Lobster with Basil Pasta and Mascarpone Sauce

As a dinner entertainer, fresh pasta is your best friend; it's simple to make (as long as you do not let the inexperienced take over; a mistake I have made a few too many times), versatile, fairly inexpensive to make, and really impresses the guests. There's a really fast and less impressive way to make it, which involves machinery and bowls. And, there's the really impressive Italian grandma way to make it: in a pile, with a rolling pin and a knife. I generally opt for the more entertaining way of making it since I prefer the aesthetic of "imperfect" pasta and can't stand the idea of cleaning kitchen machinery (not that I have any).

This recipe consists of three parts: the pasta making, the lobster steaming, and the sauce creation. You can also obviously substitute the home-made pasta with market-bought fresh pasta or a high-quality store-bought pasta; this will eliminate a procedure.

Serves 2:
- 2*1.25 lbs to 1.5 lbs lobsters
- 1.5 cups flour (organic all purpose)
- 2 large whole eggs
- 2 egg yolks
- 1/2 cup basil, finely chopped
- pinch of salt
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1/2 cup fennel, paper thin
- 2 to 3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
- 1/3 cup chives, finely choped
- 3 sprigs of mint, leaves chopped
- 1/4 cup of mascarpone
- 1/3 cup of parmesan, gratted
- spices and salt (ginger, espelette, and pepper)

When making a pasta dish, unless it involves a multiple-hour-cooking sauce, always prepare the pasta first since it needs some time to harden a little bit. Also, here's a little pasta measurement advice: it's generally 1 cup of flour + 1 egg + 1  egg yolk per person. I use a little less because I like to slightly reduce my pasta intake.

Basil Pasta
1. Prepare a large clean surface. (Or a bowl, if you want to stay cleaner.)
2. Make a pile of flour in the center of your surface and indent the center of your pile (so it's like a bowl itself).
3. Put eggs, yolks, basil, salt, and olive oil into the center of the flour pile. Whisk these ingredients with a fork (not the flour).
4. Slowly whisk in the flour until you have a nice consistency. Add slightly more flour if the dough is too wet.
5. Knead the dough into a ball. Make sure not to overwork it as dough hardens when it's tampered with.
6. Roll out the ball with a rolling pin until it is very thin. * Use flour on the rolling pin and all surfaces to avoid breaking the pasta. Let that sit while you prepare the lobster.

Lobster
7. Steam lobsters for 8 to 9 minutes.
8. Remove from heat. Let cool down.
9. Remove the meat from the crustacean and set aside.

At this point, you will go back to the pasta.
10. Roll up the sheet of pasta towards the center. (Like in the picture.)
11. Cut the pasta. Unroll the cut pasta. Let it sit.
12. Prepare a pot of water, at high, with salt and olive oil for the pasta. Cover it.

Sauce
13. In a saucepan at low-med heat, throw in butter.
14. When the butter bubbles, throw in the garlic, the fennel, and the spices. Let it cook for about a minute.
15. Reduce the heat to low. Add in the mascarpone, half of the parmesan, the chive, and the mint. Let the cheeses melt.
16. Throw in the lobster. Cover. Remove off of heat.

The pasta water should be boiling at this point.
14. Throw in the pasta into the boiling water while stirring. Cook for 45 seconds to 1.5 minutes, depending on your preference.
15. Drain immediately and put a tad of butter on the pasta to prevent the single pastas from sticking to each other.

Service
16. On a plate (or on a bowl), first place the pasta. After, sprinkle on the remaining parmesan. On top of that, pour on the sauce and lobster.

Here's a little trick of the trade: parmesan put directly onto pasta, rather than on the sauce, enhances the flavours of the pasta.

Mushroom Soup

 Mushroom soup is one of my favourite things to make after a day of mushroom picking. Bolete, aka porcini, aka cepe, is probably the best mushroom you can use to make a very flavourful broth. Add in some chanterelles and you've got yourself a piece of heaven. However, we do not always have access to wild mushrooms and have to make do with what is available. Consequently, this recipe is for an alternative mushroom soup. I promise, I will post up my wild mushroom soup recipe soon enough.

Serves 2 as a meal soup:
- 3 cups of mushrooms of choice, chopped (chanterelle, crimini, and oyster mushrooms were used for this soup) *Chanterelle and oyster mushrooms are both mild and delicate in taste; you cannot make a broth out of these mushrooms.
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- pinch of salt and pepper
- 6 bay leaves
- 1 glove of garlic, finely chopped
- 5 cups broth (I will be posting broth recipes soon. You can also use organic store-bought vegetable, mushroom, or chicken broth.)
- 3/4 cup noodles of choice (I will also be posting a noodle recipe soon.)
- 1/2 cup of fresh dill and coriander, chopped

1. In a pot, on medium-high heat, throw in butter.
2. When butter begins to bubble, throw in onions. Cook for about 4 min while stirring.
3. Add in mushrooms, garlic, bay leaves, salt, and pepper. Cook for 2 min, covered.
4. Add in broth. *Do not use salt if your store-bought broth is not low-sodium.
5. When the broth reaches its boiling point, uncover and throw in noodles. *Never recover a pot once you have thrown in noodles or pasta.
6. Cook noodles according to instructed time (it is best to check the noodles after a few minutes since time instructions tend to be off more than not).
7. Remove off heat. Add herbs. Serve.

