The anti cost-of-living-crisis dish
Recipe #145: lobster linguine with datterini tomatoes.
Lobster? In autumn? Groundbreaking.
It’s 29th September and we’re calling it. Fleeces, and jackets more suited for mountaineering than drinks down the pub, are back in. Big day for your Patagonias, your Arc’teryxs, your Rabs, your Finisterres, your North Faces.
To keep spirits high, and to recognise that this is the first recipe of Eat My Words’ industry-disrupting new format, we thought we had to go big... Come on down lobster linguine with datterini tomatoes.
Obviously this isn’t the most economically friendly dish at times like these BUT it’s a) magical b) super impressive and c) not as difficult to make as you might think.
This week’s album: New Energy by Four Tet
EMW's extended summer break involved a couple of live Four Tet gigs and this album has been on constant rotation since. The range of what Kieran (I’m a stan) can do is quite incredible and worth exploring, but this album is a favourite of mine. The track ‘Daughter’ is particularly special.
Some tales, tails, and tomatoes
To keep costs down, our recipe uses just the tails of the lobster which you can find at some supermarket fish counters.
If you want to go all out then using a whole lobster does have its benefits - the extra shell and head meat will add tonnes of flavour. I’ve added some instructions for this at step two.
This recipe follows a similar theme to other EMW fish/shellfish dishes (e.g. spaghetti alle vongole, squid ink spaghetti with squid, or grilled swordfish) with tomatoes and garlic playing a big role. It’s a winning combo and I’m a winner.
We’ll then use white wine to enhance the sauce and everything will be finished with lemon and parsley for a final layer of freshness and chefiness.
Traditionally, seafood pasta dishes are mostly made with dried durum wheat pasta (egg pasta wasn’t traditionally made in coastal areas and is associated with central and northern regions and meat sauces).
That said, this week we’re using fresh egg pasta for added richness. You can find decent fresh pasta in Italian delis and online or you can make it yourself using this method. If making it yourself, use 2 whole eggs and 200g of ‘00’ flour for 2 people, and just add 1 whole egg and 100g of ‘00’ flour for each additional person.
What you need
The below serves 2. It takes 10 mins to prep and 15 mins to cook.
250g fresh or dried linguine
2 lobster tails (or 1 whole lobster)
4 tbsps of extra-virgin olive oil
200g cherry tomatoes (sliced in half)
3 garlic cloves (finely grated/chopped)
150ml white wine
15g parsley (finely chopped)
¼ lemon (juice only)
1 knob of good-quality butter
Sea salt and black pepper
Ready, steady, cook
1. Place a large pan of seasoned water onto the boil.
2. Cut the lobster tails in half lengthwise, remove the vein that runs down the middle, and season the flesh with a pinch of salt. Heat up a large frying pan on a medium-high heat. When hot, add 2 tbsps of olive oil and the lobster with the shell facing down. Cook for a couple of mins before turning over and cooking on the flesh side. Once coloured, carefully remove from the pan and set aside on a plate.
NOTE: if using a whole lobster, lie the lobster flat on a chopping board and, using a large chef’s knife, insert the tip of the knife into the ‘centre-cross’ on top of the head. With a swift firm movement, drive the knife through the cross and down in between the eyes. The lobster will most likely still move but won’t be able to feel anything. Remove the claws from the body and, carefully, crack the claws by firmly hitting them across the middle on both sides with a large knife. Split the tail and head as per the instructions above and season the flesh. Cook in a medium-hot pan as per above, leaving the claws to cook for a further 2 mins on each side.
3. Add the halved cherry tomatoes to the pan and season with a pinch of salt. Allow to cook down.
4. After a few mins, and when soft and mostly disintegrated, add in the grated garlic and a generous amount of black pepper. Add a little olive oil if needed. Cook for another minute, being careful to monitor the temperature and not burn the garlic. Set aside.
5. Once the garlic is cooked, turn up the heat to full, wait a moment for it to get hot, then add the white wine. Leave to cook for a couple of mins or until the alcohol has burnt off.
6. While this is happening, remove the cooked lobster meat from the shell and cut into small chunks. (If you’ve used a whole lobster you’ll need to crack the claws further and remove the meat, carefully checking for any broken shell.) Add to the tomato and wine mixture and turn off the heat.
7. Add your pasta to the boiling water and cook according to the packet instructions for ‘al dente’.
8. With a minute or so left on the pasta, add the now-combined tomato and lobster mixture to a medium-high heat. When the pasta is ready, use tongs to transfer it into the pan with the tomatoes and squid. Some pasta water is needed for the sauce so don’t worry if water drips in as you transfer.
NOTE: you can drain the pasta using a colander, just make sure you scoop a mug of pasta water out before you do so.
9. Turn up the heat on the frying pan and stir or toss the pasta through the mixture until evenly coated.
10. If the sauce needs loosening, add some of the pasta water. Now put in the chopped parsley, a squeeze of lemon, a final tbsp of olive oil and the butter. Toss again to emulsify the oil and butter. Check the seasoning. When happy, divide between warmed plates and go wild.
Final thought
Last night my Mum finally signed up to Uber. Sadly she signed up to be an Uber driver so I’m off to deal with that one.
Speak again next Friday when a new restaurant tip will be dropping into your inbox.
Fraser