Lobster Succotash

By á-58

If you take some liberties with traditional American succotash you can transform it from a side dish to a deluxe starter or even a main course. Fresh shelling beans, such as cannellini beans or cranberry beans, are available at farmers' markets from mid-to-late-summer. If you can’t find them, use frozen limas.

Ingredients

• 2 cups fresh shelling beans, from about 3 pounds in the pod
• Salt and pepper
• 1/2 pound Romano beans, green beans or yellow wax beans, about 2 cups, chopped
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 cup okra, sliced in 1/2-inch rounds
• 1 large red bell pepper, diced
• 2 cups fresh corn kernels, from about 4 ears
• 2 medium zucchini, diced, about 2 cups
• 1 cup green tomato or tomatillo, diced
• 1 serrano chile, finely diced
• 1 pound cooked lobster meat, chopped
• 1/4 cup crème fraîche

Details

Servings 4
Preparation time 20mins
Cooking time 60mins

Preparation

Step 1

1. Put shell beans in a saucepan, barely covered with water. Add 1 teaspoon salt, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer gently for 20 to 30 minutes, until tender. Beans may be cooked in advance, up to 24 hours ahead, and stored in their broth. (Skip this step if using frozen beans.)

2. In another pot, bring salted water to a boil. Add Romano beans and blanch for 1 minute, then drain and cool.

3. Put butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook until softened, about 10 minutes. Add okra and red pepper and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes.

4. Add corn kernels, zucchini, shelling beans, Romano beans, green tomato and serrano chile. Season generously with salt and pepper and sauté gently for 5 minutes.

5. Add lobster meat, stir in crème fraîche, and simmer for another 2 to 3 minutes. Check seasoning and adjust salt to taste. Serve immediately, accompanied by brioche toasts, grilled polenta or grits, if you wish.