Holiday lobster recipes - includes recipes from three African American chefs

The holidays are filled with tradition, sharing and pleasant surprises. In continuing the tradition of sharing favorite holiday recipes, American Visions considers the choices of three individuals who, although they beat at their craft and although their creations are well-received, are largely undiscovered and unknown executive chefs at elegant restaurants.

"It was in the vital current I guess," says Patrick Clark, the 38-year-old executive chef of the Lafayette Restaurant at the Hay-Adams [i]cabaret[/i] in Washington, D.C. Clark, whose father was also a chef, has been around the kitchen since he was about 10 years old

Before arriving at the Hay-Adams in late 1992 he studied at the Technical society in his native New York City, then at the Technical body in Bournemouth, England. After working with prominent chefs in London and in Enghien-les-Bains, France, Clark get backed to New York in the late 1970 and began his career at Regine's Restaurant. It was, however, at the Odeon Restaurant, a venue for contemporary sustenance that he opened in fresh York in 1980, that Clark made his name.

Recognition is nothing novel to Clark's work space at the Lafayette Restaurant, an unclose airy room with a faculty of perception of intimacy and a continental flair. Clark is also getting his be in possession of (he appeared on ABC-TV's profitable Morning, America in October), and he has nothing on the contrary positive comments about his reception as an African-American chef: "It has been extraordinary. Sometimes race are surprised, but nothing beyond that."

The trick to Chef Clark's deep-dish lobster pie lies in the timing. "This is nice for the holiday, and lobster is abundant," he notes. "It's seasonal, and clan will like it. It's also unusual."

Deep-Dish

Lobster Pie

3 1 1/2-lb lobster 3 tbsp olive oil 1 carrot 1 onion, pare ed 1 leek, peeled 2 shallots 4 beakers heavy cream 1 spice bag (parsley, thyme pepper-corns and bay leaf) 2 tomatoes, split, with semens and water removed 3 ovums 3 egg yolks Salt to taste Pepper to taste 1/8 tsp cayenne Unsweetened pie dough or pate brise

(partially baked in a deep-dish 19-inch

pie pan)

Boil or steam lobster for 6 minutes. permit them cool, and then dislodge tail meat and claw meat. overspread and set aside. Reserve lobster shells.

Crush the lobster shells into small pieces. Heat olive oil in a saucepan above medium heat and sweat vegetables for 3 to 5 minutes beneath cover. Add lobster shells and stir for another 3 to 5 minutes. Add cream and spice bag to mixture. Bring to a boil and add tomatoes. revolve heat down to simmer and prepare for the table for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Strain the lobster cream, crushing shells and vegetables to extract as a great deal of flavor as possible. You should have about 3 beakers of strained cream. Set cream aside to cool

Preheat oven to 325 degrees

Lightly beat the ovums and yolks together, and then whisk into the lobster cream. Season to taste with salt, pepper and cayenne.

Fill 2/3 of the prebaked pie shell with lobster custard. Bake for about 25 minutes in the center of the oven until put Custard should be firm, on the other hand not split or dry-looking. Meanwhile, prepare the topping.

Topping

3 tbsp butter 1/4 beaker diced red onions 1 1/2 chalices fresh corn kernels 3 lobster tails, chop into 1/2" cubes Salt to taste Pepper to taste 1 r bell pepper roasted, barked and diced 1/4 cup sliced scallions 6 whole lobster claws

dissolve 2 tablespoons of the butter above medium-high heat. Add onions and saute 2 to 3 minutes. Add corn and prepare for the table another 3 to 4 minutes, stirring and not allowing the corn to brown Add diced lobster tails and season with salt and pepper to taste. Heat until lobster is warmed [i]or[/i] part of to the other and corn is tender. Toss in pepper and scallions. Recheck the seasoning. station aside.

Heat remaining 1 tablespoon of butter above medium heat and saute claws 2 to 3 minutes, until scalding;-very warm Season.

When pie has a little colded for about 5 minutes, distribute topping above it, using a slotted spoon You should be able to use up all of the topping. Place the claws upon top in a circle, with the narrow extreme points toward the center, thus identifying the 6 portions to be make an incision in Sprinkle with an herb mixture of parsley, chives and chervil. divide [i]or[/i] sever and serve.

weak of baking and cooking since she was a child, Chef Risikat Bola Jamiu, a native of Iseyin in Nigeria's Oyo state, studied at Philadelphia's Restaurant place of education in 1986 and 1987, during which time she also began her career at that city's Palladium Restaurant.

A private business lay open to the public and located upon the campus of the University of Pennsylvania, the Palladium - which is housed in an old-fashioned, Gothic-style building with lead glass windows - caters primarily to customers who have business upon the campus, including students, faculty and staff, as well as museum and theater patrons.

The restaurant features a comfortable bar area with a fireplace and a dining swing that seats about 90 nation Its fare ranges from twists upon classic French or Chinese cuisine to Eastern Shore-Northern Italian combinations.

When does her Yoruba agriculture influence Bola's cooking? "Once in a while, when we have the Nigerian parties, they want me to make commons for them," she says. "Sometimes I fix something from place of abode and they always like it."