is any.   And if you’re worried about it in the leftover Clam juice I turn into a Clam Salsa in this recipe, you can cheese cloth and strain the juice just before adding the other ingredients.

Steamed Clams Ingredients:

1 inch water in your pot
2 tbsp butter
1 Chopped Garlic Clove
2 Chopped Green Onion (scallions)
Black Pepper to taste and Paprika, Cayenne or Chili Flakes
Topped with a Sprinkle of some freshly chopped Parsley

Lobster Ravioli Sauce

Lobster Ravioli SauceA very creamy Lobster Ravioli Sauce

Lobster Ravioli Sauce can be tricky. Good thing I’ve got a video making this sauce with My Borsellini recipe. I have always loved the sweet flavor that comes from a very thin evenly spread sauce like this one so I’ve incorporated the idea into a few recipes of my own.

My Lobster Ravioli Sauce is….

The only difference between my Borsellini recipe and my Lobster Ravioli Sauce recipe is this recipe calls for lobster; so it needs to be either added in with the mushrooms or swapped out and substituted all together. Also when it calls for the stock, use clam juice instead. The great thing about this dish is you can use different raviolis if you’d like that have just cheese or maybe even vegetables. The reason I say that is because that’s exactly what I did here. I cheated and bought a frozen 5 cheese ravioli bag from the grocery for six bucks that feeds 4. Why? First, I love cheese; mmm….Second, price;”Low budget wonder” remember….Third, raviolis can be tedious to make from scratch and I wanted to save time….And last but not least, Five, This really gives a good variety and accentuates the Lobster Ravioli Sauce! Here’s the video for the sauce and in the mean time, get boiling/ steaming those Lobster tails and claws cause you’re going to need the meat!

Lobster Ravioli Sauce Recipe

2 oz unsalted butter
1/2 tsp chopped or minced garlic
1 stock chopped shallots
1/2 tsp of minced anchovy paste, or 1 whole anchovy
1/2 cup clam juice
4 ounce chopped chunks of Lobster meat
2 ounces cognac (amaretto/cognac gives an extra almond flavor)
1 lemon juice squeeze (about 1 Tbsp)
10 ounces heavy cream
1 pinch of cayenne
2 tbsp of Parmesan Cheese

Make sure you babysit this recipe because you don’t want the bottom to burn. In order to keep that from happening you’re going to have to keep a constant stir in between ingredients. Use a medium high to high heat to keep it bubbling. I add small amounts of heavy cream to the boil just to cool it off and repeat. If you add all of it at once, the reduction for the sauce to thicken will seem like an eternity before it’s done. But if you do it right you’ll be enjoying one of life’s delicacies…choking down a few ravioli’s smothered in my Lobster Ravioli Sauce!