Make This Decadent Lobster Ravioli with Candied Chestnuts

[Celerity]

https://www.thrillist.com/eat/nation/lobster-ravioli-candied-chestnuts-recipe



When the doldrums of this dreary winter are testing your affability and that New Year’s pledge to make every meal low-fat and healthy has long lost its appeal, there may be only one thing to do: cook and eat something unapologetically decadent. Toss in Valentine’s Day, and you’ve got the perfect excuse to go all in on an all-out indulgent meal, and to make an event out of cooking and savoring it. Well, Chef Lydia Shire has your back. For decades now, the indefatigable 73-year-old culinary legend has been racking up awards and adoration in Boston with her take-no-prisoners lavish dishes that embrace both fat and flavor. Her philosophy in a nutshell? “Live a little.”

That approach is exemplified by one of her signature creations at Boston’s Scampo restaurant: chestnut flour ravioli with lobster and candied chestnuts. “It takes a little more gumption and patience than your average home recipe,” she muses. “But it’s extremely doable. And it’s a perfect dish for a winter evening—something to show off with.” When making this dish (or any dish, for that matter) Shire says not to fear fat, which she insists gets a bad rap. “It brings ingredients into their glory,” she says. “I take the Julia Child approach. She said that if the nutrition police take over—she called them scareheads—they’re going to kill gastronomy. Julia ate everything and lived a long, happy life. You only live once, so we should be seeking flavor when we eat, not put ourselves through this torture of seeking zero fat.”

For Shire, it’s a question of choosing quality over quantity. “I never sit down and eat a 14-ounce steak,” she explains. “That’s why I’ve always had a half steak on my menu at Scampo. And I’m as happy to eat a four-ounce Wagyu as anything bigger. A smart person can eat whatever they want as long as they do it right. You should maximize the flavor of your food and eat less.” Just as she’s calling for a happy medium between portion size and indulgence, Shire also preaches keeping dishes like this from being too rich by balancing creamy and earthy flavors and textures—which is also how she manages to keep an ingredient like lobster exciting in a region like New England, where it’s basically ubiquitous. “The chestnut changes everything,” she says. “Its sweetness and earthiness brings out the lobster flavor in a whole new way.”

And then there’s the final flourish of fried Brussels sprouts leaves scattered across the ravioli. “Their cabbage-y taste makes everything pop—you get the sweetness of the lobster and chestnut, and then you have this deep flavor in the light and crunchy leaves,” she says. “They’re just another example of why you shouldn’t listen to scarehead nutritionists. What bullshit! These aren’t bad for you. There’s very little oil, but it adds worlds of flavor.” These portions are large, so you may have leftovers—but as Shire puts it, “Something this good absolutely must have an encore.” She adds that you can serve the lobster tails with their shells either on or off. “I prefer leaving them on,” she says. “More drama!”

Chestnut Flour Ravioli of Lobster & Candied Chestnut Recipe

Ingredients:

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