# The SBHonline Community Daily > Restaurants Wine & Food Off The Island >  >   The deal after retirement was that I would shop, cook and clean-up, three nights and Mrs. JEK would have her three nights and then we would go out. Even long after the kids left we cook and sit for d

## JEK

The deal after retirement was that I would shop, cook and clean-up, three nights and Mrs. JEK would have her three nights and then we would go out. Even long after the kids left we cook and sit for dinner every night.

I kicked off the plan tonight with:

Veuve Clicquot during prep.

Wellfleets with vinaigrette
Wild caught Salmon cooked on a cedar plank on the Big Green Egg
Sauteed multicolored fingerling potatoes
Sauteed Fiddlehead ferns with garlic and crispy bacon
Girgich Hills Chardonnay 2006

I think I'm off to a decent start :)

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## MIke R

oh my God you hit all my favorites....Wellfleets..fiddleheads...fingerlings

bravo!

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## amyb

Decent? How about OUTSTANDING? Can we hire you?

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## JEK

> oh my God you hit all my favorites....Wellfleets..fiddleheads...fingerlings
> 
> bravo!



We aim to please.

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## MIke R

fiddleheads are everywhere up here...but not for long..the season is  very short

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## andynap

> The deal after retirement was that I would shop, cook and clean-up, three nights and Mrs. JEK would have her three nights and then we would go out. Even long after the kids left we cook and sit for dinner every night.
> 
> I kicked off the plan tonight with:
> 
> Veuve Clicquot during prep.
> 
> Wellfleets with vinaigrette
> Wild caught Salmon cooked on a cedar plank on the Big Green Egg
> Sauteed multicolored fingerling potatoes
> ...




Not bad. Wait until week 10.  :)

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## KevinS

I'm with Amy on this - Outstanding!

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## JEK

Second night:

Sauteed  scallops with wine, lemon and parsley sauce
Steamed baby artichokes 
Fingerling potatoes
Mixed green salad
Chassagne Montrachet

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## KevinS

What, no VC during prep?  Have you taken the pledge or something?

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## JEK

I was rushed . . .

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## MIke R

I gotta hear more about the scallops before I can comment one way or the other

sea or bay?
wet or dry? 
pre frozen or fresh?

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## JEK

Dry boat.

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## MIke R

excellent!....

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## JEK

I have three nights off as I am driving to Ohio for meetings.

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## MIke R

I thought you were retired???

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## JEK

I'm on several not-for-profit boards that will keep me occupied.

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## amyb

Nicer to drive sans snow-happy motoring!

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## Grey

Sounds like you are adjusting to your retirement life quite nicely.  Your menus sound delicious.  What's on tap for tonight?

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## JEK

I was driving home from Ohio last night, so no dinner.
This is Mother's Day, all prepped for tonight.

Locke-Ober's Lobster Savannah Recipe

Fresh lobster with a savory bread, mushroom, and seafood stuffing makes lobster Savannah a worthy effort. The long instructions mostly deal with boiling the lobsters for beginners. You can prepare the lobster a day in advance.
Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes

Ingredients:

4 (1-1/2-pound) live lobsters
Sea water (or salted fresh water)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup thinly sliced white mushrooms
1/4 cup finely chopped green pepper
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup milk
1/4 cup dry sherry
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons pimiento, finely chopped
1/4 cup white bread crumbs, preferably homemade
3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Preparation:

Prepare the lobsters for boiling: With short pieces of string, tie wooden spoons or dowels onto their backs to form spines so that the tails will not curl during cooking. Use the widest pot available so that the lobsters will lie flat. 

Into the large pot with a tight-fitting lid, pour about 2 inches of sea water. Cover the pot, and bring the water to a full, rolling boil. Drop the live lobsters head first into the pot as quickly as possible. Cover the pot immediately. 

When the water returns to a rapid boil, steam the lobsters, allowing 12 minutes for 1-pounders, 15 to 18 minutes for 1-1/2-pounders, 10 to 22 minutes for 2-pounders, and 30 to 35 minutes for 3-pounders. To test for doneness, remove one lobster from the pot with tongs, holding it by one of the small legs. Give it a shake. If the leg pulls off, the lobster is done. If not, continue steaming until it does. 

When the lobsters are done, remove them from the pot using tongs, cut off the strings and stop the cooking process by rinsing the lobsters under cold water. (If a tail has curved, straighten it and weigh it down with a small cutting board or heavy pan until it holds its shape.) Allow the lobsters to cool until you can handle them comfortably. 

Remove the claws by twisting them off close to the body. Using a nutcracker and a pick or small fork, remove the claw meat. Set the meat aside. Remove the antennae and discard them, along with the claw shells. 

Using a sharp knife or kitchen scissors, cut a long oval 1-1/2 to 2 inches wide down the back of each lobster shell, from the back of the head to the point just before the tail fans out. (Work carefully; lobster shells cut the skin easily.) Pull out the tail meat, cut it into 1/2-inch chunks, and add it to the claw meat. Remove any coral-colored roe or green tomalley, and reserve it. Remove the gelatinous stomach sac and the intestinal vein down the tail, and discard them. (The lobsters may be prepared to this point up to 24 hours in advance. Wrap them tightly and refrigerate them.) 

If the lobsters have been refrigerated, bring them to room temperature. One-half hour before serving, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. In a large heavy skillet over medium-low heat, melt the butter. Add the mushroom slices and green pepper, and saute them for about 5 minutes, until they are just soft. 

