Get Chef Cliff Pickett’s Recipe for Steamed Maine Lobster and Sweet Corn Tamale with Creamy Chilies and Leeks

Chef Cliff Pickett will be coming to the Top Lobster Chef Competition with the hopes of turning two New England staples into a first-place finish.

Chef Cliff plans to prepare his signature steamed Maine lobster and sweet corn tamale with creamy chillies and leeks in the competition as part of the Harvest on the Harbor festival.

Below is the recipe for Chef Cliff’s concoction.

Sweet corn tamales
1 1/4 cup fine yellow cornmeal
2 cups fresh corn kernels
1 medium shallot
3/4 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 tablespoons white sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter melted
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
15 dried corn husks, soaked in warm water for 1-2hrs.

Preparation
1. Fully submerge corn husks in a large bowl or pot using hot tap water. Let soak 1-2 hours or until pliable.

2. In a food processor or blender combine corn, shallot, melted butter, buttermilk and chicken stock. Blend for 30 seconds or until there are no large pieces of shallot or corn.

3. Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl, add cornmeal, sugar, salt and pepper. Mix well until there are no large lumps.

4. After corn husks have soaked for 1-2 hours, remove them from the water and pat dry. Set aside the largest, best looking husks.

5. With the remaining husks, make ties by tearing the husks, lengthwise into 1/4-inch strips.

6. Place one of your large husks on a flat surface and spoon about 1/3 cup of your cornmeal mixture in middle of the husk.

7. Fold each of the long sides of the corn husks tightly over each other, then tie each end of the tamale with one of the strips. Do this until you have used up all your filling, you will most likely have a few extra husks.

8. Once you are done wrapping your tamales, place them in a steamer pot on a rack, and steam for one hour. Let tamales rest for 10 minutes before plating.

Steamed lobster
4  1 1/8 pound lobsters

Preparation
1. Fill pot so that water comes up the sides about two inches. Add 1 teaspoon of salt for each quart of water. Bring water to a rolling boil over high heat.

2. Place lobsters in the pot on a steamer rack, cover tightly and start counting the time. Steam lobster for 7 minutes.

3. Remove claw, knuckle and tail meat from the shells. Leave claw and knuckle meat whole and chop tail into bite-size pieces. Set aside until sauce is made.

Note: In general, lobster is steamed for 7 minutes for the first pound and 3 minutes for each additional pound. In this recipe, cook the 1 1/8 pound lobsters for exactly 7 minutes because they are reheated in the sauce later. If you do not have a steamer rack for your pot, the lobster can be placed directly into the water.

Creamy chilies and leeks
1 cup leeks
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup coconut milk
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
2 jalapeno or Fresno peppers (seeded and finely chopped)
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation
1. Add vegetable oil to large sauté pan and bring to medium heat. Combine leeks, minced garlic and jalapenos. Cook 2-3 minutes or until lightly browned.

2. Add coconut milk and cream. Reduce on medium heat, stirring frequently until it is a sauce consistency or thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Add chopped cilantro and season with salt and pepper to taste.

3. Add lobster meat to sauce and reheat when you are ready to begin plating.

Plating
Remove tamales from corn husks and place on individual serving plates. Spoon equal amounts of lobster and sauce over tamales. Garnish with fresh cilantro sprigs.

Notes: If fresh corn is not in season, frozen corn works fine. Tamales may be made ahead of time and refrigerated before steaming. If your tamales are not hot when its time for plating, they can be reheated in the steamer. Tamale mixture may appear looser than it should be, but it will firm up after resting. Corn husks may be used for plating presentation.

To sample more of Chef Clifford Pickett’s dishes, visit DiMillo’s Floating Restaurant in Portland, Maine.

The 2010 Maine Lobster Chef of the Year Competition will take place at the Harvest on the Harbor festival, which will be held Oct. 21-23 in Portland. Tune in to NESN on Oct. 29 to watch the battle. For more information on the event, please visit www.harvestontheharbor.com.