2019-08-01 Cook\'s Country

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2019 • COOK’S COUNTRY 21

HOT BUTTERED LOBSTER ROLLS

Serves 4

For the best results, use live lobsters.

If you cannot fi nd live lobsters, eight

4- to 5-ounce frozen lobster tails can

be substituted; reduce the cooking

time in step 1 to 4 minutes, or cook

until the meat registers 135 degrees.

If New England–style hot dog buns,

also known as “split-top” buns,

are unavailable, you can substitute

regular hot dog buns or, in a pinch,

hamburger buns.

3 (1½-pound) live lobsters

1⁄4 teaspoon table salt, plus salt

for cooking lobsters

2 tablespoons unsalted butter,

softened, plus 6 tablespoons

cut into 6 pieces

4 New England–style hot dog buns

1 small shallot, minced (optional)

2 teaspoons minced fresh chives

Lemon wedges

1. Bring 6 quarts water to boil in
   large stockpot over high heat. Add
   lobsters and 3 tablespoons salt,
   making sure lobsters are com-
   pletely submerged. Reduce heat to
   medium-low, cover, and cook for
   10 minutes. Transfer lobsters to
   rimmed baking sheet and let cool for
   10 minutes.


2. Remove lobster meat from claws
   and tails. Cut meat into rough
   ¾-inch pieces; set aside. Spread
   softened butter evenly on outer cut
   sides of buns. Toast outside of buns
   in 12-inch skillet over medium heat.
   Transfer buns to serving platter.


3. Melt remaining 6 tablespoons
   butter in now-empty skillet over
   medium-low heat. Stir in shallot, if
   using; lobster; and salt and cook until
   lobster is heated through, about
   2 minutes.


4. Using slotted spoon, divide
   lobster mixture among buns.
   Sprinkle lobster rolls with chives and
   drizzle with any remaining butter
   from skillet, if desired. Serve with
   lemon wedges.

TOOLS
Lobster crackers
and forks are nice
if you have them,
but you can get by
with kitchen shears,
a chef’s knife, and a
butter knife for dig-
ging out the meat.
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I MAKE CORN salsa frequently in

the summer by simply throwing corn

and whatever else I have on hand on

the grill and then buzzing everything

in a food processor. Some versions

defi nitely come out better than others.

I wanted to create a foolproof recipe

that would deliver every time. And

since I wanted this recipe to work even

on a rainy day or when corn isn’t at its

peak, I decided to develop it using the

broiler instead of the grill.

To start, I added two ears of corn,

an onion sliced into rounds, and a few

jalapeños to a rimmed baking sheet;

slid the sheet under the broiler; and let

the heat do its thing. When the veg-

etables were nicely charred, I chopped

them up, squeezed in some lime juice,

seasoned with salt and pepper, and

had a taste. Yowza! The salsa was too

spicy—you couldn’t taste the corn

through the burn. It was much better,

I found, to use a rich poblano chile

for fl avor and just a single jalapeño for

heat and brightness.

There were a few more details to

work through. I found that not turning

the corn under the broiler resulted in

deep, caramelized fl avor on the kernels

sitting right below the broiler element

and crunchy, sweet pops of corn from

the unexposed side of the cob. Add-

ing a few garlic cloves brought extra

depth to the salsa. And a few meaty

plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise and

broiled skin side up, tied the elements

together without making the salsa read

as tomatoey. Fresh cilantro gave the

salsa a fragrant blast. Here was summer

corn at its fi nest.

ROASTED CORN SALSA

Serves 10 to 12 (Makes about 3½ cups)

This salsa can be served with chips or

as an accompaniment to pork, chicken,

or fi sh. For a spicier salsa, add more

cayenne. To get a variety of textures

and fl avors in the salsa, we do not

rotate the corn while we broil it.

1 pound plum tomatoes, cored and

halved lengthwise

2 ears corn, husks and silk removed,

halved crosswise

1 small onion, sliced into ½-inch-thick

rounds

1 poblano chile, stemmed, halved,

and seeded

1 jalapeño chile, stemmed, halved,

and seeded

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

2 garlic cloves, peeled

1 teaspoon table salt, divided

2 tablespoons lime juice

1⁄8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, plus extra

for seasoning

½ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

and stems

1. Adjust oven rack 6 inches from
   broiler element and heat broiler. Toss
   tomatoes, corn, onion, poblano, jala-
   peño, oil, garlic, and ½ teaspoon salt
   together on rimmed baking sheet. Flip
   tomatoes and chiles skin side up. Broil
   until vegetables are well charred, 12 to
   14 minutes. Let vegetables cool on
   sheet for 10 minutes.


2. Cut kernels off cobs and transfer
   to large bowl. Pulse onion, poblano,
   and jalapeño in food processor until
   pieces are no larger than ½ inch, 8 to
   10 pulses, scraping down sides of bowl
   as needed. Add to bowl with corn.


3. Process lime juice, cayenne, toma-
   toes, garlic, and remaining ½ teaspoon
   salt in now-empty processor until
   smooth, about 30 seconds. Stir tomato
   mixture and cilantro into corn mixture
   until fully incorporated. Let sit for
   1 hour at room temperature. Season
   with salt and extra cayenne to taste.
   Serve. (Salsa can be refrigerated for up
   to 3 days.)

Corn

Salsa

Chiles and char elevate

sweet summer corn.

by Natalie Estrada

Web subscribers can read the results

of our unsalted butter tasting at

CooksCountry.com/butter.

How to Remove Meat from a Cooked Lobster

This is wet, messy work: Hold the

lobster using clean dish towels

to ensure a secure grip and

protect yourself from cuts

since the shells are sharp.

CLAWS

1. Twist to remove.


2. Separate claw pieces
   and knuckles.


3. Crack shells and dig
   out meat.

TAIL

1. Twist to separate from body.


2. Pull off small fl ippers.


3. Use shears to cut through
   underside of shell, or use
   your fi ngers to push meat out
   through larger (body side)
   opening.

BODY

There are tasty morsels

within the lobster’s body, but

they take a bit of work to get

to. The small side legs are

great for snacking on—some

say their fi ne shreds of meat

are the sweetest.