Butter-Poached Newfoundland Lobster

Fresh lobster tails from the icy waters of Newfoundland and Labrador are gently poached in cultured butter with organic Pinot grigio, heirloom tomatoes, slivered leeks, fresh or preserved lemon, garlic, fresh marjoram and bay..

Butter-Poached Newfoundland Lobster

lobster tails
lobster shells
8 oz cultured butter, cold, cut into 1-inch pieces
8 oz Pinot gris or other semi-dry white wine
1 bay leaf, fresh preferred
2 wedges preserved lemon
2 cloves garlic, peeled and bruised
2 inches fresh leeks, green and white parts, slivered
1 heirloom tomato, cored, seeded and coarsely chopped
1/2 teaspoon safflower stamens (for color, optional)
1 tablespoon fresh marjoram
1-1/2 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley, torn
sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper

Heat wine and empty lobster shells in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat until simmering.  Reduce heat to medium low, add lemon, bay, garlic, tomato and leeks and cook until tomatoes and leeks begin to disintegrate, about 12 minutes.

Whisk in butter one piece at a time, allowing each to incorporate before adding the next.  Do not allow to boil or the emulsion will break.

Add safflower, marjoram, parsley and lobster tails and gently poach until firm and opaque, about 10 minutes.  Season to taste with sea salt and black pepper.

To serve, arrange tails in a shallow bowl and spoon poaching liquid over the top.  Serve with crusty bread and a salad of field greens, perhaps.

Leftover poaching liquid makes a great base for bisque.  Keep it in the freezer up to three months.

Blackberry-Blue Cornmeal Pancakes with Guajillo Honey Butter

Heirloom blue cornmeal, fresh local blackberries, pastured eggs, cultured butter, fresh buttermilk and wild guajillo honey with a pinch of chili powder..

Blackberry-Blue Cornmeal Pancakes with Guajillo Honey Butter

1 cup organic stone-ground blue cornmeal
1 1/2 cups organic whole wheat pastry flour
2/3 cup fresh blackberries or blueberries
1 teaspoon aluminum-free baking soda
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 teaspoon chili powder (optional)
2 large pastured eggs
2 tablespoon cultured butter, melted plus 2 tablespoons cold
2 cups fresh buttermilk
1 teaspoon bacon drippings
2 tablespoons wild guajillo honey

Sift cornmeal, flour, baking soda, chili powder and salt together in a bowl.  In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, milk and melted butter.  Slowly pour the wet ingredients into the dry, stirring just enough to combine. Gently fold in blackberries and allow mixture to stand 5 minutes.

Melt 1 tablespoon butter and 1 teaspoon bacon drippings in a heavy griddle or comal set over medium heat.  Drop batter by the quarter-cupful onto the hot pan and cook until the batter puffs up and bubbles appear along the edges, then flip and cook until golden brown. If making a large batch, pancakes may be kept in a low oven until ready to serve.

To serve, arrange pancakes on a plate and top with guajillo honey and semi-melted butter.  Garnish with additional fresh berries and serve hot.

Guajillo Pods

“Guajillo honey looms large in the history, culture and economy of southwestern Texas, particularly in the development of Uvalde County, located about 165 miles southwest of the state capital, Austin. During the 1870’s when settlers were establishing farms and ranches in Uvalde County, they discovered caves and hollow trees full of bees and honey- a bee paradise. The land was nicknamed ‘brush country’ because of the cat claw, kinnikinnick, white brush and Guajillo bushes…” -Slow Food USA

Blueberry Cream Scones with Honey-Lemon Curd

Drop scones made from sprouted wheat, fresh cream, cultured butter & pastured eggs, blueberries, wildflower honey and freshly-squeezed lemon juice..

