hearing about those lobsters reminded me of a lobster bisk that we used to make with all of the leftover shells in a restaurant i used to work at. i don't have a recipe because it was years ago and we only ever made like 50 gallons at a time but i will try to give an overview as i'm sure it could be replecated at home on a much smaller scale. what we would do was take all of the leftover shells and lay them on sheet pans along with carrots, celery, onions and garlic. we would then add big spoonfuls of tomato paste on top and roast it in a hot oven until the shells were roasted and the veg started to caramelize and the tomato paste was heavily browned, almost black.

this was then added to a huge steam kettle with lots of whole peppercorns and plenty of bay leaves,covered in cold water and simmered for a couple of days on low heat, then strained and put aside. then, in a huge tilt braiser we would sautee lots of onions and celery until nice and golden and deglaze with lots of sherry and reduce. we would then add the lobster stock we had previously made, as well as apple juice which might sound a little weird but really added a nice sweetness.

we then added some lobster base, which is basically a concentrated lobster paste, kinda like high class bullion cubes but in paste form. these are used quite frequently in commercial kitchens and come in many different flavors. again, this was slowly simmered for another day or two over low heat, then pureed to incorporate the celery and onions. seasonings were adjusted and the bisk was thickened with a roux(equal parts flour and butter). when it was heated up for service, we would cream it out,add fresh chopped lobster meat and serve. lots of work just for a soup huh?

hopefully in the future i'm gonna play around with a much smaller version at home and try to get some sort of a recipe together and if it turns out good i will share it here.

I made lobster bisque and lobster macaroni and cheese for New Year's. I saved the stock in quart containers and froze it. I use it when I make seafood risotto.

I love scallops! Are "diver scallops" ever treated?

That's one thing I've been learning lately -- "wet" scallops are injected with a sodium tripolyphosphate solution (sounds yummy, right?) to increase shelf life, as well as making them more plump so they can sell you less for more. They also don't brown well because they're artificially packed with water, making them steam.

You want "dry" scallops. "Day boat" scallops (harvested in one day, not out to sea for a week, before returning to port) are usually "dry", tastier and fresher -- so I'd guess that so are diver scallops. The pinkish ones seem to be females (discolored a bit from their roe), which are usually tastier.

While I trust most supermarkets for clams and mussels, etc, I'd probably buy scallops from a reputable fish monger. Luckily there's one up the street from me. But quick-frozen works in a pinch.

^^^right on about the scallops. the term diver scallops is supposed to mean picked out by hand by the diver, meaning bigger and better scallops, but i'm not sure that they are always hand-dived. i think its more of a marketing ploy though, as they might just be the best outta the commercial haul. they are always high quality so its a win-win, same as "day scallops".

on the topic of treated scallops, my god are they terrible. you are right on about not being able to sear them no matter how hot the pan is. they just stew and disintegrate. also, be on the lookout for the term "bay scallops" as these are small and almost always treated. i find that they taste literally like rubber, not good. i generally get my seafood from wegmans, and i have never had anything but good quality.

Okay, had a little seafood feast tonight. Tilapia, stuffed clams, (the latter two frozen, from a farmers market vendor from North Jersey), fresh steamed clams & mussels, and a couple pan-seared fresh day-boat scallops (because of this thread).

STEAMED CLAMS/MUSSELS

Made this last week for family, used 2 jars Cento clam broth for the first time, instead of water -- nice flavor! White wine, butter, sauteed garlic (not enough!), some chopped basil (my parsley never exploded for some reason in the garden), salt and pepper. Saved the broth, and did the same a few days later -- added more garlic, but still not enough! Kinda salty now as it's reduced, but will water it down next time (it's now in the freezer). I think that "mother" sauce will go a long way. lol

Steamed in a 2-part pasta pot, then the juice was poured on top. Thinking of adding a little fresh-squeezed tomato juice next time, since one of my favorite childhood restaurant recipes added diced tomatoes to it, but I can't go that far I don't think.

It must be seafood week on the BB. My daughter wanted salmon last night, so I broiled it with a little brown sugar. Not much effort, but with a side of sauteed broccoli and rice, it was pretty good.

got some flank steaks marinating in a little bit of soy sauce, worcestershire,garlic and scallions with a little olive oil(not extra virgin). just gonna hit them with some salt and pepper and throw them in the cast iron. i don't have anything planned for sides though, and i might just say to hell with a balanced meal and go caveman style and just gorge on meat but i'm not sure.

