Brodetto with Lobster and Corn

Name: Brodetto with Lobster and Corn
Yield: serves 6
Ingredients: 2 live lobsters, each about 1 1/2 pounds; 1/2 cup flour, or more if needed; 1/2 cup canola oil, or more if needed; 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil; 1 medium onion, chopped into 1/4-inch pieces; 2 tablespoons finely minced shallots; 3/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste; 2 cups chopped leeks in 1/2-inch pieces; 2 tablespoons tomato paste; One 28-ounce can plum tomatoes and their juice, passed through a food mill, or 2 cups Summer Tomato Sauce (page 256) or Simple Tomato Sauce (page 132); 4 cups or more Simple Vegetable Broth (page 288) or water; 1/4 teaspoon peperoncino (hot red pepper flakes); 3 cups fresh corn kernels (and juices) scraped from the cob (see page 276) or frozen corn kernels; 1 cup chopped scallions; A heavy chef’s knife and sturdy kitchen shears, for cutting up the lobsters; A 14-inch sauté pan or skillet, 3-inch sides or higher

December 14, 2011

This beautiful brodetto is brimful of colors, tastes, and textures, and extends the flavor of lobster to bowls of polenta or pasta. Lobster and corn cooked together in a brodetto is not traditionally found in Italy. I discovered this combination of flavors when I was traveling through Maine and other parts of the Northeastern coast of the United States, and I liked it so much that I took the liberty to Italianize the duo. The preparation follows the basic steps of all red brodetti: First the floured lobster pieces are fried to seal the flesh and caramelize it. Then they’re put back in the skillet with aromatics, tomato, and seasonings to create the brodetto, and the addition of corn adds sweetness and texture. Most people eat only the tails and the claws of lobsters, but don’t you disregard the heads and tiny legs—they are the sweetest parts. After having enjoyed the polenta and the sought-after parts of the lobster, set yourself up with a wet towel and a clean plate, and begin to nibble and suck on those little legs, biting into them now and then to squeeze out the meat. Then pull the head piece up close and pull the inside part from the shell, lick the shell, and set it down. Slowly begin to pry open the chest chambers, and with an oyster fork pry out morsels of some of the sweetest lobster meat. At our house it is the heads of the lobsters that are rationed, not the tails.

Recipe notes