Lobster Bacon and Cheese Strata

Good Wednesday (almost afternoon) foodies! It's definitely fall this week in Chicago, and when this time of year rolls around, we here at Lobster Gram start craving simple comfort foods that warm you body and soul. This recipe is another masterpiece from our Creative Director Nancy, and every delicious ingredient combines beautifully to bake in a nice big cast iron skillet. I am very, very, *VERY* partial to foods prepared in a cast iron skillet. They just taste like home to me. If it's Lobster (the ULTIMATE Lobster Grammer comfort food)and in a cast iron skillet...it couldn't be better. That is...unless you add hot gooey cheese and crispy apple wood smoked bacon to the delicious equation.
Ahem...excuse the drool :)~
But you see what I'm talking about I'm sure...

and here is the blueprint for this culinary masterpiece. Happy eating foodies!

Lobster, Bacon &?Cheese Strata
Strata is a baked dish that combines chunks of bread with eggs, cream... and the rest is up to your imagination. We let ours run wild in this indulgent lobster-filled version. If Challah bread is unavailable for you, a good substitution is the Hawaiian bread for its slight sweetness and tender, cakier texture.

Lobster, Bacon and Cheese Strata
Ingredients
1-1/2 cups milk
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 loaf Challah bread, cut into 1” cubes (about 8 cups)
1-1/4 cups heavy cream
5 large eggs
1 Tbsp. chopped garlic (about 3 cloves)
2 shallots, chopped
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
4 oz. goat cheese
1 cup shredded Gruyere cheese
1-1/4 cups grated Parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh sage
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh thyme
3 cups cooked lobster meat, chopped
8 slices apple wood smoked bacon, cooked crispy and crumbled

Directions
Preheat oven to 350°. Grease a large, ovenproof skillet. In a large bowl, whisk the milk and olive oil until blended. Add the bread cubes, and toss to coat, allowing it to soak up the liquid.
Then, in a small bowl mix the cream, eggs, garlic, shallots, salt, pepper and nutmeg. In a medium bowl, crumble the goat cheese and mix with the Gruyere, Parmesan, sage and thyme.
Line the bottom of the skillet with half of the soaked bread cubes. Top with half of the lobster meat, bacon and cheese mixture. Pour half of the egg mixture over the layers. Repeat layering with the remaining bread, lobster, bacon, cheese mixture and egg mixture. Bake until firm in the center and golden brown, about 1 hour. The strata will puff during baking, but will settle once removed from the oven.

Nancy's Recipe for Pesto Lobster Rolls

Good day foodies! It's Thursday, the week is coming to a close and I thought it would be the perfect time to share with you a recipe that was created by our Creative Director, Nancy.
Nancy has been with Lobster Gram for 16 years, and she is one of the best home cooks I have ever known. Her expertise with our products is unmatched and her knack for flavors is uncanny. Here are some step by step images of this phenomenal recipe for pesto Lobster Rolls, and the recipe Next week, I'll post the video Nancy took while creating this recipe!

Creamy Pesto Lobster Rolls Recipe by: Nancy
Try this twist on the traditional New England trademark sandwich. Trust us - you may never go back to the same old plain mayo preparation again! We prefer homemade pesto sauce, but feel free to use store-bought for even quicker preparation.

Ingredients
1-1/2 cups cooked lobster meat*, chopped
1/2 cup fresh corn kernels (cut from 1 ear)
1/2 cup red bell pepper, diced
1/2 cup scallion, thinly sliced
1/4 tsp. celery seed
1/4 cup pesto sauce
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
Salt & pepper to taste
4 hot dog buns, buttered

Directions
In a medium bowl combine the lobster meat, corn, red pepper, scallion and celery seed. In a separate bowl, stir together the pesto, mayonnaise and lemon juice until creamy and smooth. Pour the sauce in batches over the lobster mixture, tossing until evenly mixed and lobster mixture is just coated (don’t overdo it). Season with salt and pepper, though taste it first (you may decide it doesn’t need it). Cover and chill lobster mixture in the refrigerator until the buns are ready, or up to 24 hours.
Spread any unused sauce on one side of your hot dog buns if there is extra. Toast the hot dog buns in a 400° oven to your desired “toastiness”. Remove from the oven when warm and toasty, and fill each bun with the chilled lobster mixture. Dive in!
*NOTE: If using our cooked Lobster Meat by the pound, thaw 24-36 hours in the refrigerator, lightly rinse, drain and pat dry with paper towels. Use in any recipe &?enjoy! 1-1/2 cups of meat is approximately equal to 1/2 lb. of cooked lobster meat.

