Lobster Stuffed Cabbage With Caviar Recipes

BAKED STUFFED LOBSTER

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• Place a little water in a large pot and bring to a boil.
• Cut open the lobster by inserting your knife just underneath the head and the cutting down, splitting the belly (body and tail). Remove the "inners" (heart, guts, etc., but not meat). Steam the lobster for 7 to 10 minutes and then remove from the pot.
• Stuff the Seafood Stuffing in the lobster's opening and top with the crabmeat.
• Place the stuffed lobster, belly-side-up in a roasting pan. Add the lemon juice and a little water to the bottom of the pan to keep the lobster moist while cooking. Bake for 7 to 10 minutes, or just until the claws begin to split. Do not allow the lobster to dry out.
• In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter and then add all the seafood and saute until tender, about 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
• Mix in the crackers, and add lemon juice, wine, and salt and pepper, to taste.

LOBSTER VELOUTE WITH CHILLED LOBSTER SALAD AND CAVIAR

Steps:

• For the veloute: In a stockpot, combine cognac, onions, carrots, celery, lobster carcasses, leeks and fennel. Add 1 gallon water and bring to a simmer. Add the cream and simmer until thickened. Press through a fine-mesh sieve. Chill until ready to serve.
• For the lobster salad: Combine the lobster meat, creme fraiche, chives, parsley, tarragon, and lemon zest and juice in a bowl and chill.
• Serve the veloute in soup bowls, topped with some of the lobster salad and garnished with a teaspoon of caviar.

STUFFED LOBSTER FOR TWO

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a rapid boil. Add the lobster and cook for 8 minutes. Remove from the water and set aside to cool slightly.
• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (220 degrees C). When the lobster is cool enough, split it in half lengthwise using a large chef's knife. Remove the dark strip if present. Remove the tomalley to a bowl and mix with the bread crumbs, butter, salt, pepper and tarragon. Stuff this mixture on top of the lobster meat still in the shell and place lobster halves in a baking dish. Drizzle oil over the top.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the stuffing is browned, about 20 minutes.

SEAFOOD-STUFFED CABBAGE

Steps:

• 1. Preheat the oven to 325°. For the sauce, melt the butter in a cast iron pot over medium heat until it begins to bubble. Add the flour; whisking briskly until it is thoroughly incorporated. Let the mixture bubble for 1 minute, but don't let it darken. Add the shallot, thyme, and cayenne and continue to whisk as you stir in the seafood broth and wine. Bring the sauce to a simmer and cook until it thickens nicely. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer the sauce to a bowl and refrigerate.
• 2. For the cabbage, heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onions, bell pepper, and garlic and sweat until soft. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and mix in the shrimp, eggs, bread, milk, Tabasco, and celery salt. Carefully fold in the crabmeat, keeping the lumps intact. Cool the seafood filling while you blanch the cabbage leaves.
• 3. Bring a big pot of salted water to boil. Have a large bowl of ice water nearby to cool the leaves as they blanch. Add the cabbage leaves one at a time to the boiling water and blanch for 30 seconds. Transfer to the ice water, then quickly remove from the water and drain flat on towels.
• 4. Spoon 2 tablespoons of the seafood mixture into the center of each cabbage leaf and roll up burrito-style. Pour the seafood sauce into the bottom of the cleaned cast iron pot. Carefully place each cabbage roll, seam-side down, snugly together over the sauce. There should be enough sauce to rise halfway up the sides of the rolls. Bake, covered, for 20-25 minutes.

LOBSTER AND CAVIAR ON TOAST POINTS

Steps:

• Place your lobster in a pot of rapid boiling water (heavily salted) for 10-15 minutes or until tail has a nice pink/reddish color and has curled. Drain, run under cold water and set in refrigerator to cool.
• Place sliced bread on a cookie sheet and toast in the oven for 10-15 minutes or until well toasted. Wrap garlic in aluminum foil with olive oil and place in the oven for 15-20 minutes until the garlic cloves are soft. Set aside to cool.
• In a bowl, combine mayonnaise, roasted garlic cloves and chives. Mix well.
• Remove your lobster tail from the refrigerator. With pairing scissors cut the front and back of the tail lengthwise and remove meat. Set aside.
• Remove the crust from the toast and cut into points (triangles). Dab your herbed and garlic mayonnaise on the toast in the center. Slice your lobster so you have a nice hearty piece on top of the mayonnaise. Place a piece of arugula on top of the lobster and finish with a dab of caviar.

