Mark Bittman's Quick and Easy Recipes From the New York Times - Mark Bittman [35]
To grill, brush the crabs with a little olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Grill, turning once or twice, until browned and firm, 5 to 10 minutes. Brush with olive oil and serve with lemon or, if you like, melted butter.
GRILLED OR BROILED LOBSTER
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
TIME: 40 MINUTES
BOILING OR STEAMING lobster is the simplest cooking method, and it may seem like the best when you consider that plopping a lobster into a pot of boiling water is also the easiest way to kill it. Fortunately, there is a way to “parboil” lobster to kill it that will then allow you to grill or broil it without overcooking. The technique outlined here is easy, foolproof, and perhaps even humane.
Make sure you boil plenty of water for the first step. You want to cook the lobsters barely but quickly. And have an ice-water bath ready to stop the cooking.
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Four 1¼- to 1½-pound live lobsters
¾ cup melted butter, Mayonnaise, or Basic Vinaigrette
1. Start a grill if you’re using one. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it. Plunge the lobsters into the water (one or two at a time if necessary) and cook just until they turn red, about 2 minutes. Remove the lobsters and plunge them into an ice-water bath to stop the cooking. (You can do this several hours in advance and refrigerate the lobsters until you’re ready to proceed.) Split the tails down the middle of their soft sides so they will lie flat.
2. Preheat the broiler if you’re using it. With either broiler or grill, adjust the rack so that there will be about 3 inches between the lobsters and the heat source. Broil or grill the lobsters with their flesh side facing the heat until they are hot and their shells just begin to char, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve hot, warm, at room temperature, or cold, with the melted butter, mayonnaise, or a basic vinaigrette.
PAELLA, FAST AND EASY
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
TIME: 30 MINUTES
SOME PEOPLE ARGUE that a true paella must contain only meat or seafood, never both, that a true paella can be prepared only in a paellera, or that true paella must be cooked outdoors over wood. Perhaps they’re all right. What’s clear to me is that you can produce a fabulous rice dish I call paella in just over half an hour, which makes it a great option for weeknights.
1 quart chicken stock
Pinch of saffron threads (optional)
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, minced
2 cups medium-grain rice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups peeled and, if you like, deveined shrimp, cut into ½-inch chunks
Minced fresh parsley for garnish
1. Preheat the oven to 500°F or as near that temperature as you can get it. Warm the stock in a saucepan along with the saffron if you’re using it. Put an ovenproof 10- or 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat and add the oil. A minute later, add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 5 minutes.
2. Add the rice and cook, stirring occasionally, until glossy, just a minute or two. Season liberally with salt and pepper and add the warmed stock, taking care to avoid the rising steam. Stir in the shrimp and transfer the skillet to the oven.
3. Bake for about 25 minutes, or until all the liquid is absorbed and the rice is dry on top. Garnish with parsley and serve immediately.
VARIATIONS
Shrimp is my first choice for this dish, but the alternatives are numerous. As long as the pieces are less than ½ inch thick, anything will cook through in the time it takes for the liquid to evaporate. Try any combination:
• Sausage, (especially chorizo), cut into bits
• Peas and/or other vegetables, cut up if necessary
• Scallops, treated exactly like the shrimp
• Boneless pork or chicken, cut into ½-inch or smaller cubes
• Tofu, stirred into the rice during the last 5 minutes of baking
• Clams and/or mussels, well scrubbed, placed on top of the rice when you put the pan in the oven
CLAMBAKE