We spent the day with Chef Jason Ryczek of Farallon in San Francisco, CA learning all about his road to deliciousness and also gained a few stellar lobster prep tips along the way. We also pretty much devoured, nay, inhaled, one glorious plate of lobster magic. Join us as we give you an exclusive behind-the-scenes look, but first, a little backstory on why Jason selected Spiny Lobsters as his protein of choice for our Four Star Chef Week Challenge…
“I started my kitchen career in San Diego and took many trips across the border with friends. One of our main draws was the spiny lobsters served a few different ways. Poached in lard was always fantastic, but the smoke off the grill and the texture of a little lime juice cure (always accompanied with a bucket full of cheap beers on ice) sang to me. Putting the two together paired with a shot of mescal and a light beer brought me back to those warm days on the beach somewhere south of Rosarito in my old 4runner with my restaurant buddies.”
Step 1:
Slightly disconnect the center tail shell piece.
Step 2:
Twist it to remove the intestinal tract.
Step 3:
Poach for one minute in ‘ocean water’ and shock to help with shell removal.
Step 4:
Cut the tail meat down the center.
Step 5:
Skewer the other half of the tail for ease of grilling.
Step 6:
I like to slice and season the pieces for the Aguachile checking and stirring every ten to fifteen minutes until I’ve almost reached the desired texture. I strain off the marinating liquid and add it back to the Aguachile base.
Step 7:
Once it’s about medium rare to medium, I pull it off, let it rest and slice it as well.
San Diego Spiny Lobster Duo grilled over Cherrywood & Mescal Aguachile. Corn Chicharone, Gooseberry, Avocado
It’s basically heaven on a plate.
Chef Ryczek went on to say, “Even with seasonality and simplicity being the backbone of our busy restaurant, we constantly strive to use some of our best experiences to transport our guests to a place we’ve been in our past.”
We say, they absolutely nailed it! Thanks Chef for letting us come and play in your kitchen with you!
Visit our shop for the freshest seafood: Four Star Seafood & Provisions
