When my coauthor, Tracey Medeiros, and I set out to write The Connecticut Farm Table Cookbook (W. W. Norton), we crisscrossed the rolling hills, suburbs and cities of Connecticut, stopping at award-winning apiaries, heritage-breed poultry farms and urban farmers’ markets. We dined at four-star eateries and pigged out at gritty little clam shacks. After a year on the road, we are proud to report that Connecticut has joined the ranks of top states dishing up farm-to-fork fare.
For many years, the locavore movement spread east—from Chez Panisse in Berkeley and The French Laundry in Napa to Hen of the Woods in Vermont and Blue Hill at Stone Barns in Tarrytown, New York. But what about Connecticut? Where was the buzz?
Well, folks, Connecticut’s locavore scene has finally hit critical mass. Our state is home to a surprisingly high number of James Beard Award nominees and winners, like our very own Bill Taibe (presiding over three hot restaurants right here in Westport), as well as top chefs from Greenwich to Glastonbury who are sweeping food awards and dishing up creative local fare with the distinct flavors of Connecticut, like Stonington scallops, Hamden burrata and maitake mushrooms from Waterbury.
Join us on a culinary romp through Connecticut. Today’s trip takes us out on the Long Island Sound with our friends at Norm Bloom & Son in Norwalk. Since the 1940s, they have been sustainably farming oysters in beds in the Long Island Sound, filling the demand for the plump, briny bivalve known as the Copps Island oyster, while also satisfying our cravings for another summertime staple, the local lobster, plucked from the bottom of the Long Island Sound and featured here.
The Connecticut lobster roll is an institution. It does not involve celery or onion or, heaven forbid, mayonnaise. The classic contains only hunks of freshly cooked lobster meat, generously dunked in butter and served on a toasted, steamed or grilled soft roll, split down the middle. You can pick up one of these babies at a local lobster shack, such as the Guilford Lobster Pound in Guilford, or make your own at home. Below our friends at West Street Grill in Litchfield share their “summer in a sandwich” rendition..
Butter-Poached Lobster Sandwich (aka, Connecticut Lobster Roll!)
Serves 4
4 (1 ¼ – to 1 ½ -pound)
Live, locally caught lobsters
Beurre Monté
3 ounces premade or homemade lobster stock (recipe follows)
or water
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks, 12 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into chunks
2 sprigs tarragon
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
French sea salt
Buns
4 buns, such as potato, brioche, Parker House or hot dog
2 tablespoons butter, melted
Chopped fresh tarragon, for garnish (optional)
1. Prepare a large ice-water bath
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Plunge the lobsters headfirst into the pot, and cook for 3 minutes. Using tongs, plunge the lobsters into the icewater bath for 5 minutes, then drain.
2. Twist off the lobster tails and claws (including knuckles) from the carapace and remove the meat. Cut the tails in half lengthwise. Pat the meat dry with paper towels and set aside and let come to room temperature before poaching in the beurre monté. Reserve the body of one lobster for stock or discard.
3. To make the beurre monté
In a large saucepan, bring the stock to a boil over medium heat. Lower the heat to low and whisk in the butter, one piece at a time. The temperature of beurre monté should be between 180° and 190°F. Add the lobster meat, tarragon, and white pepper and poach, basting the meat with the sauce, until cooked through, about 4 minutes. Salt to taste.
4. Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Brush the insides of the buns with melted
butter and grill until crisp and golden brown.
5. To assemble: Line the bottom of each bun with lobster meat and pour a little of the sauce over the top. Garnish with tarragon, if desired. Top the sandwiches with the remaining bun tops. Serve, passing the remaining sauce at the table. Note: Save the extra beurre monté and serve over steamed green beans or asparagus.
Lobster Stock
MAKES ABOUT 1 1/2 CUPS STOCK
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Shells from 1 cooked lobster
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 large carrot, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 sprig tarragon
1 bay leaf
4 cups cold water
Heat the oil in a medium-size saucepan over medium heat. Add the lobster shells and brown lightly, stirring often, for 15 minutes. Add the wine, carrot, and tomato paste, and continue to cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes. Add the tarragon, bay leaf, and water, and simmer for 1 hour. Strain and discard the carrots, tarragon, and bay leaf before using. Note: Freeze the extra lobster stock for up to 3 months.