This is tasty. However, wild mushroom soup is mind-blowing. Coming soon.

Butter & Garlic Oyster Mushrooms

 

Oyster mushrooms are probably the cleanest mushrooms you can find since they generally grow high atop of trees (in Quebec, they generally grow on maples; however, the oyster mushroom, aka pleurotus, is not restricted to maple trees). Also, like other gilled, upright growing mushrooms, the oyster mushroom tears easily into shreds; hence, no need to cut them.  Oyster mushrooms are probably the quickest and easiest mushroom to cook. Simplicity is key when cooking these guys.

 Serves 2:
- 2 handfuls of oyster mushrooms, hand-torn
- 1 tbsp butter
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- pinch of salt and pepper
- 1/3 cup fresh herbs (a combination if dill, coriander, chives, or green onion)

1. Preheat oven to high broil (500 C) or prepare BBQ.
2. In aluminum foil, add mushrooms, butter, garlic, lemon, salt, and pepper.
3. Cook for 5 minutes.
4. Remove off heat. Add herbs.
5. Serve immediately (since they get cold fast).





An even simpler and as excellent recipe involves replacing the butter with olive oil and omitting the garlic and herbs. It is probably the easiest thing to make and doesn't even involve a knife (camping idea perhaps).

Three Pepper Octopus

 Octopus, the great leviathan of the sea, can be quite a struggle to cook if you do not know how to tenderize it. Fortunately, there are many ways to tenderize an octopus. Here's a few I suggest: beating it with a brick, driving over it with a car, bashing it against a wall or a boat, freezing it (since freezing the octopus' flesh breaks down its enzymes; consequently, breaks down its molecular structure), or steaming it for about 45 minutes to an hour. However, for the inexperienced octopus tenderizer, I recommend steaming the thing. The key thing to remember is to score your octopus pieces before steaming them. 

Another benefit of steaming the octopus is that you can add spices into its steam bath in order to create flavours. For three pepper octopus, this is ideal.

Serves 2:
- 1/2 octopus
- 1 tbsp fresh green peppercorns 
- 1/2 tbsp fresh black peppercorns
- 1/2 tbsp pink peppercorns
- pinch of salt
- 1 tbsp bay leaves
- 2 tbsp paper-thin sliced red onion
- 1 tbsp capers
- 1 tsp espelette
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp fresh coriander, chopped
- 1/2 tbsp green onion, chopped

1. Cut up and score your octopus.
2. In a steamer, throw in octopus, peppercorns, salt, bay leaves, 1 tbsp of red onion, 1/2 tbsp of capers. Cook for 45 min to 1 hr. Check for tenderness.
3. Towards the end of its steam time, preheat oven to a high broil (500 C).
4. In aluminum foil, throw in octopus mixture, espelette, and 1 tbsp of olive oil. Mix it up. Cook in oven for about 4 min.
5. Remove from heat (put it in a plate or bowl) and add the rest of the olive oil, the rest of the capers, the rest of the red onion, the coriander, and the green onion.
6. Serve.

To add a little something something to the octopus, you can add a little bit of saffron before throwing it into the oven. Saffron is extremely potent and can easily kill a meal; so, be careful with it. Two to three stigmas will do.

Lamb & Veal Burger with Chanterelle Mushrooms

Ah, the burger. It's simple, versatile, and so damn tasty. Must I add that I make the damn best burgers in town? I have yet to taste a juicier and more flavourful burger. (To those who take the challenge to introduce me to something better: it's on.) Today's burger is one that emphasizes the sweet taste of wild chanterelle mushrooms. Since chanterelles have a delicate taste, it's very important to minimize ingredients in order to avoid overpowering the mushrooms. In that case, spicing will be concentrated on the meat. Also, a milder fresh cheese should be used in order to accentuate the chanterelles.

First, we prepare the patties. I used a lamb and veal combination since the intense taste of the lamb with the mild taste of the veal makes for a lovely experience.

Serves 2:
- 150 to 200 g ground lamb
- 150 to 200 g ground veal
- 1/4 cup finely chopped coriander (coriander and lamb are a superb combination)
- 2 tbsp finely chopped chives
- 1 glove of garlic, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp coarsely crushed black peppercorns
- pinch of salt, espelette, ginger powder, and mace

1. Preheat oven to a high broil (500 C) or preheat grill to the max.
2. In a bowl, mix all of the ingredients.
3. Make patties.
4. You will cook patties about 3 to 4 minutes on each side, depending on how done you like them. *Remember, when the meat bleeds, it's medium rare. It's about a minute more for each grade up.

