Basil Mint Oil Recipes

Steps:

• Have ready a bowl of ice and cold water. In a saucepan of boiling water blanch herbs 5 seconds and with a slotted spoon immediately transfer to ice water to stop cooking. Drain herbs well and pat dry. In a blender purée herbs with remaining ingredients until smooth. Pour oil through a fine sieve into a bowl, pressing on solids, and discard solids. Oil may be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Bring oil to room temperature before using.

Steps:

• In a pot bring 3 quarts salted water to a rolling boil. Place herb leaves in a strainer and lay in water for about 20 to 30 seconds. Remove from water and lay in large bowl of ice water to stop cooking and retain brilliant color. Remove any stray leaves from boiling water with a slotted spoon and add to leaves in ice water.
• Drain herbs and place on paper towels. Wring gently to dry. Place in blender. Add salt, oil and sugar and puree until mixture is very smooth.
• Pour oil though a sieve and press on solids. Discard remaining solids.
• Chill oil to store up to three days. Allow to come to room temperature before serving.

Steps:

• In a 10- to 12-quart kettle bring 8 quarts water to a boil with bay leaves and coarse salt. Plunge 1 lobster into water headfirst and simmer, covered, 12 minutes. With tongs immediately transfer lobster to a bowl to cool. Return water to a boil and cook remaining lobster in same manner.
• When lobsters are cool enough to handle, break off claws at body of each lobster. Crack claws and remove meat. Reserve some claw meat, covered and chilled, for garnish if desired and cut remainder into bite-size pieces. Twist tails off lobster bodies and discard bodies. With kitchen shears remove thin hard membrane from underside of each tail by cutting just inside outer edge of shell. Remove meat from each tail and cut into bite-size pieces. Transfer claw and tail meat to a large bowl and chill, covered.
• Shuck corn and cut kernels from cobs. Trim sugar snap peas and diagonally cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Cut bell peppers into 1- by 1/4-inch-thick strips. Finely chop enough shallots to measure 1/3 cup.
• In a large non-stick skillet heat 1 tablespoon oil over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking and sauté peas and bell peppers with salt and pepper to taste, stirring, until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Transfer sautéed vegetables to a plate and cool completely. Add remaining tablespoon oil to skillet and sauté corn and shallots with salt and pepper to taste, stirring, until just tender, about 2 minutes. Transfer corn mixture to another plate and cool completely. Add all vegetables with salt and pepper to taste to lobster, tossing to combine. Chill salad, covered, until cold and up to 1 day.
• Toss salad with lemon juice and serve with basil-mint oil and lemon wedges.