The New American Classic: Lobster Pot Pie
Lobster is the New Chicken in the Pot Pie
Lobster Pot Pie is an Instant American Classic. Don’t judge a pot pie by its looks. In the days of the Roman Empire, these pastries, inspired by the Greeks, sometimes had living birds under the crust that would burst out of the shell when served. Falling in and out of fancy, pot pies eventually crossed the Atlantic into the New World. The cookbook American Cookery, published in 1796, included recipesfor chicken pot pie, beef pot pie, and something called “Sea Pie,” which called for pigeons, turkey, veal and mutton. True to its name, the recipe was originally developed aboard ships, which used whatever preserved meats were available.
Hold that thought: whatever meats were available. Well, if you live on the Northern East Coast (but have a supermarket anywhere nearby), that means “Maine” lobster.
A new chapter in the pot pie legacy has been penned by Chef Jay Lippin at Baron’s Cove in Sag Harbor in The Hamptons on Long Island, New York. And it’s gone hyper local in regards to sea-, garden- and forage-to-table. It’s a Maine lobster pot pie and it’s simply brilliant. Best of all, with the abundance of Maine lobsters at rather value-driven prices in the local supermarkets, why wouldn’t anyone give this basic hearty favorite a try with the flair for the exotic and exceptionally tasty?
“Why use chicken when you can use the pure white meat of lobster and regional fare,” said Lippin when we found him in the kitchen. “Lobster is so Native American – so early settlers – and definitely a New England delicacy. Accent it with some bacon and morels, and the taste is sublime.”
Creating inspiration and artistry is nothing new to Baron’s Cove, a small 67-room luxury hotel on the water’s edge. After all, this is where John Steinbeck, Kurt Vonnegut, Truman Capote, Paul Newman, Art Garfunkel, George Plimpton, and Willem and Elaine de Kooning used to hang. Today you can still catch celebrities, boldface authors, artists, and chefs enjoying the same Sag Harbor views, artisanal cocktails and wood-burning fireplaces. But now you can also catch, if you are lucky, a lobster pot pie.
This is where Chef Lippin, who recently acquired a venerable spot on the board Slow Food East End, is serving reimagined Hamptons classics alongside those iconic harbor views. He’s creating his own memorable culinary masterpieces by working closely with farmers, purveyors, and artisans, and making use with what’s available with a focus on farm fresh food and East Coast American cuisine. Lippin’s menu reflects the fresh coastal tradition of Sag Harbor and focuses on sustainability and interpretations of classic Long Island dishes. Hence the reimagined pot pie.
Prior to joining Baron’s Cove in July 2018, Lippin was Executive Chef at Crabtree’s Little House Restaurant in Chappaqua, N. Lippin’s background also includes tenures as Executive Chef at The Odeon and Cafe Luxembourg in New York City. He was also a winner of Food Network’s Chopped and WFAN’s “Tailgating Essentials & Barbecue Contest.”
Chef Lippin is also serving lobster omelets at the popular Baron’s Cove brunch.
Executive Chef Jay Lippin
Mise en place:
- 5 ½ ounces portioned Lobster Meat per portion.
- Pot Pie Top (cut puff pastry big enough to cover the top of your serving utensil)
- 12 fluid ounces Pot Pie Mix
- ½ cup Apple-Wood Bacon, chopped
- 1 cup Dried Morels, re-hydrated, cut and strain the liquid and reserve.
- 3 fluid ounces White Wine
- 16 fluid Heavy Cream
- 3 fluid ounces Clam Juice
- 5 pieces Russian Fingerling Potatoes, diced
- 1 cup Carrots, diced
- ½ cup Fennel, diced
- 1 cup Leeks, washed and diced
- ½ cup Spanish Onion, diced
- 1 cup Celery, diced
Reduced about 30 minutes - 3 tablespoons Corn Starch slurry to thicken; simmer 15 minutes
Take off the stove add: - 1 cup Peas
- 1/3 cup Italian Parsley, chopped
- 4 tablespoons Chives, chopped
- ¼ cup Lovage (stems included), chopped
- Over a medium flame render the fat from the bacon.
- Add the leek, onions, celery and fennel; cook until translucent.
- Add the clam juice and the white wine and bring to a boil. Then turn to a simmer.
- Add the potatoes, mushrooms, mushroom liquid and heavy cream.
- Simmer for 30 minutes; add the corn starch slurry and simmer 15 minutes until thickened.
- Take off from the stove and add the peas, parsley, chives, lovage and season with salt and pepper.
- Take 12 fluid ounces of the pot pie mixture add to it 5 ½ ounces of cooked lobster meat (if you add the lobster meat when you are cooking the mixture it will become over-cooked).
- Once everything is heated through place the mixture into a crock and top it with the pastry top.