The dining ritual of eating a lobster roll while in Maine or on Cape Cod is deeply ingrained in the tourist industry of New England. When vacationing on the coast of New England, you don’t have to pay $30. for a lobster roll you can make at home by toasting a hot dog roll and adding a couple of spoonfuls of fresh lobster meat tossed with a quick tarragon aioli. Easy peasy! Having spent much of my childhood growing up on the New England coast, when I go to a restaurant, I prefer to order a dish that I don’t usually make at home. This recipe was inspired by a dish I had at Mac’s Shack seafood restaurant in Wellfleet on Cape Cod. I was so impressed with the original dish, I had to recreate my version of it at home. I hope you like it!

Lobster with Fried Gnocchi and Pea Purée
Serves 2
Ingredients:

2 lobster tails
6-8 boiled gnocchi per person (homemade or from the market)
1 cup of frozen peas
1 smallish shallot chopped
1-2 cloves of garlic chopped
pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
zest from half a lemon (optional)
1 cup bottled clam juice, fish stock, or chicken stock
¼ cup dry white wine
1 heaping tablespoon of chopped fresh tarragon
1 heaping tablespoon of fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
4 cherry tomatoes
pinch of white pepper and salt to taste
pea sprouts for garnish (optional)

Preparation:
Make the Pea Purée:

In a medium saucepan, sauté the garlic and shallot over medium heat until just translucent (not browned).
Add the red pepper flakes and stir for a few seconds.
Add the stock and white wine and bring to a boil and simmer for 2-3 minutes.
Add the peas and white pepper and boil for a minute and remove from heat
Strain the peas reserving the liquid.
Using a blender or Magic Bullet, add the tarragon and parsley, half the liquid, and the pea mixture and purée until smooth. Add more reserved liquid if necessary to achieve the sauce consistency you want.
Taste and adjust the salt to taste.

Sauté the lobster and tomatoes:

Add a tablespoon of olive oil to a skillet and sauté the lobster tails covered over medium heat for about 5 minutes adding a ¼ cup of water to create steam.
Remove the lobster tails and cut them lengthwise to gently remove the flesh from the shell and set aside.
To the same skillet, add a bit more oil if needed, and sauté the tomatoes cut face down for a minute or two to your desired doneness. Remove from heat and set aside.

Boil and fry the gnocchi:

Boil the gnocchi according to package directions, or if you’re using fresh homemade gnocchi, add the gnocchi to well-salted boiling water. Wait for them to rise to the surface and continue cooking for a minute. Remove from the water using a slotted spoon to drain the water.
To the same skillet, you cooked the lobster in, over medium-high heat, melt a tablespoon of butter and fry the boiled gnocchi until golden brown on two sides.

Plate the dish:

Spread the pea purée equally on two plates and top with 4 half tomatoes on each plate. Distribute the fried gnocchi and top with chopped lobster meat. Garnish with pea sprouts.

Wine pairing: dry white wines like Chablis, Chardonnay, Albariño, Vermentino.

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