This Maine classic is great for entertaining. With just one hour of prep work, you can get out of the kitchen and join the party. Jonathan Cartwright is executive chef at The White Barn Inn restaurant in Kennebunkport, Maine, and he shares his secrets on “Today.” Check out his recipe below.
A TRADITIONAL MAINE LOBSTER BAKE WHITE BARN INN STYLE IN THE COMFORT OF YOUR OWN HOMEJonathan Cartwright
4 Portions
Plunge the lobsters into rapid boiling water, boil for 5 minutes, refresh in plenty of ice water. Wash the potatoes. Peel the corn, save the husk (optional). Take 4 ears of corn and remove the kernels from the cob with a sharp knife; sauté in 2 oz of butter with the diced red onion until tender. Cut the remainder of the corn in half, blanch in boiling water for 3 minutes and refresh in ice water (this is not necessary if the corn is extremely fresh). Cover the blanched corn with the saved husk or aluminum foil; add a knob of butter to each one. Wash the clams in salted water. Soak the pebbles in seawater or salt water.
Preheat the oven to 400-degrees.
Halve the cooled lobsters and clean, break out the claws and knuckles. Fill the cleaned head cavity with the cooked corn and place the claw and knuckle meat on top.
Place the damp cheesecloth in the bottom of the roasting pan; place half of the seaweed and the pebbles on top. Place the prepared corn, washed potatoes, clams and filled lobster on top. Cover with a damp cheesecloth or tea towel some more seaweed and a lid or aluminum foil. This preparation time is approximately one hour.
Bake in a 400-degree oven for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes.
Special equipment and terms:
Cheese Cloth, Roasting Pan with lid
Lobster sheers
Pebbles, Sea Water
Blanch is to plunge in boiling water for a few seconds and to refresh in ice water.
Serve the lobster with drawn butter, have some boiled water in small cups with lemon slices to dip and wash the clams in.
91236096048160499lobsters1.5pound2 1 1/2 lb. lobsters (live)quahog clams2pound2 1bs. medium steamers or quahog clams (or a mix of both: steamers are a soft shell clam, the Quahog is a large hard shell clam)seaweed2pound2 1bs. seaweed (fresh)corn8ear8 ears fresh summer cornred onion11 red onion (diced)russian banana fingerling potatoes3pound3 lbs. Russian banana fingerling potatoesunsalted butter1pound1 lb. unsalted butterlemon4slice4 ea. lemon slices
Copyright 2001, by Jonathan Cartwright, The White Barn Inn, Kennebunkport, Maine. Reprinted by permission.