1,000 Foods To Eat Before You Die: A Food Lover's Life List (149 page)

Shellfish lovers in other parts of the world may celebrate lobsters that are hairy, spiny, hunchbacked, shovel-headed, or even clawless, but Americans take pride in the specimen native to Maine—the one that famously offers the pearliest meat, crimson-tinged and most succulent when extracted from the large, plump claws. Only slightly less moist are the substantial pieces from the tail, the knuckles, and even the thinnest legs of this magnificent crustacean offer fine picking for those diligent enough to crack them open and gnaw out the sublime shreds of meat. The gifts don’t stop there, as there is still serious gustatory pleasure to be found in the gray-green tomalley, or liver, or in the jewel-like chunks of coral roe in females, both with a quintessential deep-sea flavor.

“Nowhere in the world … is the seafloor as densely populated with lobsters as in the Gulf of Maine,” writes Trevor Corson in his book
The Secret Life of Lobsters.
Thanks to the strictly observed conservation he describes, that felicitous fact should remain true for a long time. And that’s very welcome news, as the highly prized Maine lobster is exported to luxury restaurants almost everywhere in the world.

Although much is made of soft-shell lobsters caught in early summer, when they are molting, full-grown hard-shells are firmer and more pungently saline. And despite the popular belief that small specimens taste best and larger ones are tough, Mainers consider the most flavorful to be those weighing at least two pounds. Toughness results from overcooking, which is usually the result of fear that a very large lobster will emerge half-raw. Gentle boiling, or better yet, steaming, nets a silky-soft reward, one best enhanced by rivulets of hot melted butter and a dash or two of lemon juice—nothing more.

Broiling is another favorite cooking method, but it requires gentle heat and lavish, frequent bastings of butter—otherwise it’s too harsh a process for the delicate taste, aroma, and texture of the meat.

In addition to being the base for elegant chowders and bisques, salads and boils, lobster meat triumphs in that other Maine specialty: the lobster roll, a tradition prepared in either of two ways, and most delightful when enjoyed at casual shacks set on the water’s edge. The cooked meat, still warm, may be glossed with melted butter, or it may be chilled and dressed with mayonnaise as a salad. Either way, it’s spooned into long, toasted “slices,” top-cut hot dog rolls, for a treat that is sublimely soft and succulent—and ultimately much debated.

It may seem strange that such a simple preparation could inspire so much rating and counter-rating of lobster shacks, but the rolls do vary. There is the amount and freshness of the meat to consider, as well as the inclusion or exclusion of celery, the toastiness of the roll, and the kind and quantity of mayonnaise used. (For the lobster’s sake, make it Hellmann’s.) At Mabel’s Lobster Claw in Kennebunkport—a joint said to be favored by the Bush family, whose summer compound is nearby—the salad is based only on the delectably plump knuckles of meat, extracted from the joints that link the claws to the body.

Where:
In Kennebunkport, ME
, Mabel’s Lobster Claw, tel 207-967-2562,
mabelslobster.com
;
in Wiscasset, ME
, Red’s Eats, tel 207-882-6128;
in Belfast, ME
, Young’s Lobster Pound, tel
207-338-1160,
youngslobsterpound.webs.com
;
in Boston and environs
, Jasper White’s Summer Shack,
summershackrestaurant.com
;
in New York
, Pearl Oyster Bar, tel 212-691-8211,
pearloysterbar.com
; The Lobster Place at Chelsea Market, tel 212-255-5672,
lobsterplace.com
; Grand Central Oyster Bar, 212-490-6650,
oysterbarny.com
;
in Brooklyn
, Grand Central Oyster Bar Brooklyn, tel 347-294-0596,
oysterbarbrooklyn.com
;
in Minneapolis
, Smack Shack, tel 612-259-7288,
smack-shack.com
;
in Austin, TX
, Perla’s Seafood and Oyster Bar, tel 512-291-7300,
perlasaustin.com
;
in Toronto
, Oyster Boy, tel 416-534-3432,
oysterboy.ca
.
Mail order:
Young’s Lobster Pound, tel 207-338-1160,
youngslobsterpound.webs.com
.
Further information and recipes:
Lobster Rolls & Blueberry Pie
by Rebecca Charles and Deborah DiClementi (2003);
Jasper White’s Cooking from New England
by Jasper White (1998);
epicurious.com
(search maine lobster bake; lobster blt; lobster rolls; corn and lobster chowder).
Tip:
Although Maine’s gift to gourmandise is unsurpassed, it seems only fair to point out that the next-best lobsters are harvested in Long Island, New York, in waters around Montauk Point; these have slightly smaller, rounder claws, but lend themselves to similar delights.