Sound delicious. I like to add a bit of red wine and some black pepper as well to my marinade. The wine will actually tenderize the meat, and the black pepper adds such a lovely zing.

Tonight we are having chicken done in a barbecue sauce and spicy rice. With lashings of white wine and lager!!

We were in Manhattan today, so we went to Chinatown to eat. We went to WoHop and had some Won Ton Soup, 4 Ingredient Lo Mein, Pork Fried Rice and Chicken Wings. It was so good, and the whole bill was only $36.

Sometimes one wants comfort food (however you define it), and sometimes you know that a good friend needs comfort food and a sympathetic ear.

One of my best friends has been going through some serious shit in his personal and professional life; serious trouble on his job, and a cold, unsupportive wife (aka "The Shrew"). A couple of home-cooked meals at Vitelli's were definitely in order and good for the soul (and the stomach).

Last night: my version of Chicken Scarpariello (with fresh rosemary); spaghetti and my home-made tomato sauce on the side.

Tonight: Asian-style stir-fried shrimp with broccoli, snow peas and scallions with white rice. I flavored the stir-fry with small amounts of light soy sauce, oyster sauce, hoisin sauce and chili garlic paste. In addition, I made a cold sesame wheat noodle dish, which included sesame oil, sesame paste, peanut butter, a little bit of spicy Sichuan noodle sauce, a hint of lemon juice (orange juice would have been better, but I was all out) and thinly sliced scallions.

Signor V.

Wanna be my therapist/chef??

I am doing a pork roast with all the trimmings today for Sunday lunch....could be epic

sounds good, care to elaborate on the prep? i had chinese takeout the other night from a small place in central jersey. not the best, but pretty good by suburban standards. they do however make a great dipping sauce for the steamed dumplings that is amazing and the prices are very reasonable as seems to be the case with most of these places.

Can ya leave a plate for on the back porch. I'm like a stray cat.

that sounds pretty good. i never made beer can chicken. i always wondered if the heat of the grill would release some of the paint or other chemicals from the aluminum can into the food.

If it did just remember back to middle school when you used aluminim foil to make a bowl with

I sense a recurring theme here....

We picked some tomatoes from our garden and were going to toss the over-ripe ones. My mom snatched them away and said they were perfect for sauce, so we'll have pasta and fresh tomato sauce tonight.

I was suppose to go down my sister's house and swim and cookout but considering its 72 degrees out not making the trip there. One thing I hate whilee I'm out is that so many restaurants always have BBQ pulled pork I just like it with sharp provolone and roasted peppers

how long does the fresh sauce cook down for? do you puree is or just leave it chunky? i'm not a big fan of chuncky sauce, or tomatoes in general for that matter. this reminded me that i've been meaning to try the vodka sauce recipe that you posted before as it looked perfect for me!

We actually puree it, not being big on chunks either. The most important thing is to get those seeds out, as that's what makes sauce bitter. I'm not sure how long it cooked, just until it looked right. That's not helpful, is it?? Sorry!

Also, Carmela had asked for my risotto recipe. I originally found it online, and here's the link. Although it's fine with chicken broth, I made some seafood stock and it adds a nice flavor as well. I also use scallops with the shrimp, but the small cheaper ones (bay?). It's always a big hit. Just don't overcook the shrimp. I literally toss them in at the last minute. They only need to cook enough until they turn pink all the way through.

http://www.reluctantgourmet.com/shmpsoto.htm

looking like its gonna be a simple sandwich night. i picked up some nice boars head hot capicola and picante provalone. add some lettuce, tons of pepperoncini and simple oil/vinegar and its a good cheap meal. i swear by boars head as i think its the best brand of cold cuts. also, as yogi would say, there are bound to be many lashings of beer as breaking bad is on tonight.

Really? I toss them to the bottom of the plant. They grow into new plants the following year.

Maybe they can have a picnic.

With the fresh tomatoes from my Father in law's garden we had blt's for supper.

i love a BLT without the tomato, and please for the love of god no mayo so it's more like a BL for me!

A BLT without the T nor the mayo is just... well... A dry-ass bacon/lettuce sandwich.

A+ for the bacon, tho!

Bizarre Foods tonight had a BLT... Bacon, Lettuce, and Testicles! And it actually looked really good.

EWW!!

Oh, pleeze! I saw you eyeing that baby skunk in my yard!