Say "New England" and the first thing that springs to mind is a Clam Bake. In fact most of this regions culinary traditions stem from its abundance of fresh seafood. Clam shacks, lobster pounds and chowder houses are the backbone of these traditions, humble as they might appear.Even though there was no dearth of recipes to pick from, I chose to do a Lobster Pot Pie today, simply because I love it-besides it is an old Yankee classic. This dish can be done two ways: with a buttery crumb crust that makes it like a gratin or a puff pastry topping that melts in the mouth. I went with the second off course...
Before I begin, I confess that while most of the ingredients I used are commonly found in pot pies- I took liberties and deviated a little. Having tasted Michael Mina's mind-blowing version threw me off the beaten path just a little. To begin, I blanched the lobster tail and removed the meat. Fingerling potatoes were boiled, onions large diced, carrots and zucchini julienned and button mushrooms quartered.Garlic was sliced finely, onion and celery small diced and sauteed in butter with a bay leaf, followed by the lobster meat and a little tomato paste and deglazed with white wine. The carrots were briefly blanched and all the veggies added to the pot. Fresh parsley and thyme were thrown in along with a generous helping of half and half. Seasoned with salt and pepper, the pie was baked in a heavy copper pot with a sheet of puff pastry on top. Very close to the real thing.. yummy!
Next destination: Deep South....
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