Blueberry Cream Scones with Honey-Lemon Curd

For the Scones (adapted from a recipe by Mark Bittman)

1 cup organic sprouted wheat flour, plus more as needed
1 cup unbleached organic all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 tablespoon aluminum-free baking powder
1 1/2 tablespoons local, raw honey
5 tablespoons pastured butter, cold
3 pastured eggs
3/4 cup fresh heavy cream
1/2 cup fresh blueberries, rinsed and picked over (substitute frozen blueberries in the off season)

Mix the dry ingredients together in a bowl.  Cut the chilled butter into the flour, ensuring that it is thoroughly combined. Beat 2 eggs with the cream, then stir into the flour.  Fold in blueberries.

Turn the dough onto a floured surface and gently knead until barely sticky.

Drop heaping tablespoons of mixture onto a greased baking sheet. Beat the remaining egg with with a scant amount of water and brush the top of the dough.  Bake in a 350 degree oven until it passes the toothpick test, about 12 minutes.

Allow to cool slightly before serving with honey-lemon curd.

For the Honey-Lemon Curd (recipe by Dede Sampson)

5 large pastured egg yolks
1 large pastured egg
2/3 cup freshly-squeezed Meyer lemon juice
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons wildflower honey
4 tablespoons pastured butter, cut into 8 pieces

Crème fraîche for serving

In a medium heatproof bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the whole egg, the lemon juice, 1 teaspoon of the lemon zest and the honey. In a medium saucepan, bring 1 inch of water to a boil. Set the bowl with the lemon mixture over the boiling water, reduce the heat to moderate and cook the mixture, whisking constantly, until thickened, about 7 minutes. Remove the bowl from the heat and whisk in the butter. Pass the curd through a fine-mesh strainer into a medium bowl. Wrap tightly and refrigerate at least 3 hours.

This post is part of A Moderate Life’s Tackling Bittman Recipe Hop !

Ginger Pancakes with Honey Lemon Butter and Caramelized Bananas

Sprouted wheat flour, fresh ginger and kefir with bananas, Meyer lemon, cultured butter and wildflower honey..

Sprouted Wheat Ginger Pancakes with Honey Lemon Butter and Caramelized Bananas

For the Honey Lemon Butter

1/2 Meyer lemon, peeled and seeded
3 tablespoons cultured butter, room temperature
1 tablespoon wildflower honey

Pulse all ingredients together in food processor until smooth. Refrigerate until needed.

For the Pancakes (yields about 8-10 5-inch pancakes)

2 pastured eggs
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
1/4 cup brewed coffee (or decaf)
2 cups sprouted wheat flour
1/2 cup plain kefir
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon freshly-grated nutmeg
2 oz (1/2 stick) cultured butter

Mix together flour, baking powder, soda, cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg.  Add eggs, kefir and coffee and stir well.  Thin with a little filtered water if too thick, add a spoonful of flour if too thin.

Oil a comal or griddle with 1 tablespoon butter or ghee and heat to 375 degrees.  Pour 1/4 cup of batter onto hot surface and cook for 2 minutes on the 1st side and 1 minute on the 2nd side.  Transfer to oven to keep warm until the last pancake is ready.  Add additional butter if needed and sauté sliced bananas until light golden brown.

Serve topped with honey lemon butter and caramelized bananas.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Old-Fashioned chunky peanut butter cookies with chocolate chips..

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Makes about 2 dozen  (adapted from a recipe by Bon Appétit)

1 1/2 cups organic wheat flour (can use soaked or sprouted flour)
1/2 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 cup cultured butter, room temperature
2/3 cup organic chunky peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
1/2 cup rapadura
1 large pastured egg
1/2 cup organic grain-sweetened chocolate chips

Mix flour, baking powder and salt together in a bowl. In a separate bowl, beat together butter, peanut butter and vanilla until smooth. Mix in sugar and half of the dry mixture.  Mix in egg and the other half of the dry mixture.

Roll dough into 1-inch balls and arrange 2 inches apart on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.  Flatten each cookie with the back of a fork, forming a crosshatch pattern.  Bake at 350 degrees until dry on top and golden brown on the bottom, about 12 minutes.