Lobster Rangoon with Fruit Compote
Vanilla Bean Lobster Ice Cream
This is a classic dessert often found in Chinese or Thai restaurants, but where they generally use imitation crab meat, we use real lobster meat! Use whatever fruit is in season—raspberries, blueberries, peaches—to make sure you get the freshest results possible.
SERVES 4 TO 6
1 live lobster (about 1 ¼ lb), steamed and meat removed
1 cup cream cheese
1 tsp kosher salt
24 wonton wrappers
1 cup vegetable oil
½ cup fresh raspberries
½ cup fresh blueberries
1 Tbsp granulated sugar
1. Chop the lobster meat into small pieces and place it in a bowl.
2. Add the cream cheese and salt. Mix well.
3. On a large work surface, lay out the wonton wrappers. Spoon 1 tsp of lobster mixture into the center of each wonton. Seal the edges of each to form a triangle as shown.
4. In a small saucepan, add a thin layer of vegetable oil and heat over medium-high heat. Submerge three to four wontons at a time in the oil, making sure you don’t crowd the pan, and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the wontons float and are crispy and golden brown. Remove them with a slotted spoon and lay them on a paper towel–lined plate to absorb any excess oil. Repeat with the remaining wontons, adding more oil to the pan as necessary.
5. In a separate small saucepan, heat the raspberries, blueberries, and sugar over medium heat. Cook, stirring, for 2 to 3 minutes, until the liquid thickens. Remove from the heat immediately.
6. Place the cooked wontons on a serving plate and drizzle with the warm fruit compote.
I remember my parents giving me a Sesame Street cookbook when I was a kid. It had a recipe for homemade candy, and I fell in love with it. I’ve been making candy for many years now, and candy apples, with their red hard candy coating, are one of my favorite treats. It was only a matter of time before this dessert idea was born. Think it sounds crazy? Try it!
MAKES ABOUT 10 PIECES
1 live lobster (about 1 ¼ lb), boiled and meat removed
½ cup hot water
1 cup light corn syrup
2 cups granulated sugar (plus extra for sprinkling)
Red food coloring
1. Finely chop the lobster meat and place it in a bowl. Set aside.
2. In a medium-sized saucepan, combine the hot water with the corn syrup and sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Continue to cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Add 4 drops of red food coloring and the lobster meat. Stir together and continue to cook for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the mixture reaches 310ºF. Use a candy thermometer to check the temperature. To test if the candy is ready, drip some onto a spoon, place the spoon in a glass of cold water, and watch to see if the candy hardens.
3. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and sprinkle the bottom lightly with sugar. Pour the hot candy onto the prepared sheet. Place in the refrigerator to cool for 1 to 2 hours.
4. Crack the candy into about 10 snack-sized pieces.
NOTE: Be careful not to burn the candy, which can happen within just a couple of minutes. Quickly remove it from the heat if you smell burning.
This dessert was inspired by one of my favorite cities in the world, good old New York City, the city that never sleeps. The first time I had New York City cheesecake was in the fall of 2006 at Carnegie Deli at around 1:30 a.m. You haven’t lived until you’ve had late-night cheesecake.
MAKES 12
Crust
1 ½ cups crushed graham crackers (about 10 crackers)
¼ cup brown sugar, packed
3 Tbsp salted butter, melted
Filling
1 live lobster (about 1 ¼ lb), boiled and meat removed
3 cups cream cheese
½ cup mascarpone cheese
1 cup granulated sugar
3 eggs
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
1. For the crust, place the graham crackers, sugar, and butter in a mixing bowl. Mix with a wooden spoon and set aside.
2. For the filling, cut the lobster meat into small chunks and place it in a bowl. Set aside.
3. Preheat the oven to 325ºF. Fill a high-sided baking pan halfway with warm water and put it on the bottom rack of the oven to keep the space moist during cooking. This helps to prevent the cheesecakes from cracking.
4. In a large mixing bowl, or using a stand mixer, mix together the cream cheese, mascarpone cheese, and sugar. Beat in one egg at a time, then add the lemon juice, vanilla extract, and lobster meat and continue to mix until well combined.
5. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners and spoon the crust mixture into the bottom of each one. Evenly fill the cupcake liners with the cheesecake mixture to just below the top.
6. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the tops start to round up. Remove from the oven and allow the cakes to cool at room temperature. Once cooled, remove cheesecakes from the muffin tin and place in the refrigerator for 1 hour before serving.
NOTE: Do not overstir the batter as air bubbles will form and the cheesecakes might crack. Do not open the oven while the cheesecakes are cooking as the change in temperature can also cause the cake to crack or sink.
This recipe might sound weird, but trust me, it works! I first tasted something similar at a roadside diner and I’ve never looked back. Lobster and vanilla are, in my opinion, a delicious pairing: the vanilla brings out the sweet flavor in the lobster meat. Add some heavy cream and condensed milk and you’ll have a party in your mouth!
SERVES 4
1 live lobster (about 1 ¼ lb), steamed and meat removed
2 cups heavy cream
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
2 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 vanilla beans, split and seeds scraped out and reserved
Zest of 1 lemon
½ tsp kosher salt
1. Finely chop the lobster meat and place it in a bowl. Set aside in the refrigerator to cool.
2. In a mixing bowl, or using an electric mixer, whisk the cream until stiff peaks form.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk the condensed milk, butter, vanilla extract, and vanilla seeds with the lobster meat. Add the whipped cream and mix together. Add the lemon zest and salt. Mix well.
4. Transfer the mixture into a large airtight container and place in the freezer for 8 hours.
5. Scoop out and enjoy!
This is a simple and fun recipe I can remember my family making when I was a kid. If you have little ones, let them help by making the crisscross markings. They will have a blast!
SERVES 4
1 Tbsp salted butter
2 cups smooth peanut butter
2 cups granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp baking soda
Kosher salt
Vanilla ice cream (homemade or store-bought)
1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Grease a baking sheet with the butter.
2. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the peanut butter and sugar with a wooden spoon until very smooth, or use a stand mixer if you have one. Add the eggs, vanilla extract, baking soda, and a pinch of salt. Mix well to combine.
3. Using your hands, form the mixture into eight small balls. Place the balls on the prepared baking sheet and, using your hands, flatten each one to about ¼ inch thick. Using a fork, make crisscross marks on the top of each.
4. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until golden brown. Allow the cookies to cool completely before assembling.
5. On a serving plate, lay down one cookie as a bottom layer, spoon a big heap of ice cream on top, and cover it with another peanut butter cookie. Repeat with the remaining cookies and enjoy!
NOTE: For some added crunch, roll the vanilla ice cream sandwich in crushed peanuts.
This was the very first dessert I made at our Ossington Rock Lobster restaurant location. It is still our top-selling dessert. Feel free to add your favorite candy topping.
SERVES 6
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 Tbsp salt
2 Tbsp cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
¾ cup warm water
1 cup granulated sugar
1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
1 ½ cups canola oil
1. In a mixing bowl, use your hands to combine the flour, baking powder, and salt with the butter and form a dry, clumpy mixture. Slowly pour in the warm water and gently mix to form a dough.
2. Dust a little bit of flour on a clean work surface and transfer the dough to it. Using your hands, knead the dough, adding a little more flour as needed. Keep kneading it into a large ball shape, then place it in a bowl and cover with a cloth. Let the dough sit at room temperature for 1 hour to rise.
3. Break the dough into six equal-sized balls and roll each of them out flat with a rolling pin to about 3 inches wide x 6 inches long. Place them on baking sheet and put them in the refrigerator, covered, until needed.
4. In a medium-sized bowl, mix together the sugar and the cinnamon. Set aside.
5. Heat 2 inches of canola oil to 350ºF in a large, deep saucepan over high heat.
6. Place one of the dough pieces in the hot oil and cook each side for 1 minute, or until golden brown and crispy. Using tongs, remove the whale tail from the oil, allowing the excess oil to drip back into the pan.
7. Sprinkle with the sugar-cinnamon mixture while still hot and serve immediately.
NOTE: You can top your Whale Tail with Crème Anglaise, which can be purchased from a specialty food store, or good-quality melted vanilla ice cream. Yum!
