PORTLAND, Maine — The summer season may be behind us, but that doesn’t mean it’s time to stop enjoying fresh Maine lobster. Maine Lobster Week runs from Sept. 24-30. From York to Presque Isle, dozens of restaurants across the state are taking part in this year’s event offering lobster specials throughout the week.
David Turin, owner and chef of David’s Restaurant in Portland and David’s 388 in South Portland, joined us in the 207 kitchen. He shared his recipe for lobster corn chowder.
Ingredients:
- 3 strips bacon, diced
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1 cup onions, diced
- 1 cup carrot, diced
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ teaspoon thyme
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt, Kosher
- 1 ½ teaspoons paprika
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon celery seed
- 4 tablespoons flour
- 3 cups lobster-corn stock (see recipe below)
- 1 quart heavy cream
- 2 medium potatoes, diced ¼" (can be diced ahead and covered with heavy cream to stop browning)
- Corn (from recipe below)
- Lobster meat from 2, 1¼-pound lobsters (from recipe below)
Method of Preparation:
- In a large rondo, render bacon in the butter until it just begins to crisp.
- Add carrots, onion, and spices. Cook until onions are translucent.
- Add flour to make a roux. Be careful to scrape the bottom of the pan very well. Cook roux for 5 minutes on low heat.
- Add stock, potatoes, and cream. Bring to a simmer until potatoes just begin to get tender. Be careful to scrape the bottom of the pan often.
- Serve the chowder in a bowl and add the lobster at the last minute so it doesn’t get tough.
Lobster & corn stock
Ingredients:
- 1 quart water
- 2 ears of corn, shucked
- 2, 1 ¼ pound lobsters
Method of Preparation:
- Place water in a large pot with a cover and bring to a boil.
- Add corn and lobsters and cook on high heat, covered for 6-10 minutes.
- Remove lobsters and corn and shock in an ice bath.
- Remove corn from the cobb, and remove hominy from the cobb. Reserve both for chowder.
- Shuck lobsters, and reserve meat for chowder.
- Clean lobster bodies. Remove green parts and the brain from the body and rinse off. Return to pot for stock.
- Simmer stock for 15 minutes, strain, and reserve stock for chowder.