Equipment
* optional
Ingredients
Creamy Polenta
- 1000 ml vegetable or seafood stock, warm or hot
- 200 g yellow cornmeal, fine to medium grind
- 45 ml extra virgin olive oil, good quality, finishing grade if available
- 4 g fine sea salt
- 1 g white pepper
Sweet Corn and Bell Pepper Ragout
- 30 ml olive oil
- 1 shallot, finely minced
- 2 garlic, minced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced into 1cm pieces
- 1 yellow bell pepper, diced into 1cm pieces
- 1 orange bell pepper, diced into 1cm pieces
- 200 g fresh sweet corn, kernels cut from about 2 medium cobs
- 60 ml dry white wine
- 2 g smoked paprika
- fine sea salt
- freshly ground black pepper
Smoked Lobster
- 4 smoked lobster tails, shell-on or shelled
- 15 ml olive oil
- 15 ml unsalted butter alternative (olive oil or vegan butter)
Finishing
- 10 g fresh chives, finely sliced
- 8 g fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
- 2 g lemon zest, finely grated
- 15 ml extra virgin olive oil, finishing quality
- 1 lemon wedges, for serving
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 640 kcal
- Protein
- 28 g
- Carbohydrates
- 65 g
- Fat
- 31 g
- Fiber
- 7 g
- Sodium
- 1855 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 4 g
- Potassium
- 791 mg
- Calcium
- 140 mg
- Iron
- 4.2 mg
- Magnesium
- 96 mg
- Phosphorus
- 340 mg
- Zinc
- 5.1 mg
- Vitamin A
- 299 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 139 mg
- Water
- 460 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Measure all ingredients. Warm the stock in a small pot so it stays hot throughout cooking the polenta.
Cut the kernels off the corn cobs. Mince the shallot and garlic. Dice the red, yellow, and orange bell peppers into 1cm pieces, keeping them separate. Slice the chives and chop the parsley.
If the smoked lobster tails are in the shell, carefully split each shell with kitchen shears and lift out the meat in one piece, keeping the meat whole if possible. Pat the lobster dry with paper towels.
Bring the stock to a gentle boil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat. Add 4g salt.
Reduce the heat to low. Slowly rain in the cornmeal while whisking constantly in a circular motion to prevent lumps.
Simmer the polenta gently, whisking every 2-3 minutes and scraping the bottom and corners to prevent sticking. Cook until creamy and the grains are tender, 20-25 minutes total. If the polenta thickens too much, whisk in hot stock a tablespoon at a time. Stir in 45ml olive oil and white pepper if using.
While the polenta cooks, heat 30ml olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat (about 175°C/350°F). Add the minced shallot and cook, stirring, until translucent and fragrant, about 2 minutes.
Add the garlic and stir for 30 seconds until aromatic but not browned.
Add the diced bell peppers and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the peppers are tender-crisp, about 5 minutes. They should keep their vibrant color and a slight bite.
Stir in the corn kernels and smoked paprika. Cook for 1 minute to warm the corn through.
Pour in the white wine if using and scrape up any browned bits. Cook until the liquid reduces by about half, 1-2 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to low to keep warm.
Push the vegetables to one side of the pan. Add 15ml olive oil to the empty side and warm the smoked lobster pieces for 60-90 seconds per side until just heated through. Lobster meat should reach an internal temperature of 63°C/145°F. Avoid overcooking to preserve the smoke aroma and tender texture.
Whisk the polenta once more, loosening with hot stock if it has firmed up. Spoon a generous bed of polenta into each of 4 shallow bowls.
Spoon the bell pepper and corn ragout over the polenta, then arrange the warmed smoked lobster on top.
Scatter chives and parsley over the top, dust with lemon zest, and finish with a drizzle of olive oil. Serve immediately with lemon wedges on the side.
Chef's Notes
- Stone-ground yellow cornmeal produces a noticeably creamier, more flavorful polenta than degermed supermarket brands because the germ and bran are retained.
- Keep the stock hot in a separate pot while cooking polenta; adding cold liquid to the polenta causes seizing and lumping.
- Quality matters enormously with smoked lobster. Look for cold-smoked product from a fish counter, or smoke cooked lobster tails yourself briefly over apple or cherry wood.
- A finishing drizzle of high-quality, peppery extra virgin olive oil delivers the richness and silky texture that dairy would normally provide in a traditional polenta.
- If bell pepper skins are tough, blanch the whole peppers in boiling water for 1 minute before dicing for a more delicate bite.
Storage
Refrigerator: 2 days — Store components separately. Reheat polenta with a splash of stock and a whisk; warm lobster gently to avoid rubberiness.
Reheating: Rewarm polenta over low heat with 60-120ml stock, whisking until creamy. Warm lobster and vegetables in a covered pan over low heat for 2-3 minutes.
Troubleshooting
Polenta is lumpy
Cause: Cornmeal was added too quickly or the stock was not at a full simmer
Fix: Press the polenta through a fine-mesh sieve, or blend briefly with an immersion blender
Prevention: Whisk constantly while adding cornmeal in a thin, steady stream and keep stock at a gentle boil
Polenta is gummy or pasty
Cause: Cooked too fast over high heat, or stirred too vigorously, rupturing starch granules
Fix: Cannot be fully fixed; loosen with hot stock and serve slightly looser than intended
Prevention: Maintain a gentle simmer and stir with care, scraping the bottom rather than whipping
Polenta is too thick upon standing
Cause: Cornmeal absorbs liquid as it cools
Fix: Whisk in hot stock 30-60ml at a time until creamy and pourable again
Prevention: Make polenta slightly looser than the target consistency since it thickens as it rests
Lobster meat is tough
Cause: Overcooked during the warming step; smoked lobster is already fully cooked and only needs gentle heat
Fix: Cannot be fixed; tender texture is lost
Prevention: Warm lobster for no more than 90 seconds per side and remove from heat as soon as it reaches 63°C/145°F internally
Bell peppers are limp and dull
Cause: Overcooked in the pan, or added before the shallot was translucent
Fix: Cannot be fully fixed; serve immediately and adjust timing next time
Prevention: Cook peppers over medium-high heat for only 4-5 minutes and remove from heat while they still have structure
Cultural Context
Polenta has sustained Northern Italian families for centuries as a humble, versatile base, while smoked lobster draws on coastal New England traditions where smoking preserved seafood and deepened its flavor. This dish fuses those heritages into a modern plate that celebrates seasonal corn, sweet peppers, and the bright smoke of preserved shellfish. It reflects a contemporary American approach that borrows technique freely and treats polenta as a welcoming canvas for premium seafood.