Stir the flour into the mushrooms and pepper, and mix well. Let it cook for about 1 minutes, stirring constantly. Slowly add the milk and, whisking constantly, bring the sauce to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, and stir in any tomalley and roe, the sherry, paprika, salt, and pepper. Simmer about 5 minutes. Add the pimiento and the lobster meat, and stir until they are coated with sauce. Taste, and adjust the seasonings. 

Place the lobster shells on a large baking sheet or jelly roll pan. Remove the lobster mixture from the heat, and spoon it into the shells, dividing it evenly. Mix the bread crumbs and the Parmesan cheese, and sprinkle it evenly over the lobster filling. 

Bake the lobsters about 15 minutes, until the sauce bubbles and the bread crumbs are light brown. Remove them from the oven and serve them immediately.

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## amyb

As an aside-if you break off those tail flippers there is a lovely tasting thin slice of lobster to enjoy inside of each section!

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## MIke R

looks great but trust  me on this one.....the times they gave for boiling/steaming were pretty high...I go 5 minutes a pound and everything is done perfect...and especially if you re going to cook it  twice by baking the final product off...overcooked lobster will get rubbery.....

sea water in the boil is a nice touch that virtually every fishermen does when he/she cooks lobster...reminds me of a drink we had at Colomber with the Troyers ( Salty Dogs ) which was out of this world good...vodka...grapefruit juice and good old Colombier sea water

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## JEK

They came out perfect. The oven stage is little more than reheating. I'll let you know how it comes out.

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## MIke R

well thats good..the caveat is how strong the burner is underneath it and how hard   forceful a steam or boil the burner can create..that makes a big difference...I have a 22,000 BTU burner and it can get things going pretty hard pretty fast....but generally those times would be way too long...I dont know what it is about recipes and seafood.....what they recommend for shrimp too is way too long..I dump em in..wait a minute, and the second they go pink they come out.....

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## andynap

All recipes for fish are generally too long for whatever reason.

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## JEK

I looked at a bunch of steaming times and nothing is 5 minutes a pound. 
Cooking Your Lobster

Steaming lobster
Pour 2 inches of water into a large cooking pot. If you want you can put a steaming rack at the bottom to place lobsters above water. Bring water to a boil over high heat. Place lobsters in the pot, cover, and then quickly return to boil and start counting the time.

Steam a lobster for 14 minutes per pound, for the first pound. Add 3 minutes per pound for each additional pound. 2-pound lobster should steam for 17 minutes; a 1 ½-pound lobster should steam for 15 1/2 minutes and a 1 1/4 pound lobster for 15 minutes.

Boiling lobster 
The water should fill the pot one-half to two-thirds full. Bring water to a rolling boil over high heat. Place lobsters in pot head first, so they are submerged in water.

Cover the pot tightly and then quickly return to boil and start counting the time. Make sure to regulate the heat to prevent water from boiling over. Make sure to keep water boiling throughout the time. Boil a lobster for 10 minutes per pound, Add 3 minutes per pound for each additional pound. 2-pound lobster should boil for l3 minutes; a 1 ½-pound lobster should boil for 11 ½ minutes, and a 1-¼ lobster for 11 minutes.

These times are for hard shell lobsters; if cooking new shell lobsters, reduce boiling or steaming time by three minutes. When the antennae pull out easily, the lobsters are done.

How to Boil or Steam Lobster

Maine Lobsters are superb when cooked the traditional way by simply steaming or boiling.

To Boil: Fill a large lobster pot three-quarters full of salted water (use 1 tablespoon of salt for each quart of water). Bring the water to a rolling boil. Put the lobsters in the pot, making sure they're completely submerged. Cover the pot and begin timing, maintaining the boil, as follows:

1 - 2 pound lobsters: approximately 18 minutes 
2 pound or larger lobsters: 22 - 25 minutes

To Steam Lobsters: Put about 2 inches of salted water in a large pot (use 1 tablespoon of salt for each quart of water). Put the lobsters in the pot, and cover tightly. Begin timing, and boil for the times listed above.

To partially cook your lobsters for reheating and eating later, follow the instructions above but subtract 5-7 minutes from the cooking time. After you've par-cooked them, dunk them in cold water for 3 minutes, drain, and refrigerate. You can finish cooking them any time up to 48 hours later.

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## MIke R

doesnt surprise me.....

been doing 5 minutes per pound forever..its how I was taught by ol time Cape Codders...
but again thats 5 minute a pound on a *really* hard boil or hard forceful steam...more if the stove cant do that....a one  and a half pound lobster is quite small...cant imagine exposing it to that much heat for that long

Theresa can tell you how good my 5 minute a pound lobsters are   :cool:

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## MIke R

> All recipes for fish are generally too long for whatever reason.




thats very true and I dont know why....I have never baked or broiled a fish to the recommended times...took it out way way before...and boil and steam times too for shellfish..

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## andynap

> I looked at a bunch of steaming times and nothing is 5 minutes a pound.



John- you are correct. For a 1 1/2 lb lobster it's 12 minutes per lb - put the lobster in once the water comes to a boil. Mike likes it a little raw and chewy I guess.

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## MIke R

once again....you all don't need to believe me at all....I defer  to Theresa who consumed my 5 minute a pound lobster

1 and 1/2 pounds I would do about 8 minutes of a *hard* steam...take it out and let it finish cooking without heat - in a bowl

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## andynap

I like it boiled- more control that way and no stick to keep it straight- LOL- and it wouldn't fit in the pot that way.

Theresa who?

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## MIke R

Theresa who????......shameful....LOL

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## Theresa

Andy, be a nice man and drink your grappa.

Mike, the lobster you prepared for Mike and I was outstanding.  In fact, the whole meal was!

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## MIke R

amen.....5 minutes a pound...merci

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## andynap

Oh you. I didn't know.

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