Treat Mom to this special lobster salad
Steal this Italian-style seafood dish from Positano Coast in Philadelphia
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Positano Coast |
In this special weekly feature, TODAY food editor Phil Lempert brings you recipes “stolen” (with permission) from notable restaurants across America. See how much fun you can have (and money you can save) by cooking these dishes at home.
THIS WEEK: Chilled Lobster with Arugula, Fennel, Citrus, Tarragon and Avocado from Positano Coast in Philadelphia, Penn.
Lobster brings to mind intimate meals shared with loved ones. So, why not share some lobster with the person who loves you most in the world — your mom? We've “stolen” this recipe from Positano Coast in Philadelphia to help you cook up something special for her. This refreshing dish is easy to make and is great for welcoming the beautiful spring weather on a Mother's Day brunch.
About the chef: At 26 years old, Pippo Lamberti has been “studying” Italian food for, well, his entire life. With his family's restaurants always a prominent part of his life, Lamberti began his study of coastal Italian cooking as a toddler. So it comes as no surprise that his father, restaurateur Aldo Lamberti, tapped him to helm the kitchen of his family's restaurant, Positano Coast.
Following in the footsteps of his father, Lamberti was learning Italian cooking from his grandmother and working in his dad's restaurants before he was even a teenager. After completing school, at age 19, he returned full-time to forging a culinary career. Lamberti was mentored at Caffe Aldo Lamberti by Executive Chef William Fischer, a former commercial fisherman who switched from catching fish to cooking them. Here Lamberti learned Fischer's simple approach to seafood by preparing a constantly rotating selection of fresh fish. Lamberti's tutelage in the kitchen continued with an internship at Philadelphia's Le Bec-Fin followed by a position as chef at Positano Coast in January 2005. Here, under Executive Chef Ted Covington, Lamberti's philosophy quickly evolved.
Since earning the reins to the kitchen at Positano Coast, Lamberti has brought to Philadelphia a menu loaded with regional specialties from his family's homeland, the Amalfi Coast of Italy. Lamberti says he wants “to create dishes which marry the best, freshest ingredients to create memorable food with bold flavors and interesting textures. I want to create food that my guests dream about.”
Chilled Lobster with Arugula, Fennel, Citrus, Tarragon and Avocado is served at Positano Coast for $13 as an appetizer and $24 as a main dish. The recipe is for a serving size of two.
Serving size of two
INGREDIENTS
Salad Ingredients
Orange Tarragon Sauce Ingredients
Avocado Puree Ingredients
Optional Garnishes
Orange Tarragon Sauce Steal This Recipe® step-by-step Instructions
1. Begin by sweating the shallots and garlic in the oils and butter
2. When the shallots and garlic are very soft, add the tarragon sprigs
3. Deglaze with white wine, reduce by half
4. Add the sugar and both the lemon and orange juices
5. Let the sauce thicken and add the saffron
6. Allow the sauce to cool
Avocado Puree Steal This Recipe® step-by-step Instructions
1. Mix the shallots, oil, vinegar and Tabasco in a mixing bowl
2. Toss the avocado into the mixture and then add salt and pepper
Salad Steal This Recipe® step-by-step Instructions
1. Season the arugula and fennel with some of the Orange Tarragon Sauce
2. Season the lobster in the same manner
3. Combine the lobster, arugula and fennel on a serving platter
Optional: Garnish with fried tarragon leaves, naval orange segments, basil oil and the fried lobster heads
For complete nutritional information, please go to supermarketguru.com.
MANAGE YOUR RECIPES
Positano Coast
212 Walnut Street, 2nd Floor
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19106
215-238-0499
www.lambertis.com
Want to nominate your favorite restaurant dish for a "Steal This Recipe" feature? Just e-mail Phil at Phil.Lempert@nbc.com (or use the mail box below) with the name of the restaurant, city and state, and the dish you would like to have re-created. Want to know more about Phil and food? Visit his Web site at www.supermarketguru.com.
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