The Lobster Dish Jean-Georges Suggests For Dinner Parties
Certain occasions call for hosts pulling out all the stops, and thankfully, we have Michelin-starred chefs and restaurateurs like Jean-Georges Vongerichten to offer some quality culinary advice. Let's face it: Preparing to entertain guests can be stressful. Tasks like designing menus, catering to food allergies, and choosing the perfect wines to serve throughout the evening present even the most experienced hosts with some serious decisions to make.
Yet for Vongerichten, some of those decisions are reduced by relying on a simple go-to recipe that both impresses and satisfies hungry visitors — leaving the host with more time to mingle and enjoy the event itself. Whether entertaining friends or family or celebrating a special occasion, the chef's recommendation is to serve a dish that not only takes guests by surprise but also leaves them asking for second servings. Get ready to put a lobster meal in rotation for your next dinner party.
Serve luxury with confidence
Vongerichten told Food & Wine that he recommends serving grilled Maine lobster as a main with summer corn on the side. Because lobster isn't a day-to-day kind of ingredient and is a dish that represents more luxurious occasions, serving the seafood can help elevate celebratory atmospheres.
The chef first boils the lobster for about 10 minutes (Martha Stewart suggests adding a bit of alcohol to the lobster-boiling pot) before setting the crustacean on the grill with generous coatings of butter and sprinkles of salt and pepper. To prepare the corn, remove it from its cob and sauté the pieces in your choice of olive oil or butter. To add a bit of spice, consider including scallions, jalapeños, basil, and lime to the pan. The finished corn can serve as a bed for the lobster to rest upon or be spooned on top of the shellfish.
James Beard Award winner Hugh Acheson agrees that grilled lobster is a dependable dish with serious appeal when it comes to entertaining guests. He prefers to serve the seafood with chili-lime butter and pair it with white Burgundy. When serving lobster, be sure to provide guests with plenty of napkins. This is a meal that is finger-licking good.