STUFFED CABBAGE

Steps:

• For the sauce: In a large bowl, combine the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, salt, red chili flakes (if using), brown sugar, and red wine vinegar. With a microplane, grate the clove of garlic into the sauce and stir well to combine. (Alternatively, you can very finely chop the garlic.)
• For the filling: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cut out the core from the base of the cabbage and remove the 1-2 outer leaves. Place the cabbage cut side down into the pot of boiling water. As you see leaves naturally start to separate from the head of cabbage, gently coax the leaf off with a pair of tongs and transfer it to a colander set over a bowl. You will need about 14 cabbage leaves. This process takes about 6-8 minutes. Rinse the leaves with cold water until cool enough to handle. Drain well and pat dry with a clean kitchen towel.
• Place the cabbage leaves on a cutting board and make a V-shaped cut at the bottom of each leaf, to cut out the thickest part of the center rib.
• In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, pork, onion, egg, milk or cream, breadcrumbs, rice, parsley, salt and pepper. Mix gently to combine.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-inch-by-13-inch casserole dish. Ladle 1 cup of sauce into the dish and spread all over. Starting with the largest, outer cabbage leaves, lay each cabbage leaf flat. Take about 1/3 cup of filling and roughly shape it into an oval shape, about 4-inches long. (For some of the larger leaves, use up to ½ cup of filling.) Place the oval in the center a cabbage leaf, just above where the rib was cut. Fold the sides of the cabbage leaf over the filling and roll up into a little bundle (start rolling at the cut side, over into the uncut side). Place seam side down over top of the sauce in the baking dish. Repeat until each cabbage leaf is used. Drizzle the remainder of the sauce all over.
• Cover tightly with foil and bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes, until the meat is cooked through. Serve with a side of mashed potatoes, if you like.

STUFFED LOBSTER

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
• Place lobsters in pan and chill in freezer for 15 to 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, place 1 layer of river rocks* in the bottom of a wide pot and fill with 1-inch of water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Spread herbs across rocks, then quickly place lobsters on top. Cover and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove and place in ice bath to halt cooking.
• Lay paper towels across a cutting board. Bring one lobster to the board and using your chef's knife, cut the lobster straight down the center, from head to tail. Remove tomalley and discard. Remove legs and claws. Using a rolling pin, roll over legs to extract the meat. Roughly chop the meat.
• Move claws to pan and roast for 4 minutes.
• Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the onions and stir to coat. Follow with the lemon zest and scallions. Once onions are translucent add the leg meat. Then add the crackers and toss, off the heat, until all the liquid has been absorbed.
• Spoon filling into the open body cavities. Brush tail meat with olive oil and place upright on the pan along with the claws. Roast 10 to 14 minutes or until the stuffing browns and tail meat becomes opaque.
• Crack claws and remove the meat. Serve on top of stuffed lobster with extra-virgin olive oil on the side for dipping.
• *Smooth river rocks are available from your local landscape company

LOBSTER-STUFFED CABBAGE WITH CAVIAR

Steps:

• Blanch the cabbage leaves in rapidly boiling salted water. When the cabbage is soft, immediately shock in an ice bath. When cool, set aside on a towel to dry.
• Poach the lobsters for eight minutes. Remove the lobster meat from the tails and claws and cut in small pieces, about the size of half a shrimp. Saute quickly in 1 tablespoon butter and Cognac. Season with salt, pepper and cayenne.
• Shell and devein shrimp. Cut in half and saute in 1 tablespoon butter with shallot until shrimp is pink. Season with salt, pepper and cayenne.
• Remove the tough center from the cabbage leaves. When this is done, place 2 pieces of shrimp and 3 pieces of lobster on each cabbage leaf and fold into a package. Transfer to a nonmetallic baking dish and place 1 tablespoon of butter on each cabbage leaf. Season lightly with salt, pepper and cayenne. Refrigerate, if desired. To serve, return to room temperature. Cover and bake in a 350-degree oven for 10 to 12 minutes.
• To serve: Place three stuffed cabbages in the center of each of four warmed plates. Pour beurre blanc sauce around, but not over the cabbages. Garnish the cabbages with caviar. Serve immediately.