As succulent as the creamy salt pork, potato, onion, and mollusk combination known as New England clam chowder can be, New Yorkers tend to vote in favor of their own Manhattan version, with a light tomato broth that allows the essence of clams to come through clear and briny. Best when not thickened by starch, it’s a minestrone-like soup, bright with carrots, onions, celery, potatoes, and plenty of chopped, giant chowder clams, accented by the defining flavor of thyme; unfortunately, a cornstarch-laden version from a can tends to be ubiquitous in the Greek coffee shops of New York City, especially on Fridays, a holdover from the time when Catholics could not eat meat on that day. These days, the local chowder tends to reach its summit at Aquagrill in Soho, and (usually) at the Oyster Bar in Grand Central Terminal, if it has not thickened down as the day wears on.

Outside of Manhattan, the best results may be ensured by home preparation. The flavor improves after twenty-four hours, so it’s best to prepare the chowder a day ahead and reheat it before serving.

Serves 6 as an appetizer

20 to 24 large chowder clams, or 40 to 48 cherrystone clams, opened, with their liquor

2 medium-size carrots, peeled and diced

1 large onion, peeled and diced

2 ribs celery, diced

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 can (about 28 ounces) whole tomatoes with their liquid

2 to 3 cups boiling water, as needed

1 to 2 teaspoons salt

1 large boiling potato, peeled and diced

1 to 2 teaspoons dried thyme leaves

Freshly ground black pepper

1.
Trim the hard portions of the clams from the soft parts and reserve them separately, as well as
their liquor. Let the liquor stand so the sand will settle.

2.
In a 2½-quart stainless steel or enameled soup pot or saucepan over medium-low heat, slowly sauté the carrots, onions, and celery in the butter until the vegetables begin to soften and become bright, about 5 minutes; do not brown them.

3.
Remove the tomatoes from their liquid, crush them, and add them to the pot. Measure the tomato liquid and add to it enough boiling water to make 4 cups. Add the tomato water to the pot, along with the hard portions of the clams and 1 teaspoon salt. Simmer gently for about 20 minutes, until the clam pieces begin to soften.

4.
Add the potato, the soft clam meat, the clam liquor, and 1 teaspoon thyme. Simmer until all the ingredients are tender, about 30 minutes. Taste for seasoning and add pepper to taste, and more salt and/or thyme, as needed. Simmer briefly, then serve, or bring to room temperature, cover, and refrigerate. The chowder will keep, covered and refrigerated, for up to 5 days. To reheat the chowder, bring to room temperature for 30 minutes, then simmer over low heat until thoroughly hot. Do not allow to boil.

Where:
In New York
, Aquagrill, tel 212-274-0505,
aquagrill.com
; Grand Central Oyster Bar & Restaurant, tel 212-490-6650,
oysterbarny.com
; The Lobster Place at Chelsea Market, tel 212-255-5672,
lobsterplace.com
;
in Brooklyn
, Grand Central Oyster Bar Brooklyn, tel 347-294-0596,
oysterbarbrooklyn.com
;
in New York and Long Island
, Citarella at multiple locations,
citarella.com
.
Tip:
Using larger clams such as quahogs yields a more flavorful result, and they can usually be ordered a few days in advance from a fishmonger.
See also:
Cioppino
;
Brodetto Vastese
;
Halászlé
.

