Deep Fried Lobster Surf 'n' Turf with Corn Cake Short Stack and Roasted Red Pepper Syrup
- Level: Intermediate
- Yield: 4 servings
- Total: 2 hr 5 min (includes steeping time)
- Active: 1 hr 40 min
Ingredients
Four 6-ounce beef fillets
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Oil, for oiling grill grates
Corn Cakes, recipe follows
Fried Lobster, recipe follows
Roasted Red Pepper Syrup, recipe follows
Hollandaise Sauce, recipe follows
Corn Cakes:
4 cups corn flour
2 tablespoons baking powder
1 pound butter, plus additional for buttering the griddle
2 cups sugar
3 large eggs
2 1/2 cups milk
2 cups fresh corn kernels, cut from the cobs
1/2 cup cooked black beans
1 red bell pepper, diced
Fried Lobster:
2 lobster tails, meat removed from shells and diced
4 cups buttermilk
4 cups cornmeal
1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
1 tablespoon ground celery seed
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Oil, for frying
Roasted Red Pepper Syrup:
Two 12-ounce jars roasted red peppers
3 cups light corn syrup
1 cup sugar
Corncobs (from corn used in the Corn Cakes)
Hollandaise Sauce:
16 large egg yolks
4 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons minced chipotle peppers (from a can of chipotles in adobo sauce)
1 tablespoon hot sauce, such as Tabasco
4 cups clarified butter, hot
Sea salt
Directions
Special equipment:
cheesecloth and a deep-frying thermometer- Prepare a grill for cooking over medium-high heat and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Sprinkle the fillets with some salt and pepper. Lightly oil the grill grates, and grill the fillets until grill marks form, then transfer to the oven and cook to desired doneness, 5 to 7 minutes.
- Place one fillet on each of 4 plates and place a stack of corn cakes next to each. Top with the Fried Lobster and drizzle with the Roasted Red Pepper Syrup and Hollandaise Sauce. Serve immediately.
Corn Cakes:
- In a medium bowl, stir together the corn flour and baking powder; set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, then the corn flour mixture, and finally the milk. Turn off the mixer and fold in the corn kernels, black beans and red pepper.
- Heat a griddle over medium heat and butter the griddle. When the griddle is hot enough that a few droplets of water tossed at it sizzle immediately, ladle out the batter to make pancakes, and cook until small bubble holes start to appear across the surface. Flip and cook the underside. Repeat with the remaining batter.
Fried Lobster:
- Place the lobster meat into the buttermilk and allow to sit. Meanwhile, stir together the cornmeal, Cajun seasoning, celery seed, garlic powder, onion powder and some salt and pepper.
- Fill a large Dutch oven halfway with some oil and bring the oil to 350 degrees F. Remove the lobster from the buttermilk, allowing the excess to drip off, then dredge the lobster in the seasoned cornmeal. Fry the lobster until cooked through.
Roasted Red Pepper Syrup:
- Place the red peppers in a blender and blend well. Add to a medium pot, along with the corn syrup, sugar and corncobs. Cook until the sugar is dissolved, then turn off the heat and let steep 10 more minutes. Dampen a large piece of cheesecloth with water and fold into quarters to make a large rectangle. Strain the syrup through the cheesecloth.
Hollandaise Sauce:
- Blend the eggs together with the lemon juice, chipotles and hot sauce. While the blender is turned on, slowly add the butter in a thin stream until a thick creamy sauce forms. Season to taste with sea salt.