Shea Gallante
CRU | New York City

What do you get when you combine the business acumen of Italian chef/restaurateurs Pino Luongo and Lidia Bastianich, and the culinary finesse and technique of four-star French chef David Bouley? The answer is Shea Gallante, whose modern European cuisine at Cru has given oenophiles much more to consider than just the expansive, double-volume wine list. While Gallante prides himself on meticulous execution, there is nothing rote or mechanical about his dishes. Rather, they reflect spontaneity and originality without being esoteric.

Maine Lobster with Turnips, Salsify Poached and
Mango Butter
Chef Shea Gallante of Cru-New York, NY
Adapted by Starchefs.com

Yield: 4 Servings

Ingredients:

Lobster stock:

• 4 (1¼ pound) lobsters
• 1 spring rosemary
• 3 cups extra virgin olive oil, plus extra
• 1 carrot, diced small
• 1 stalk celery, diced small
• 1 Spanish onion, diced

Salsify and turnips:

• 2 stalks salsify
• 2 medium turnips
• 1 ripe mango
• 2 cups lobster stock
• ¼ cup sweet cream butter
• Salt and pepper

Chanterelles:

• 1 cup chanterelles
• ¼ cup minced shallot
• ¼ cup minced garlic
• ¼ cup port wine
• ¼ cup vegetable stock
• 1 sage leaf
• Extra virgin olive oil

Red currants:

• ¼ cup red currants
• 2 Tablespoons sugar
• 3 Tablespoons orange juice
• 2 star anise

Bok choy:

• ¼ cup minced shallot
• Olive oil
• 1 cup baby bok choy
• ½ cup vegetable stock
• 1 Tablespoon butter

Garnish:

• 1 spring tarragon, finely chopped

Method:
For lobster stock and lobster: Pull the claws and tail off of the lobsters. Put them in an appropriate size sautior with rosemary and cover with olive oil. Reserve.

Split the bodies in half, sear in a hot sauté pan, then add carrot, celery and onion and cover with water. Bring to a boil and simmer, skimming, for about 30 minutes. Strain and discard solids. Yield 2 cups.

Preheat oven to 220°F. Slowly cook reserved lobster in oven until the claws and tails are just cooked through. Pull the meat from the shells; the claws should be intact with the knuckles. Reserve.

For salsify and turnips:
Cut the salsify and turnips into batons, keeping salsify in water as cut to prevent oxidation. Peel the mango and cut into ½-inch pieces. In a small saucepot combine the lobster stock, butter and mango. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until mango is tender, then puree in a blender and pass through a chinois. Return the mango butter to the saucepot, add batons of salsify and turnip and poach at a low simmer until just tender. Reserve.

For chanterelles:
While the lobsters are in the oven, clean chanterelles and cut to uniform size. In a sauté pan sweat shallots and garlic; add the chanterelles and cook until liquid given off evaporates. Deglaze with the port wine and ¼ cup of vegetable stock. Add the sage leaf and reduce to sauce consistency. Finish with a few drops of extra virgin olive oil.

For red currants:
In a small saucepot combine the red currants, sugar, orange juice and star anise. Gently simmer until currants are tender and liquid is of sauce consistency.

For bok choy:
In a small saucepot sweat minced shallots in a little olive oil and add the bok choy and cook until tender. Deglaze with vegetable stock and finish with butter.

To serve:
Warm all of the garnishes and the lobster, adjusting seasoning as needed. Put a streak of mango butter and a few batons of vegetables on top. Arrange the lobster neatly in the middle. Place a few pieces of bok choy and currants around dish. Sauce with the chanterelle mixture.