Searing and Saucing Lobster Tails Lobster is a Valentine’s day favorite. They’re red, pricy enough to save for special occasions, and relatively easy to cook. Frozen, thawed lobster tails need a little more finesse and flavor boosting than fresh-off-the-boat crustaceans. Searing lobster tails adds a savory nuttiness and exuded juices are captured in the pan and incorporated in the sauce rather than boiled away in a pot of water. Here are some tips and recipe ideas for searing and saucing frozen lobster tails to make sure you get your money’s worth. THAW – If you are purchasing lobster tails from your fishmonger, check that the visible meat is plump and not discolored or dry looking. The aroma should be of the sea, not a dingy aquarium. There should be no standing water under any seafood. If you purchase frozen lobster tails, remove them from the plastic and thaw in the…

A common mistake when searing foods is not browning them enough. “Golden” is an acceptable shade for delicate foods like sole fillets, but sturdier ingredients should be much darker. The browning process adds an important flavor layer both to the food and the accompaning pan sauce. If the color samples I’ve included here seem alarming, remember that they will lighten as the soluble elements on the surface melt into the sauce. Chicken that is seared to the color of light toast can end up looking almost boiled on the serving plate, especially when simmered in a lightly colored, buttery pan sauce. Sear that chicken to a proper brown and the entire dish will be more visually inviting, aromatic, and flavorful.

I’m biased, but it seems like a copy of Searing Inspiration and a new skillet could be the perfect gift for cooks in your life. If you have questions about cookware, here is a list of skillets I own and use for seared and sauced dishes.  (Links are included for convenience, not as retail endorsements or recommendations.) A few key points: Avoid non-stick pans. Don’t expect a great skillet to be maintenance free. If you are forced to choose, go with “proven and reliable” over “new and improved”. Inexpensive ≠ Bad. Expensive ≠ Good. 12” All-Clad Stainless Steel (around $175) It’s large, light, and responsive without feeling skittish. The design is gorgeous, with a pan handle that is both comfortable and a good angle for me. The interior has plenty of usable real estate so I don’t worry much about over crowding. Perhaps more than with any other pan, I’m keenly…

The deadline for my new book is just around the corner. EEK! So, I will be taking a break from posting and writing for a bit. I’ve been pretty negligent about posting a weekly sauce for a while now, but that’s because I have been cooking like a maniac. It’s tough to write about a single, weekly sauce when you have made and tweaked 20 variations over the past few days. Writing a cookbook is a pretty great gig. It can be very fun. I get to peruse cookbooks, read lots of food websites and magazines, check out restaurant menus, and explore sources for new ingredients. For about a third of the process it is a very physical and social job; shopping, cooking, cleaning, serving friends and family, watching how testers handle ingredients and tools and sharing tips for success. But then things take a dramatic turn – the party ends….