Happy Dragon Boat's Day Festival with Zong Zi...

Carrying forward and honouring my grandma's culinary legacy wrapping zong zi with momma' again this year!.... Here was last year's post and my first attempt! My wrapping technique this year was smoother, quicker and the results look a lot better-- as they say practice makes perfect although doing them once a year, it may take a few zong zi before you get the hang of it- again. I say, as long as you wrap them tightly with no chance of contents busting out during cooking, it's a success! However, with my second go at it, a nice sturdy hearty pyramid was my goal :).  

Zong zi is a Chinese version of tamales-- bamboo leaves are wrapped around glutinous sweet sticky rice mixed with all sorts of filling- savoury or sweet and boiled until ready. My late grandma passed at 98 and have been making her infamous savoury kind for as long as I remembered as a child, with seasoned pork belly, Chinese cured sausage, peanuts and duck egg yolk. I only wish that I learned the tricks of the trade first-hand when she was still alive-- she probably made them until she was 90. And so here I am in my second year wrapping these bundles of joy and relishing in her spirit with every rice scoop, filling placement, wrap, fold and bind. And of course, when I sink my teeth into the steaming hot deliciousness, no louder do I hear my grandma's voice, ho mo sic, "Isn't it good?" And yes grandma, it certainly is-- thank you!

This year, I prepared the bamboo leaves differently. We found the leaves were a bit hard and crisp to fold nicely without tearing, so before the Zong Zi-making day, I soaked the leaves for two hours, then placed the leaves in a big pot covered with water and brought to a boil, then simmer covered for one hour. I drained the leaves, individually washed and rinsed them and placed them spread out in a basin of cool water to soak overnight. Nice and pliable for folding and wrapping! :)

Refer to my previous post for step-by-step preparations and wrapping. My mom preparing the ingredients. Lap Cheurng (Chinese cured sausage) are sliced into long diagonal strips so that when you bite into the oblong dumpling, you get a piece in every bite. Raw salted duck egg yolk and cut into quarters.

Use two to three overlapping bamboo leaves to create a deep cup for rice and filling, with ample leaves for folding over and enclosing without chancing a slit or opening for contents to spill out.

Duo parcels with mom and me!

Looking pretty good if I have to say so myself! 

Tying them together with string to get ready for the hot steady boil for four long hours!

YUMMMMMMMMMMSSS....

While it's true this is a lot of work and time consuming to make, there's nothing like rolling up my sleeves and recreating a culinary favourite my late grandma who I adored, helmed the kitchen making! This is my nod to our customs for the Chinese Dragon Boat Festival-- a look into a past food I grew up on and a gateway into the future where I can continue enjoying this family's tradition and hopefully pass on the same culinary legacy, love and skills to my children. 

The Classic Lobster Roll...

The surge of lobster roll offerings in Toronto is crazy beckoning... that is every time I hear and see a new restaurant or food truck with their own concoction, I always make a mental note to go try. But with a busy family and personal schedule, making my way down to these hot spots is fleeting. So what is someone who loves to cook to do?..... make them myself of course! Succulent and delicious, the classic with mayo and celery in my books is the way to go... however for a bit of kick try adding Dijon mustard or go for the real deal kick-- with hot grated horseradish!! Cracking, removing and picking out meat can be a bit of a chore, but it's so damn worth it when you sink your teeth into creamy fresh succulence nestled in an ever-so-soft bun...

Classic Lobster Roll

Makes 4 servings

4 (1-1/2-pound) cooked (steamed preferred) lobsters or 4 lobster tails or 1-1/2 pounds lobster meat (for how to steam-- see my previous post)
2 celery stalks and leaves, chopped

1/2 cup mayonnaise

2 tsp. Dijon mustard

2 green onions, thinly sliced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

splash of lemon juice
4 soft rolls, split and lightly toasted (optional)

Separate the tail from the body by twisting and pulling them apart with your hands. Cut down the centre of its underside, and extract the tail meat out of the shell in one piece. Stick your finger in the base of the tail at the smallest opening where the tail flaps were and push the tail meat out.

Remove the claws by holding the lobster in one hand and twisting the claws off with your other hand. Separate the claws at the joints to get four pieces. Use the crackers or scissors to remove the shell and get to the meat. Remove the cartilage and pick out any shells shards and set meat aside.

Don't throw out the body/head section-- it has a lot of meat in it. First, pull the top shell away from the body and discard. Look inside the cavity. The green stuff is tomalley, and is edible. It's basically the lobster liver. If your lobster is a female, you'll see red roe in the body cavity (eat these things separately-- it is so good or discard). Pick out small pieces of meat from the inner white shells-- this is tedious but you can extract quite a bit of meat if you are diligent.

Here we have the precious meat from one 1-1/4 pounder. Repeat with rest of lobsters.

Give it all a rough chop-- big, small pieces and filaments all good!

In a bowl, combine the lobster meat, mayonnaise, celery, onions, salt and pepper and a splash of lemon juice to taste. Fill into split buns when ready to serve or tote.

Cook's Note: Place lobster salad in refrigerator for ten minutes. This allows the salad to absorb the flavourings.

Fill 'er up to your heart's content!

