Fried lobster over fried rice

 When lobster is on sale for $4 at the grocery store you stock up - and then you start thinking of creative ways to use it! Well - here you go! This meal was a success first time out! Enjoy.

Ingredients for the fried rice:

1 red pepper, cut into strips and then cut in half to make them short, matchstick size (you can use 2 baby sweet peppers as well)
1 cup frozen peas and carrots mixed
2 lobster tails, meat cut into bite-sized pieces
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tsp ginger, minced
1 shallot, diced
green onion for garnish
2 eggs, whisked in a bowl
Canola oil and sesame oil

Salt and pepper
2 1/2 cups of jasmine or basmati rice. Cooked according to package directions with a splash of sesame oil in the water (or use lobster or seafood stock). After you let rice cool for 5 minutes, fluff with a fork and spread out in a large 9x13 pan. Once cooled completely, refrigerate. It's best to make your rice the night before or morning of so you have really cold rice for the fried rice. 

Sauce for the fried rice:

1 tsp fresh ginger
3 tsp minced garlic
3 TBSP Kung Pao Stir Fry sauce or Hoisin Sauce
3 TBSP low sodium soy sauce
1 TBSP siracha
Splash of rice vinegar
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 TBSP cornstarch

-whisk together and reserve

Ingredients for fried lobster tail: 

8 lobster tail - cut down the middle to make two halves. Carefully remove the meat onto a plate so you have 16 strips of lobster meat

2 cups of buttermilk

5 dashes of Tabasco hot sauce

Canola oil for frying

3 TBSP cornstarch

2 1/2 cups of flour

tsp of each spice

-paprika

-salt

-italian seasoning

-garlic powder

-onion powder

-oregano

-white pepper

-thyme

-cayenne

1 TBSP sugar

Ingredients for Hibachi Peanut Sauce:

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

heaping 1/4 cup of mayo

2 TBSP soy sauce

2 TBSP Rice Wine Vinegar

1 TBSP sesame oil

1 TBSP honey

2 tsp siracha

1 tsp ginger, grated

1 tsp garlic, minced

3 TBSP water

1/2 tsp white pepper

1/2 lime, juiced

pinch of cayenne

-whisk together and reserve for garnish

Directions: 

1. Prepare your plain rice the night before or at least a few hours before so that it's cooled down for cooking. 

2. Prep both sauces and set aside

3. Chop the shallot, ginger, garlic, and peppers for the fried rice and organize all the other ingredients for the 

4. Combine the flour, cornstarch and all the seasonings for the dredge for the lobster tail in a large bowl.

5. In another bowl, combine the buttermilk and Tabasco and then add the lobster tail meat from the 8 lobster tails. Let marinate while you prepare the fried rice

6. Heat about 3 inches of oil to 325 degrees. 

7. Prepare a wok or paella pan over medium heat with 1-2 TBSP of canola oil. 

8. Add your shallot and cook for 2 minutes. Then add garlic, ginger and pepper pieces. Add a little salt and pepper. Cook for 2 minutes

9. Add you lobster meat (pieces from 2 lobster tail). Cook just until opaque. 

10. Add 1 cup of peas and carrots and toss. Cook for 2 minutes. 

11. Move everything in the pan to the outer edge and add 2 eggs in the middle of the pan. Let the eggs get firm a bit like you are scrambling eggs. Move around and scrape up the bottom. 

12. Once the eggs are cooked, add the rice and a bit of the sauce and begin to toss. Add more sauce if your rice still looks a bit white. 

13. Once everything is combined, let sit still in the pan to "fry your rice".  Give it 2-3 minutes. Turn over the rice once and let cook another 2-3 minutes. Turn off the heat and reserve while you move on.

14. If your oil is at 325, take 8 pieces of lobster from the buttermilk mixture and toss in the flour mixture. Make sure it's coated well and then drop in the oil one at a time. Cook for 3 minutes or until golden and crispy. Drain on paper towels. 

15. Bring the oil back up to 325 before frying the second batch. Drain on paper towels. 

16. Serve rice on the bottom, a few pieces of lobster tail on top and garnish with the hibachi peanut sauce and green onion. 

It's still technically summer here, but it's after Labor Day. I had my last bottle of Summer In a Bottle from Wolffer Estate today!  It was a nice pairing!