Fed up

and seeded
    Salt
    White pepper Olive oil
    2 tbsp. butter
     
    Rub the butternut squash with salt, pepper, and olive oil. Cover with foil and roast on a sheet tray at 350° until tender. Scoop out the cooked squash. While hot, puree the squash in a blender until completely smooth. When ready to serve, combine 1 cup of the butternut squash puree with the butter. Work with a rubber spatula in a pot until combined. Adjust seasoning with salt.
     
    To Serve
     
    Arugula, wild lettuce mix, or both
    Red radish, julienne
     
    Lay down a line of butternut squash puree on a plate, and then set the seared shrimp on top. Combine the arugula or lettuce with a small amount of radish julienne, lightly dress with the warm brown-butter vinaigrette, and place in a tight pile right next to the shrimp on the plate.
     
     
    Erik Battes
     
    Serves 4—6
     
    Lobster
     
    1 half-pound lobster per person, alive
    Salt
    Cayenne
    Butter
     
    Remove the lobster tails, claws, and knuckles while lobsters are still alive. In a large pot, boil water and season with salt until it tastes like the ocean. Add the lobster tails and cook for 2½ minutes and immediately put into ice water to cool. Add the claws and knuckles, cook for 9 minutes, and put into the ice water as well. Once cool, crack open the shells and remove the intact lobster meat. It should be 75 percent cooked. Season with salt and cayenne pepper, and put into a sauté pan with ½“ of melted butter. Cook in a 200° oven for 8 minutes or until completely opaque.
     
    Yuzu Pesto
     
    ¼ cup yuzu juice (available in most Asian markets) or lemon juice
    ½ cup pine nuts, toasted
    4 cloves garlic
    ¼ tsp. dry chili flakes
    ½ cup olive oil
    1½ tsp. salt
     
    Combine all in a food processor and process until the mixture is mostly smooth but still contains some texture.
     
    Shiso Puree
     
    1 5 shiso (Japanese mint) leaves, or mint or basil leaves
    ½ cup olive oil
    1 tsp. salt
     
    Cook the shiso, mint, or basil leaves in a pot of rapidly boiling water for 45 seconds. Remove from the pot and immediately put into ice water. Remove from the water and squeeze as much moisture as you can out of the shiso leaves. Combine the shiso with the olive oil and salt and puree in a blender on high until the mixture is smooth. Chill immediately.
     
    Mushrooms
     
    1 cup honshimeji mushrooms (or other mushrooms such as trumpet, clamshell, oyster, beech, or cremini), cleaned and bases trimmed
    2 tbsp. shallots, brunoise (small dice)
    2 tbsp. olive oil
    1 tbsp. water
    Salt
    White pepper
     
    Combine all in a small pot and cook covered over medium heat until the mushrooms are tender.
     
    To Serve
     
    1—1½ lbs. cooked tagliatelle (or any other long pasta)
    Grated Parmesan cheese
     
    Toss the pasta with yuzu pesto and the cooked mushrooms, and place in a serving bowl. Top lightly with some shiso puree and Parmesan. Serve the lobster on top of the pasta.
     
     
     
    Erik Battes
     
    Serves 4
     
    Snapper
     
    4 6-oz. portions of American red snapper, skin on
    Salt
    Espelette or cayenne pepper, ground
    Grapeseed oil
    1 tbsp. butter, unsalted
    1 sprig of fresh thyme
     
    Season the snapper liberally with salt on both sides. Season with Espelette or cayenne pepper to taste on the flesh side only. Score the skin side three times with a sharp knife. Heat a pan with ⅛“ of grapeseed oil over high heat until it has just begun to smoke. Place fish skin side down and press down immediately with a spatula until the skin relaxes and sits completely flat. Turn down the temperature to medium, and cook until the fish is 85 percent done. Add a tablespoon of butter and a sprig of thyme to the pan, and baste the flesh side of the fish with a spoon until done.
     
    Pickled Peppers
     
    1 lb. orange and yellow bell peppers
    Olive oil
    Salt
    White pepper
    6 oz. Japanese rice vinegar
    6 tbsp. sugar
    3 sprigs of fresh thyme
     
    Remove the tops and seeds of the peppers and toss in olive oil and season with salt and white pepper. Roast in a 375° oven until the skin starts to separate from the flesh of the pepper. Do not overcook. Place in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap to steam until cool. Peel the skins off of the peppers and cut into 1“ dice.
    Combine the vinegar, sugar, and thyme in a small pot and bring to a boil. Pour the vinegar mixture over the peppers and let marinate for at least 2 hours.
     
    Fennel Puree
     
    1 large fennel bulb, top and core removed
    2 tbsp. butter
    1 tsp. salt
     
    Slice the fennel