Via info gleaned from a Twitter by G. Stephanopoulos (who had lunch with POTUS (President of the United States)), this was today's White House lunch menu :
lobster bisque w beignets, seared Virginia bass w leeks and pot (potato not pot), pound cake w fruit compote and lemon sorbet.
HEEE hee
here we go:
Lobster Bisque
Ingredients
2 live lobsters
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 leeks, halved lengthwise
2 onions, halved
2 stalks celery, in big chunks
2 carrots, in big chunks
6 sprigs fresh thyme
4 strips orange zest
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 cup cognac
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 cups heavy cream
1 teaspoon whole peppercorns
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Finely grated orange zest, for garnish
Finely chopped chives, for garnish
Directions
1. Kill the lobsters by plunging a sharp knife directly behind its head. Cut the lobster in half lengthwise; make sure to collect the juices that will run out.
2. Remove the claws and tail pieces and set aside. Remove the head sac and liver and discard them; cut the body into pieces.
3. Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large pot over medium heat and melt 3 tablespoons butter in it
4. Add the chopped lobster bodies and heads and their juices, the leeks, 1 onion, celery, carrots, 1/2 the thyme, 1/2 the orange zest and the tomato paste. Cook until the shells are red and the vegetables are soft, about 10 to 15 minutes.
5. Remove the pot from the heat and carefully pour in 1/4 cup cognac. Ignite the cognac with a long kitchen match and let the alcohol burn off. Return to the heat, sprinkle in the flour, stir, and cook for another 2 minutes. Add water to cover and stir up all the browned bits on the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon. Add the cream and bring to a boil. Immediately decrease the heat and gently simmer until the soup is reduced and thickened, about 30 to 45 minutes. Strain this into a clean pot and season with salt and pepper if needed; keep warm.
6. Heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and 2 tablespoons butter in an ovenproof skillet over medium heat..
7. Add remaining onion, thyme, bay leaf, and orange zest along with the peppercorns and let this mixture cook for about 5 minutes. Add the lobster claws and tails; toss to coat with the fat and flavors. Remove the pan from the heat and carefully pour in the remaining 1/4 cup cognac. Ignite the cognac with a long kitchen match and let the alcohol burn off. Put the pan into the oven and roast until the lobster pieces are cooked through, about 15 minutes. Remove the lobster pieces and set aside.
8. When they are cool enough to handle, remove the lobster meat from the claws and tails. Chop the meat roughly and add it to the strained bisque.
9. To serve, ladle the bisque into warmed soup bowls.
Recipe from lobsterhelp.com
Crawfish Beignets
Leftover crawfish from a crawfish boil are usually peeled and used to prepare etouffee, bisque or beignets.
Makes 12 (3 beignet) servings.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Ingredients
Vegetable oil for frying
1 pound shelled crawfish tails, chopped (2 cups)
1 tablespoon Zatarain's® Creole Seasoning
2 eggs
1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup milk
Zatarain's® Remoulade Sauce (optional)
Directions
1. Pour oil into deep heavy skillet, filling no more than 1/3 full. Heat on medium-high heat to 350°F.
2. Sprinkle crawfish with Creole Seasoning. Beat eggs in large bowl. Add crawfish and vegetables; mix well. Add flour, baking powder and milk; mix well.
3. Drop batter by heaping teaspoonfuls into hot oil, without overcrowding. Fry 2 to 3 minutes or until beignets float and are golden brown all over. Remove and drain on paper towels. Serve with Remoulade Sauce, if desired.
Recipe from zatarains.com
Sea Bass with Leeks, Potatoes and Balsamic Vinaigrette
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
2 tablespoons plus 1/4 cup olive oil
8 cups thinly sliced leeks (white and pale green parts only)
1 cup canned low-salt chicken broth
1/4 French-bread baguette (about 2 ounces), sliced, lightly toasted
2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary or 1 teaspoon dried
2 large garlic cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
6 6-ounce sea bass fillets
1/4 cup plus 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
6 medium-size red-skinned potatoes
PreparationMelt butter with 1 tablespoon olive oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add leeks and chicken broth to skillet. Cover and simmer until leeks are tender, about 20 minutes. Uncover skillet and simmer until mixture thickens, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Place toasted baguette slices, rosemary, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper and 1 tablespoon olive oil in processor. Using on/off turns, process until moist crumbs form.
Place fish on baking sheet. Sprinkle fish with salt and pepper. Spread 1/4 cup mustard atop fish, dividing equally. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons breadcrumbs over each fillet, pressing gently to adhere. (Leeks and fish can be prepared 6 hours ahead. Cover separately and refrigerate.)
Whisk vinegar and 1 teaspoon mustard in small bowl. Gradually whisk in 1/4 cup olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Set vinaigrette aside.
Preheat oven to 400°F. Cook potatoes in large pot of boiling salted water until potatoes are tender, about 30 minutes. Drain well.
Meanwhile, bake fish until opaque in center, about 20 minutes. Rewarm leek mixture in skillet over medium heat.
Slice each potato crosswise into 5 rounds. Arrange potato slices in circle on plates. Spread 1/6 of leek mixture over potatoes on each plate. Drizzle with vinaigrette. Place fish atop leek mixture.
Toasted Pound Cake with Pears
INGREDIENTS
4 1/2 tablespoon(s) unsalted butter
6 slice(s) (3/4-inch thick) pound cake
3 large Bosc pears, cut into 3/4-inch-thick slices
DIRECTIONS
Melt 1 1/2 tablespoons butter in a skillet over medium heat, add the cake, and toast until golden brown on both sides. Remove and keep warm. Add the pear slices and the remaining 3 tablespoons butter and toast until golden brown on both sides -- about 4 minutes. Serve with the cake.
TIPS & TECHNIQUES
Choose firm pears for sautéing to avoid too much softening.
Recipe from countryliving.com
Lemon Sorbet
From Country Living
INGREDIENTS
10 sprig(s) mint, stemmed
4 teaspoon(s) mint sprigs, finely chopped
3 sprig(s) thyme
3 cup(s) sugar
3 cup(s) lemon juice
1 teaspoon(s) lemon zest, finely grated
DIRECTIONS
Combine 1 cup water and 1 cup sugar in three small saucepans. Add the mint leaves to one pan and the thyme sprigs to another. Bring all three to a boil, remove from the heat, and steep for 12 minutes. Strain each steeping mixture into a separate bowl, stir 1 cup lemon juice into each, and cool completely. Process each batch separately -- starting with plain and ending with thyme -- in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions for sorbet. Stir the finely chopped mint into the mint-infused sorbet once it has set. Stir the lemon zest into the plain lemon mixture when it has set. Place a film of plastic wrap directly on the sorbet surface in an airtight container and freeze until firm -- about 1 hour.
TIPS & TECHNIQUES
In your quest for great zest, seek lemons that are plump and heavy for their size. Bright yellow fruits with glossy, fine-grained skin are the juiciest. Timesaver: Slightly soften 2 cups of your favorite lemon sorbet and stir in the finely chopped mint or fresh-grated lemon zest.
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