Pronounced “mock shoe,” Louisiana’s succotash-like vegetable stew is one of summer’s most cherished and colorful dishes, bright with flashes of red, green, and gold. Speculations as to the origin of its name range from a riff on an Afro–Native Indian or Afro-French phrase to pure Cajun.

Richly flavorful and aromatically complex, with hints of bacon and butter, garlic, thyme, and bay leaf anointing its corn kernels, green peppers, onions, and tomatoes, it’s a dish that withstands any number of variations. Some cooks add diced celery along with the green peppers to create the standard Louisiana culinary trinity (peppers, onion, celery), while others include okra whenever young and tender pods are available.

There are those who make the mistake of adding sugar, but grown-ups opt for several shots of Tabasco or hot chile peppers. The most significant variation lies in the choice of whether to add cream. Doing so may lend a touch of French refinement, but at the expense of a more characteristic, zingy sprightliness.

Serves 6 as a side dish

3 slices lean bacon, coarsely chopped (optional)

3 tablespoons unsalted butter or 1½ tablespoons butter and 1½ tablespoons olive oil, or more if needed

1 large green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and diced

1 medium-size onion, peeled and diced

1 teaspoon coarse salt

1 large or 2 small cloves of garlic, peeled and thinly sliced

8 ounces small young okra pods, trimmed and sliced (optional)

2 teaspoons dried thyme, crushed

1 large bay leaf

1 can (14 to 16 ounces) American-style whole peeled tomatoes (without basil or Italian seasonings)

Few drops of Tabasco sauce or 1 small hot chile, seeded and diced (optional)

Freshly ground black pepper

4 medium-size ears of corn, husked

1.
Slowly fry the bacon pieces, if using, in a heavy 2-quart casserole or saucepan (preferably of enameled cast iron), over moderate heat, until the fat is completely rendered and they are beginning to turn golden brown.

2.
Add the butter and/or oil and heat for about 2 minutes before stirring in the green pepper and onion. Add more butter or oil if it’s too dry for sautéing. Sprinkle with the salt and sauté over low heat, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are soft but have not taken on color.

3.
Add the garlic, okra (if using), thyme, and bay leaf. Sauté slowly, stirring gently but almost constantly, until the okra stops “stringing” (extruding slimy strings), 7 to 8 minutes. If you aren’t using okra, sauté until the garlic softens, about 2 minutes.

4.
Crush the tomatoes and strain and reserve their liquid. Add the crushed tomatoes to the vegetables, along with the Tabasco sauce or chile and several grindings of black pepper, and simmer slowly until the okra and other vegetables are thoroughly cooked and the tomatoes have broken down into a light sauce. Add some of the reserved tomato liquid as needed to keep the mixture from scorching.

5.
Cut the kernels off the ears of corn. If you are serving immediately, add the corn to the vegetables and cook over moderate heat, stirring frequently for 10 to 15 minutes. Adjust the seasonings and remove the bay leaf before serving. If you are going to wait several hours before serving, do not add the corn. Turn off the heat, cover the pot, and set it aside at room temperature for up to 4 hours. When you are ready to serve, add the corn and cook gently over low heat. Reheated leftover maque choux is also delicious, as the softness of the corn and other vegetables lends an extra, soothing richness. Covered and refrigerated, it will keep for 4 to 5 days.

Where:
In Houston
, Brennan’s, tel 713-522-9711,
brennanshouston.com
;
in New Orleans
, K-Paul’s Louisiana Kitchen, tel 504-596-2530,
chefpaul.com/kpaul
;
in Colorado Springs, CO
, Culpepper’s Cajun Kitchen, tel 719-282-8479,
culpeppers.net
.
Further information and other recipes:
Chef Paul Prudhomme’s Louisiana Kitchen
by Paul Prudhomme (1984);
saveur.com
(search maque choux and shrimp);
epicurious.com
(search corn and tasso maque choux).
Tip:
To serve maque choux as a main course, add 1 pound of small peeled, deveined shrimp to the vegetable mixture with the corn kernels, and simmer for 7 to 8 minutes until the shrimp are cooked.