Connecticut’s Date of Statehood – January 9, 1788
Often when we think of New England, we think of Lobster Rolls. Decadent lobster salads served cold with mayo, lemon juice, and celery. But what do you do if someone in the house HATES mayonnaise? Give up lobster rolls forever? Nope! Just head over to Connecticut and enjoy a warm, buttery lobster roll where the seafood is the star! Combined with homemade chips and slice of history (history = an authentic 18th century recipe for Election Cake,) this meal was a real hit!
Tips and Tricks
- How to Crack Open a Lobster
- The Tail – Bend the lobster tail back slightly and twist to remove—it should come apart easily. Starting at the open end, using kitchen shears, cut the shell down the middle of tail’s underside. Open up the shell like a book; remove the meat in one piece. If there is green pasty stuff (the liver and pancreas, called tomalley), wipe it away with a paper towel and discard. The same goes for any tiny eggs.
- The Claws Part A– Twist the two front legs off body of lobster. If they don’t twist off easily, use kitchen shears to snip through any cartilage. Bend the small pincer back and forth until it breaks off. Carefully pull the shell away from meat to keep the claw intact. If the meat breaks apart, use a bamboo skewer to pull the meat out of the pincer.
- The Claws Part B – Using a lobster shell cracker, break into the large claw shell at base. Using fingers or a skewer, pull out the claw meat. If needed, use kitchen shears to cut into the shell further, opening it like a book and lifting out the meat. Make sure all the hard cartilage has detached from the claw meat before setting it aside. Don’t forget the knuckle! Break this leg section into pieces and push out the meat with skewer.
- The Small Legs – Take the small legs off of the lobster. Lay one of them with the open end facing away from you. Take a rolling pin and, starting at the closed end, press down and roll forward. The meat in the legs with be pressed out of the open side. Repeat until all of the meat has been extracted from the legs.
- You can cook lobster tails several different ways. I like to bake them. It’s easy and the lobster meat doesn’t get overcooked or rubbery. Just preheat the oven to 450, place the lobster tails on an aluminum foil lined pan, and bake for 12-15 minutes (or until the shells turn bright red.)
- For foolproof rising of yeast dough, allow the dough to rest, undisturbed, in the microwave. Place a mug of water in the microwave and heat on high for 3 minutes. After this, leave the mug in the microwave and set your bowl of dough (covered with a damp tea towel) in there with the mug. Close the door. Taa Daa! As long as you leave the door closed (AND DON’T TURN THE MICROWAVE ON) the dough will be able to rise in a warm, dark, moist environment.
- For thin and uniform potato chips, invest in a Mandolin Slicer. But be CAREFUL! Use the handles and guides as given to protect your fingers.
- If you have a New England style hot dog pan, great! If you don’t, you can create one out of a large rectangular pan and aluminum foil. Most New England hot dog pans are 15 inches long and 6 inches wide. They have small dividers in the bottom of the pan so that each of the 10 rolls has its own defined space, without coming up the whole way. You WANT the rolls to touch as they proof. First, make a wall out of aluminum foil to create a “pan” that is 6 inches wide. Then, make 9 6-inch long, tight rolls of aluminum foil and space them evenly up the pan. Finally, carefully place a long strip of foil over the spacers, pinching the foil down around the spacers. This will give you small peaks and valleys in which to set your dough. TAA DAA! You just made a New England style hot dog pan!
- Get the Madeira wine from a liquor store. The kind of Madeira you get a grocery store does not have the same alcohol content or flavor of a REAL Madeira.
Connecticut Style Warm Lobster Rolls
Serves 2
- 2 Large Lobster Tails or 2 Small Lobsters, cooked, meat removed, and chopped
- 1 Stick Unsalted Butter
- Juice of 1 Lemon
- 1/3 Tsp Sweet Paprika
Step 1: In a large pan, melt the butter over medium heat.
Step 2: Once melted, add the lemon juice and paprika, stirring to combine.
Step 3: Once the liquid starts to simmer, add the cooked lobster meat and stir to combine. Cook the lobster until heated through, about 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
Step 4: Using a slotted spoon, remove the lobster from the butter sauce and equally distribute between two toasted New England style hot dog buns. Then, drizzle some of the lemon butter over the meat and serve immediately.
New England Style Hot Dog Buns
Makes 10 Buns
- 4 Cups All-Purpose Flour
- 1/4 Cup Powdered Milk
- 3/4 Cup Lukewarm Milk
- 1/2 Cup Lukewarm Water
- 1 Envelope Rapid Rise Instant Yeast
- 1 1/2 tsp Salt
- 2 Tbs Sugar
- 1 Egg
- 4 Tbs Butter, at room temperature
- 1 Tbs Vegetable Oil
- 1 Egg plus 1 Tbs Cold Water, for egg wash
Step 1: In the large bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the flour, powdered milk, yeast, sugar, and salt.
Step 2: Add the egg, lukewarm milk, and lukewarm water to the dry ingredients. Mix the contents of the bowl on low until it begins to combine. Then, add the butter 1 Tbs at a time and continue to mix on low until the dough comes together.
Step 3: Turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface and knead for 8-10 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and elastic.
Step 4: Pour the 1 Tbs of oil into a large bowl and swish it around to coat the sides. Place the kneaded dough into the oiled bowl and turn it over several times to also coat the dough in oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow it to rise in a warm, dark place for 1 1/2 hours, or until doubled in size.
Step 5: Grease the New England Style hot dog pan (or aluminum foil substitute.) Divide the risen dough into 10 equal portions. Take 1 dough portion and roll it out into a rectangle that is 4 inches wide and 5-6 inches tall. Then, take the small edge and tightly roll the dough up in to a cylinder. Tuck the ends under the cylinder so that the dough portion is again 4 inches or so long. Pinch the seams together and gently roll the dough to close the seam. Place the dough smooth side up in one section of the pan. Repeat with the remaining dough portions until 10 hot dog buns have been made.