Campfire Lobster, Ren Fair and Big Foot

Good morning foodies. I hope everyone had a great weekend. My weekend was...fun for the most part. Camping didn't go too well Friday night, and if it was not for the meal, it would have been a complete and total disaster. Why do you ask??? The venue. I had never been camping in Illinois before, and now I know exactly why that is. So I'll give you guys a short run down of what it is and why you should avoid it like the plague.
Location:Chain O' Lakes State Park, Spring Grove Illinois
Camping Site Summary- No separation of sites, no trees between sites. Absolutely no privacy, peace or quite to be found anywhere near the camping location.
"Quite Hours" are supposed to begin at 10pm. No big deal...if it were enforced. Come 10pm, they are STILL letting people into the camping area to find a campsite, and that means they first drive around the camping area about 5 times with their high beams on to blind everyone and try to pick out the best site left. Once the campers are fully blinded and the late arrivals have found their site, they begin setting up...at 11pm! That means listening to couples fighting as they struggle to build shelter in the dark and air compressors filling up inflatable mattresses well past midnight. This place got so full and loud, you would swear we were tailgating a Bears game instead of camping. I'm going to write this place a strongly worded letter as to why I will never camp in my home state again. And for anyone looking to camp in Illinois, AVOID CHAIN O LAKES!
Anyway...about the meal. If it were not for the PHENOMENAL meal I prepared for us, the night would have been a total waste. But when Lobster Gram Surf & Turf is on your dinner plate, it's hard to let anything bother you too much. The preparation was very easy, and both myself and the boy agreed that this was the most flavorful, tender lobster we had ever enjoyed, and I was heartily congratulated for having the ability to prepare something as finicky as lobster on something as uneven as a camp fire. I regret not trying this any sooner. So without further ado, Here is how I prepared Lobster tails on the camp fire with pictures :)


Seriously...if you guys ever get the chance to make lobster on a camp fire...take it! You won't regret it.
Aside from Lobster pictures, I took just a few more to share my weekend with you guys!

And lastly....something completely and totally unrelated to food in any capacity... I caught proof of Big Foot at Ren Fair.
Here is the video to prove it.

Lobster with Wild Mushrooms & Rosemary Vapors

This elegant lobster recipe is sure to please even the pickiest of people. I like making this recipe on special occasions. The rosemary always leaves such a pleasant aroma in the kitchen!

Ingredients

• 1 cup distilled white vinegar
  
• 4 1 1/2-pound live Maine lobsters
  
• 1/2 cup Canola oil
  
• 3 carrots, peeled, thinly sliced
  
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
  
• 1 fresh fennel bulb, thinly sliced
  
• 2 tomatoes, thinly sliced
  
• 4 fresh tarragon sprigs
  
• 8 cups fresh rosemary leaves stripped from branches
  
• 2 tablespoons plus 1 1/2 cups (3 1/4 sticks) butter, room temperature
  
• 2 pounds assorted fresh wild mushrooms (such as oyster, crimini, chanterelle, and stemmed shiitake), cut into 1-inch pieces
  
• 4 large fresh thyme sprigs
  
• 3 garlic cloves, halved

Directions
Bring 8 quarts water and vinegar to boil in 10- to 12-quart pot. Add 2 lobsters headfirst and cook until shells turn bright red and lobsters are just cooked through, about 11 minutes. Using tongs, remove lobsters from water. Repeat with remaining 2 lobsters. Twist claws and tails off lobsters. Crack claws and remove meat. Using kitchen shears or heavy large knife cut lobster tails lengthwise in half; remove tail meat. Cut meat into large bite-size pieces. Place in medium bowl; cover and refrigerate. Reserve claw and tail shells. Using kitchen shears cut away lobster gills. Rinse shells under cold water. Place in large bowl. Pour cold water over and soak 10 minutes. Drain; rinse well. Heat 1/4 cup oil in large pot over medium heat. Add lobster shells, carrots, and next 4 ingredients. Cook until vegetables begin to soften, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. Add 4 quarts water and simmer 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Strain lobster broth into large bowl, pressing on solids. Strain broth again through fine strainer into same pot. Boil over medium-high heat until broth is reduced to 2 cups, about 1 hour. Cool slightly; chill broth and lobster meat separately.) Bring 1 quart water to boil in tea kettle. Place 2 cups rosemary in each of 4 large bowls; place on table. Melt 2 tablespoons butter with 1/4 cup oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms, thyme, and garlic and sauté until mushrooms are tender, about 6 minutes; discard thyme and garlic. Add lobster and 1/2 cup butter to skillet and heat through, about 3 minutes. Meanwhile, bring lobster broth to simmer in small saucepan. Pour hot lobster broth into blender; add 1 cup butter. Blend until butter is melted and mixture is frothy, about 30 seconds. Divide lobster mixture among 4 shallow bowls. Pour butter sauce and foam over lobster mixture and serve. Pour 1 cup boiling water into each bowl.
Source: Rosemary Vapors