Surf and turf for 17, last night
Working in the morning and cooking in the afternoon, and no time to post! Been having fun cooking nightly for a houseload of hungry sailors on a generous budget. Last night was steak and lobster and smashed potatoes and salad.
Cooking mussels tonight, then wahoo (never cooked before, it will be interesting), saffron rice cooked in lobster stock (that I made this afternoon), asparagus, salad, and grilled baguettes. As they are true to the sailing culture, the crew go in for liquid desserts which makes it easy for the cook!
I also brought the Polyscience immersion circulator, it came in handy for the surf and turf last night. We worked together to get the lobsters all done expediently. I killed them first, Doug Moose separated the bodies and dropped them in the 140 degree F water bath for 40 minutes, and we put the claws in a pot of boiling water 15 minutes before serving them. We saved the legs and bodies for stock.
Doug and I breaking down the lobster.
I'll be back next week with a proper post about the Key West adventure and cooking for large groups!
Lunch at Blue Heaven, Key West (photo by donna)
If you liked this post on Key West, check out these other links:
- My post on how to make a simple crab boil.
- Read about Victoria Allman a chef who cooks on yachts.
- The World Wildlife Fund has many lists of sustainable seafood for various parts of the world.
© 2012 Michael Ruhlman. Photo © 2012 Donna Turner-Ruhlman. All rights reserved
those lobsters look more magnificent than Kim Kardashian's bling ring...they are huge; I would take those over a ring any day;
What a feast! I love Key West and your photo makes me wish I were there again. I'm hungry now too.
What a hard life you have, Michael .
You aren't at Key West Race Week are you? Great sailing and great eating since you are cooking.
Maine lobster in Key West?? How 'bout some local bugs next time?
You look very intense, working way to hard. I'm sure whatever you made was excellent like all of your other culinary endeavors. I love S. Florida, and hope you get a chance to relax and chill, maybe have a few margaritas and go at the Cuban Coffee Queen for the Cuban mix and coffee.Thanks for warming our hearts in the freezing pacific N.W.
Wonafu, wonafu, wonafu... turn off the friggin nipilator up here in the N.W.!!
It is kind of intense killing things. Lobsters are one of the few things we eat that we kill just before cooking, and so the intensity is warranted. It's not fun, but it's part of the eating.
you look much more relaxed at Blue Heaven, and I agree, I hate the killing part and try to use everything. I plucked my first wild pin tail duck, cleaned it , saving the tiny gizzards, heart, and liver for later use and smoked it
I made a lovely hash in my cast Iron skillet with smoked duck, diced pre boiled yukon gold, onions, carrots, and topped with two eggs cooked slow for over easy, and finished with dice hot Colombian pickled peppers, the cracklings from the skin and pepper . One of the best things I have eaten and honors the entire animal.
PS. If I'm posting after midnight/ 3am est, I'm usually tanked. Feel free to delete any of my rants. I wont know the difference.
...on the other hand, lobsters do a lot worse things to each other in the wild. Ah, the circle of life!
29 f outside and I just fried up fish and chips outside at 2am, doused in beer vinegar and as crazy as it sounds, they were terrific!
Mr Ruhlman, do you prefer Atlantic lobster over Carribbean lobster ? I find the warm water lobster isn't near as sweet or delicate. What do you think ?
definitely lobster from cold cold clean water, as in stonington maine.
The Blue Heaven picture is just plain cruel. How can you taunt the rest of us freezing up here in the Northern states? If you send me one of their Lobster Benedicts and a side of breakfast sausage... I just may forgive you (and rename one of my kids after you).
Enjoy the Keys!
were the steaks sous vide as well?
I could have done them that way but just as easy to sear and flavor on grill then put in low oven till they hit 125 degrees inside.
OMG.
I'll be right down.
Michael, can you suggest a reputable online source for good quality, fresh saffron? Last batch came from Penzey's and has served me well for years.
Continue having fun!