Step 6: Cover the pan with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rise in a warm, dark place for 45 minutes, or until doubled in bulk.
Step 7: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Step 8: Once the oven is hot and the dough has risen, remove the plastic wrap from the pan. Whisk the 1 egg and 1 Tbs of cold water in a small bowl. Brush the egg wash over the rolls and place the pan on the oven. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 190 degrees and the tops are golden brown.
Step 9: Once the rolls are cooked, remove them from the oven and allow them to cool on a wire rack before toasting, slicing, and stuffing them the filling of your choice.
Homemade Salt and Vinegar Potato Chips
Serves 4
- 2 Medium Russet Potatoes, scrubbed (peeling is optional)
- 1 Tbs White Vinegar Powder
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- White Vinegar, for soaking
- Vegetable Oil, for frying
Step 1: Using a mandolin, thinly slice the potatoes to about 1/10″ thick.
Step 2: Place the potato slices into a medium bowl and pour enough white vinegar over them to completely cover. Allow the chips to soak for 30 minutes.
Step 3: In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar powder and salt.
Step 4: Place a large skillet with high sides over medium heat. Pour the contents of a large container of vegetable oil into the skillet, so that the oil comes half way up the sides. Heat the oil to 350 degrees. While the oil is heating, place a metal cooling rack over a cookie sheet. Do not drain the chips on paper towels. There will be a lot of drain off and paper towels keeps the excess oil close to the chips, making them greasy.
Step 5: Drain the vinegar from the potatoes and pat each individual slice dry. The easiest way to do this is to line a large baking sheet with paper towels and set the slices out in a single layer. Then, cover the slices with more paper towels and pat dry.
Step 6: Once the oil is hot and the potatoes are completely dry, add enough chips to the skillet to have a single layer. You will need to fry in several small batches. Fry the chips for 3-4 minutes, turning them frequently, until both sides are golden brown. Remove the chips from the oil with a slotted spoon and set them on the wire rack to crisp up.
Step 7: After about 1-2 minutes, take the chips off the drying rack and place them in a large bowl. Take a pinch of the powdered vinegar/salt mixture and sprinkle it over the hot chips. Toss gently.
Step 8: Repeat steps 6 and 7 until all of the potato slices have been fried and sprinkled with the vinegar/salt mixture.
Step 9: Enjoy!
Hartford Election Cake
Serves 6-8
- 1/4 Cup Lukewarm Milk
- 1 Envelope Rapid Rise Instant Yeast
- 1/2 Cup All-Purpose Flour
- 1 1/2 tsp Molasses
- 3/4 Cup Golden Raisins
- 1/8 Cup Madeira Wine
- 1/8 Cup Brandy
- 1 1/4 Cup All-Purpose Flour
- 1/2 tsp Ground Cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp Ground Coriander
- 1/4 tsp Ground Allspice
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 1/2 Cup Chopped Pecans
- 1/2 Cup Unsalted Butter, at room temperature
- 1/3 Cup Sugar
- 2 Eggs
Step 1: In a medium bowl, whisk together the yeast and 1/4 cup lukewarm water. Stir in the molasses and 1/2 cup all-purpose flour until the dough comes together and is smooth. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rise in a warm, dark place for 3 hours.
Step 2: Place the raisins in a small bowl. Pour the Madeira wine and brandy over the raisins. Stir to combine and allow to marinate for 3 hours, stirring occasionally.
Step 3: After the 3-hour rise and soak time, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Step 4: Grease 1 loaf pan and fit a parchment paper sling inside of it. Grease the parchment paper as well.
Step 5: In a medium bowl, whisk together the 1 1/4 Cups All-Purpose flour, ground cinnamon, ground coriander, ground allspice, salt, and chopped pecans. Set aside.
Step 6: In the large bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the 1/2 cup room temperature butter and 1/2 cup of sugar on medium speed for about 3 minutes, scraping the sides occasionally. Then, add the eggs one at a time, allowing the first egg to mix in for 30 seconds before adding the second egg. Mix for 30 more seconds.
Step 7: Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the yeast/molasses mixture. Mix on medium speed for 3 minutes.
Step 8: Add the flour/pecan mixture to the dough and mix on low for 30 seconds. Then add the raisins and soaking liquid to the batter and mix on low for a few seconds. Take the bowl off of the mixer and manually stir the batter with a rubber spatula to combine all of the ingredients.
Step 9: Pour the prepared batter into the greased loaf pan. Bake in the hot oven for 65-70 minutes or until it reaches an internal temperature of 190 degrees. If the top gets too brown, tent the pan with foil until the cake is cooked through.
Step 10: Once the cake is cooked, remove the pan from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Then, gently lift the cake out of the pan by the parchment paper and allow the cake to cool on a wire rack completely.
Step 11: Slice and serve toasted with a dollop of butter.
Fun Facts about Connecticut: 1. The first telephone book ever issued contained only fifty names. The New Haven District Telephone Company published it in New Haven in February 1878. 2. Connecticut and Rhode Island never ratified the 18th Amendment (Prohibition). 3. Mary Kies, of South Killingly was the first woman to receive a U.S. patent. On May 15th, 1809 for a method of weaving straw with silk. 4. Connecticut is home to the oldest U.S. newspaper still being published: The Hartford Courant, established in 1764. 5. The first automobile law was passed by the state of CT in 1901. The speed limit was set at 12 miles per hour. 6. West Hartford is the birthplace of Noah Webster, the author of the first dictionary published in 1807.
Edible U.S. 