Lobster Smothered In White Truffle Butter With Toasted White Corn Pancakes And Roasted Baby Beets Recipes

Steps:

• To make the lobster: Have ready a large bowl filled with ice. Fill a very large wide-bottomed pot with water and add the vinegar, carrots, onion, celery, anise seed, fennel seed, coriander seed, bay leaf, and cayenne. Bring to a boil, submerge the lobsters (cook one at a time if they don't all fit) in the pot and cook for 5 minutes. Remove the lobsters and immediately place in the ice bath to stop further cooking.
• Lay a lobster on a towel; pull the legs off and snap off the knuckles. Remove the thin part of the claws and the bone inside the claw meat by twisting and pulling it out. Lay the claw flat on a towel, cover, and gently pound with a wide mallet or heel of a knife. Use your fingers to gently push the meat through the large opening at the other end. Lay the tail meat flat and use shears to cut in half lengthwise through the middle. Remove the vein running through the inside of the tail but leave the meat inside the tail.
• For the knuckles, cut off the top joint of each knuckle and use scissors to cut away the shell along the smooth outside edge of the knuckle. Use your finger to open up the shell and remove the meat. Reserve the meat on a paper towel, cover, and refrigerate.
• For the body, pull back and discard the sack behind the head. Save the dark green roe for a sauce and the body and legs for a stock, if you want. Discard the tomalley and lungs.
• To make the beurre fondue: Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook until translucent, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the anise seed, fennel seed, star anise, cayenne, and coriander, and saute for a few more minutes. Add the wine; bring to a boil for 2 minutes. Add the butter pieces gradually and whisk consistently to obtain and emulsify the beurre fondue. Strain out the shallots. Add the tarragon. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
• To make the muscade de Provence ravioli: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Split the pumpkin and remove the seeds. Set the pieces on a roasting rack in a roasting pan. Dab pieces of the butter on the individual pieces of pumpkin. Drizzle the honey over the pieces, season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg, and set the cinnamon stick on one of the pumpkin halves. Pour the water in the pan and cover with aluminum foil. Bake until the pumpkin is very soft, about 1 hour. Let cool in the pan, reserving the liquid in the pan. Scrape the flesh from the rind; discard the rind and the cinnamon stick. Blend the pumpkin with the remaining liquid in the pan, strain, and refrigerate until ready to use.
• Lay out a wonton wrapper, brush with the beaten egg, and place 1 teaspoon of muscade de Provence filling in the center of the wrapper. Cover with a second wrapper and press down the edges around the filling, making sure to push all air bubbles away from the center towards the outer edges. Press on the edges to seal. Use a cutter in order to shape the ravioli or trim the edges to the desired from. Dust with flour to prevent sticking, and chill until ready to use.
• To cook, blanch the ravioli in boiling water for 1 minute.
• To make the truffle butter sauce: Mix 1 1/2 cups of the beurre fondue with the truffle and veal stock, if using.
• To make the salad: In a bowl, mix together the frisee, celery root, microgreens, almonds, and apples. Toss with the vinaigrette. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
• To serve: Immerse the lobster in the warm beurre fondue and leave for 2 minutes, off the heat, just long enough to warm up the lobster and finish the cooking. Put a spoonful of truffle butter sauce on the bottom of a plate to make a circle. Put the warm ravioli on top. Season with salt, pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Then set the lobster on the ravioli, pulled somewhat out of its shell. Add the salad on top, tucking it in some of the lobster shell.

Steps:

• Combine the butter, basil, and salt and pepper to taste in a food processor and blend until smooth. Pack the mixture into a medium ramekin, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Split the lobsters in half lengthwise. Bring the knife down through the tail, making sure to cut just through the meat and to leave the shell connected. Lay the lobster open, leaving the two halves slightly attached. Pull off claws and legs from the lobsters and crack them slightly with the knife handle. Place the claws and legs on the grill over medium-low heat and cover with a pie pan. Cook them for 5 to 7 minutes per side. Brush the lobster bodies with the oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Place them fleshside down on the grill over medium heat. Grill 8 to 10 minutes
• Remove the lobsters and slather with the basil butter.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F. Place beets in roasting pan. Add 4 rosemary sprigs and enough water to barely cover beets. Cover pan tightly with foil. Roast beets until tender, about 50 minutes. Transfer beets to work surface. Peel while still warm; place on rimmed baking sheet. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill.)
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Melt butter with oil in small saucepan. Pour over beets on sheet; toss to coat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake until heated through, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Transfer to bowl. Garnish with additional rosemary sprigs and serve.