If you want an extra kick in your rolls-- a dollop of horseradish will do the trick!

Served with salt and malt kettle-cooked chips but of course...

Heading out to tennis, so toting duo rolls and chips to devour pre- and post- game!

Honestly, what is better than tennis and homemade lobster rolls???

To read more about preparing, cooking, eating and seeing glorious lobster photos, please read my post: 
http://susanssavourit.blogspot.ca/2016/06/steamed-lobsters-in-garlic-butter.html

Steamed Lobster with Garlic Butter

Steamed Lobsters in Garlic Butter...

Going all out for our family Sunday dinner with lobsters, homemade Caesar salad, paprika oven-baked potatoes and corn on the cob! Serving steamed lobsters can turn an ordinary meal into an event. Twisting to remove the tail from its body, extracting the meat from the shell with special utensils, meat dipped into melted garlic butter to taste the sumptuous juicy piece of fresh lobster-- what can signal the signs of summer than this? People are often screamish cooking it at home, I certainly was at first, but after a few times and with most things for all of us, I handle them now with abandonment :). As my mom taught me, lobster meat is as good as how well you clean them, and that really means its' inside. Did you know that the key to fresh clean tasting meat is to release its impurities before cooking-- ok, I mean urine. Yup, there is a small circle at the bottom of a lobster's tail... it sounds cruel, but you have to poke into it with a skewer, and pull back its tail straight to let any fluids flow. I do not like doing this part, as it causes the lobster to flinch and curl its tail, however the difference in taste is dramatic-- clean or astringent-tainted.

I recommend steaming instead of boiling as steaming is a slower cooking process and results in a more tender meat (less chance of overcooking) and since less water penetrate than boiling, the meat is more flavourful and succulent. Sleeves rolled, let's get to it...

Buying: When purchasing lobsters, be sure to look for lively ones whose tails curl under when the lobsters are lifted which indicate freshness. Be aware of listless lobsters which is a sign that it's been in the tank too long and perhaps at the end of its term. I prefer 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 pounders for the best sweet meat.

Fun Fact: The male is generally narrower through the "tail" and has bigger claws while the female has a childbearing "tail" and roe. With the exception of the roe, the meat from both tastes exactly the same.

Paprika Oven-Baked Potatoes: For one pound of potatoes (Parisienne rounds or potatoes cut into two-bite size pieces), toss well with ½ cup olive oil, 1 Tbsp. garlic salt and 4 tsp. paprika and let sit for an hour up to four. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Coat a glass baking dish with two Tbsp. olive oil. Spread marinated potatoes on bottom of dish in a single row. Bake one hour turning potatoes half way through cooking.

If not cooking lobsters right away, keep in fridge in paper bag you brought them home in, and keep it opened. When ready to prepare, place them in the sink and run cold water over them to "wake or freshen" them up!

Here's the cleaning part to release the lobsters' urine. You cannot miss the small circle at the bottom where his body and tail meets. To make it easy, leave lobster in sink, flip onto its back, hold body sturdy with one hand, and with a skewer, poke into the circle. The lobster will flinch and curl its tail. Pick the lobster up tail side down and pull back its tail to drain it of urine (the liquid is murky) and excess water. (Note: In right photo I have lobster hanging head down just for show). Rinse lobster with cold water and set aside. Repeat with the rest.

Getting ready for the hot steaming pot!

Fill a large, tall, narrow pot with 2-inches water and 1 Tbsp. salt and bring to a rapid boil. Place the lobsters in the pot, claws facing down, and cover. Steam the lobsters for 20 minutes until they have turned bright red; the tail meat should be white with no translucency and if the lobster has roe, it should be bright red.

I placed a steamer basket below to anchor the lobsters but you don't need to!

What's a better side than garlicky homemade Caesar Salad... it's really simple to do and I think tastes better than bottled Caesar dressings.

Getting all the special lobster tools ready!

Simmer butter in a small pot and add chopped garlic; cook for ten seconds and divide into small bowls. 

NOTE: I prefer leaving the milk solids in the butter, because that's where the delicious flavour comes from. If you prefer clarified butter, simply use a spoon to skim off the frothy milk solids on the surface of the melted butter.

Remove lobsters from pot with a long pair of tongs onto a platter. 

Wow, look at them lined up like red ducks in a row!

DELECTABLE!! Excuse us, we need some quiet to crack and dig in!

Twisting and removing tail, cracking and pulling out claws!

The next best thing to roe... Guts (technically tomalley-- liver & pancreas)!

HOWEVER, if you prefer to leave the cooking to the experts, well then you just have to check out my beautiful friend Marianne Woo's Toronto restaurant Lobster Monster she runs with her husband Steve. An extensive menu for everyone, their lobster meat so-ever fresh and tender, you can taste the succulence.

Their famous lobster (1-3/4 lbs.) dinner steamed to perfection!

Neptune's Delight Seafood Linguine is for the seafood lover in you-- generous servings of scallops, tiger shrimps, baby clams, lobster tail and a mini lobster claw tossed with linguine in a fresh-made marinara sauce with a touch of cream for a smooth finish. To see my family dining experience, please read my previous post.

 Lobster Monster