VEGETARIAN WHOLE STUFFED CABBAGE

Steps:

• Position a rack in the top third of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Rub the inside of a 3-quart round soufflé dish with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Set aside.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Blanch the cabbage leaves for 2 minutes to soften (they will continue to cook in the oven). Gently nudge them into the water with a large spoon if they float to the top during cooking. Drain and set aside.
• Pulse the garlic in a food processor until finely chopped. Add the celery, carrot and red onion and pulse until finely chopped, scraping down the sides as necessary.
• Heat a large heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil with the vegetable mixture, thyme, paprika, crushed red pepper flakes, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are softened but not browned, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and allow to cool. Reserve the skillet.
• Pulse the cremini and shiitake mushrooms in batches in the food processor until finely chopped. Heat the reserved skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil with half of the mushrooms, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until softened and the liquid has released but has not completely evaporated, about 4 minutes. Transfer to the bowl with the cooked vegetable mixture. Repeat with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, remaining mushrooms, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Transfer to the bowl with the cooked vegetable mixture and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Add the brown rice, parsley and eggs to the vegetable mixture, and stir to combine well.
• Layer enough of the cabbage leaves to cover the bottom and up the sides of the souffle dish in a single layer, overlapping as needed to fill any visible gaps. Use the larger leaves, as the veins are more pronounced; the bottom will be the presentation side after it is cooked and flipped over.
• Gently spread about 1 2/3 cups of the mushroom mixture in the bottom of the dish in an even layer on top of the cabbage leaves. Evenly spread 5 tablespoons of marinara sauce over the mushroom mixture. Cover with a layer of cabbage leaves. Repeat with another 2 layers of mushroom mixture, marinara sauce and cabbage leaves, until all of the mushroom mixture is used. Reserve the remaining marinara sauce for serving. Tuck the final layer of cabbage neatly into the sides, gently pressing down all around to compact it.
• Tightly cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake until the cabbage is tender and the rice is cooked through, about 2 hours. Remove from the oven, but do not remove the foil. Allow to cool and set for at least 1 hour.
• Remove the foil and gently invert the stuffed cabbage onto a serving platter. Serve with the reserved warmed marinara sauce.

LOBSTER MUFFINS WITH POACHED EGG, CAVIAR, SPINACH & HOLLANDAISE

Steps:

• First make the muffins. Mix together the flour, yeast and 3/4 tsp salt in a food mixer with the dough hook, or in a large bowl if making by hand. Add the milk and egg, and mix to a dough. Leave the mixture in the machine with the motor running and knead the mix for 5-6 mins until it becomes elastic and smooth, or for 10-15 mins by hand. Place the dough in a bowl, cover with cling film and place in a warm spot to prove.
• When it has doubled in size, punch the dough down with your hand and turn out. Dust your work surface and a baking tray with the polenta or semolina. Roll out the dough until 2.5cm thick and cut out muffins using a 9cm straight-edged cutter - you should have about 4 muffins. Transfer them to the tray, cover with cling film and leave to prove for 20-25 mins or until doubled in size.
• Put a piece of baking parchment in a non-stick frying pan and put the pan on a low heat. Gently transfer the muffins to the pan and cook them in batches for 5-6 mins each side until they are toasted and brown. Remove from the pan and leave to cool on a wire rack. When cool, these freeze very well in freezer bags - then simply toast them from frozen. Keep 2 out for your lobster.
• To make the hollandaise, put the wine, vinegar, shallot, tarragon and peppercorns in a small pan and bring to the boil. Simmer for 8-10 mins or until the mix is reduced to one-third of its original volume. Remove from the heat and leave to cool. Meanwhile, fill a pan one-third with water, bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer. Strain the infused vinegar mixture into a mixing bowl, add the egg yolk and a large splash of water. Place the bowl over the top of the pan of simmering water (but not touching the water) and whisk. The sauce will lighten in colour and fluff up - this is called a sabayon. Do not overcook or it will look like scrambled eggs. When it is fluffy but firm, add the splash of double cream, then slowly pour in the melted butter - not too quickly - imagine you are making mayonnaise, drizzling in a small amount at a time. When all the butter has been incorporated, season with salt, cayenne and lemon juice. Pass the hollandaise through a fine sieve into a bowl. Cover with cling film and keep warm until needed.
• Prepare the lobster. Twist the claws and pull the tail off the lobster, then bash the claws with a rolling pin to crack the shell and reveal the meat. Remove the shell from the tail, then cut the tail in half lengthways and remove the intestine. You should now have half a tail and a claw per person. Remove the meat from the shell. To reheat the meat, melt the butter with 2 tbsp water in a medium saucepan. Add the lobster meat and warm over a gentle heat.
• To poach the eggs, bring a small pan of water to the boil and add a splash of white wine vinegar. Spin the water around with a slotted spoon and crack in the eggs - they must be very fresh. Turn off the heat and leave them to poach for 2-3 mins until set but still soft.
• Meanwhile, melt the knob of butter in a pan. Add the spinach and stir until it starts to wilt. Season and grate over a little nutmeg. Remove from the heat and drain the spinach on kitchen paper. To serve, halve 1 muffin and lightly toast to warm through. Put half a muffin on each plate and top with the spinach, then add the portioned warm lobster. Place a poached egg on top, then spoon over the hollandaise and a dollop of caviar.

BRAISED STUFFED CABBAGE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Remove the tough central stalk from the cabbage leaves. Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil, add the cabbage, then cook for just 1-2 mins until the leaves are starting to wilt. Drain and refresh under cold running water. Drain well, then pat dry with a tea towel.
• Heat the oil in a pan, add the onion, then fry for 5 mins until slightly browned. Add the rosemary and celery, then cook for 8 mins more. Stir in the rice, then cook for a min or so until the grains are glistening. Remove from the heat, stir in the chestnuts and cranberries, then season.
• Spoon a little stuffing onto a cabbage leaf, roll up and fold in the sides to enclose the filling. Put in a single layer in a large, oiled, shallow ovenproof dish with the join underneath. Fill the remaining leaves in the same way. Mix the stock, vinegar and honey, then pour over the cabbage. Cover the dish tightly with foil, bake for 1 hr, uncover, then cook for a further 15 mins.

BEST STUFFED CABBAGE ROLLS

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Stir in 4 teaspoons salt. Remove loose, outer leaves from the cabbage and place in the boiling water for 1 minute. Remove from the water and set aside.
• Remove core from the cabbage and carefully place the head in the boiling water. Cook for 5 minutes, removing the outer leaves one at a time as they loosen every minute. Set aside 12 large leaves and reserve inner portion of the cabbage for another use.
• Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Set aside 2 tablespoons minced onion for cabbage rolls; add remaining onion to the hot oil. Cook, stirring often, until translucent, about 2 minutes. Stir in tomato sauce, undrained diced tomatoes, water, vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon salt; bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low and cook for 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Prepare cabbage rolls: Mix sirloin, rice, garlic, reserved minced onion, remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, remaining pepper, and allspice together in a bowl until well combined.
• Place a softened cabbage leaf on a cutting board and remove the bottom, tough portion of the stem. Place about 3 tablespoons meat filling into the center of the leaf. Fold the sides inward and roll the leaf up tightly, like a burrito or spring roll. Repeat with remaining leaves and filling.
• Pour 1 cup tomato sauce mixture in a bottom of a 9x13-inch or 11x7-inch baking dish. Place cabbage rolls, seam-side down, in the baking dish and pour remaining sauce on top. Cover tightly with foil.
• Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour. Lightly squeeze a wedge of lemon over each serving and garnish with parsley.