For the garnish, I cooked up some chanterelles. Have them going as soon as you put your burgers into the oven or on the grill since they are very quick to make.
Chanterelle Garnish:
- 100 to 150 g chanterelles, pulled apart into slivers (there's no need to cut chanterelles since they pull apart easily and perfectly)
- 1/2 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp sliced yellow onion
- 1/3 tsp honey
- pinch of salt and pepper
- 1 tbsp broth (chicken)
1. In a pan at medium heat, throw in butter and onions.
2. Add honey, salt, and pepper. Cook for 2 minutes while stirring.
3. Add broth. Cook for another minute while stirring.
4. Add chanterelles. Cover and cook for 2 minutes.
5. Remove off heat and keep covered to keep the mushrooms warm until you put them on the burger.

The other two main key garnishes I added were the following:
- pickles (this is an extremely important part of a burger)
- slices of mozarella di bufala (the light taste of the fresh mozarella really accentuates the mushrooms)
 During the last minute of cooking the burgers, put the slices of cheese onto the lower buns and throw them into the oven to melt the cheese.

I also added:
- a very small amount of arugula
- slivers of tomato
- ketchup
- a creamy dijon

PS Hallah makes for the best buns.

As a final step, stack those ingredients up. I recommend cheese, arugula, mushrooms, patty, pickles, tomatoes, and mustard and ketchup on the bun; it seems to hold better in that order (the patty keeps the mushrooms in place). I guarantee that this burger will be a vertical challenge anyway. Good luck.

Brussel Sprouts

It is brussel sprout season here, in Montreal. It's time to get the most beautiful and pepperiest brussel sprouts you can. Did I mention that the way they grow is quite a sight as well? Go to your local market and see how they grow.

The problem people have with cooking vegetables, like most other fresh foods, is overcooking and over-seasoning. Another key tip is: never boil vegetables. Boiling vegetables not only reduces its vitamin count but also kills its taste. I have the same procedure with most vegetables: a quick steam and an even quicker toss in some butter, on a pan. For those who do not have a steamer or a bain marie, do yourself a favour and get one.

Vegetables are a perfect side-dish for meat since they cook as fast.

Serves 2:
- 16 brussel sprouts
- 1 tsp butter
- pinch of salt

1. Bring your steamer to a boil.
2. Put in brussel sprouts. Let cook for about 4-5 minutes (Try them to figure out how crunchy you like them. I like mine crunchy; so, 4 minutes works for me). Take the brussel sprouts off of the heat immedieately once they are at your liking.
3. Prepare a pan at low-medium heat. Add butter.
4. Throw in brussel sprouts and salt. Swish them around in the butter for about 20 to 30 seconds.
5. Serve.

Try putting cream cheese (preferably organic) on the brussel sprouts when they are served. So good. I feel like children might like that one too.

I recommend combining this recipe and my lamb chop recipe to make a lovely (and really quick and easy) meal. Add in some nice red wine and you'll be in heaven (I vote for a St-Emilion or a Chateauneuf-du-Pape).

Lamb Chops

Quebec has some of the best lamb I have ever tasted. From the region of Kamouraska, this lamb is plump and might be slightly fatty. However, its fat melts into a rich flavour. Even for the non fat-eaters (like myself), this lamb's fat is quite irresistible. When cooked right, it becomes a foie gras- like delicatessen.

The secret to good lamb (and meat in general) is to not overcook it. Meat cooks really fast and many people fail to know/ remember that. Also, to preserve its natural rich flavour, you want to keep the seasoning to a minimum. Good meat = high heat + fast + minimal seasoning.

Serves 2:
- 8 lamb chops (Kamouraska lamb is really plump; you definitely wouldn't need more than 4 chops a person)
- 2 gloves of garlic, finely chopped
- pinch of sea salt
- 1 tsp of coarsely granulated black pepper
- 1 sprig of rosemary, finely chopped
- 3 sprigs of coriander, finely chopped

1. Preheat oven to a high broil (make sure the heat is coming only from the top and turn it up to the maximum your oven can go to, which is 500 C on most ranges). 
2. In a bowl, add garlic, salt, pepper, rosemary, and coriander. Mix it all up.
3. Wash the lamb chops (always wash your meat and in cold water). Cover them up with the mixture.
4. Place the chops onto a grilling rack and throw it into the oven (when it reaches its appropriate heat of course).
5. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes on each side depending on how you like them cooked and on the thickness of your chops. Sometimes, I cook the chops for only 2 minutes on each side; I like them pink and slightly bloody. Never cook lamb chops for longer than 4 minutes on each side. Actually, I even discourage cooking them for that long.

Fast, easy, and you'll love yourself for it. Just make sure to eat the chops right away because they lose heat pretty quickly. Anything that cooks quickly loses heat quickly. Also, remember to always buy meat from a local butcher shop rather than a grocery store (you'll taste the difference).