 Denise LaRoche, winner of Hood Recipe Contest, in her Hudson kitchen. LaRoche's recipe combines two New England traditons: lobster and cobbler desserts. (DAVID LANE/Union Leader) |
The "New England Lobsta' Cobbler" wowed a panel of judges from Yankee Magazine and won LaRoche first place in the annual Hood contest. Her prize is a chef-prepared dinner party for 10 at her home in Hudson.
LaRoche said she realized she loved cooking when she got married to her now ex-husband. He was Greek and she started cooking a lot of Greek food.
As she developed her culinary skills she realized she loved being in the kitchen.
"Cooking is a joy for me," she said.
Usually she makes up her own recipes through research, taste-testing and trial and error.
"I have an idea of what I'm looking for and I see how I can put things together and change things around to get it right," she said.
She came up with the lobster recipe quickly, she said. It only took one batch of the cobbler to realize she had something she liked. Her current husband was her taste-tester.
"I call him my guinea pig. He doesn't mind, he loves to try things out," she said.
Cooking isn't LaRoche's day job -- she works full-time at the National Passport Center in Portsmouth — but she said that's the way she likes it.
"I like to cook for my family and friends, but I don't dream of opening a restaurant or becoming a chef — then the fun's gone," she said.
LaRoche said she continues to enter contests, which is something she also enjoys doing. She is one of 10 finalists for a Top Chef-Quaker Oats Quickfire Challenge.
The top three vote-getters in an online contest will go to New York for a baking face-off and the winner of that contest will appear on the show Top Chef.
New England "Lobsta" Cobbler
Makes 6 servings
1/4 cup butter
1 pound lobster meat, diced
1/4 cup flour
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup Hood half and half
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup shredded Havarti cheese
Cobbler Crust:
1 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3 Tablespoons butter (softened)
1 Tablespoon lemon zest
1/2 cup water
Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add lobster meat. Cook until opaque. Remove lobster from saucepan and set aside.
Reduce heat to low. Place flour in pan. Cook and stir approximately 2 minutes, then stir in chicken broth, Hood half and half and pepper.
Simmer 5 to 10 minutes, or until thickened.
Stir lobster and Havarti cheese into the sauce mixture. Continue cooking 5 minutes.
To prepare the cobbler: In a stainless-steel bowl, mix flour, salt, sugar, and baking powder. Stir in the softened butter until the mixture has a sandy consistency. Add the lemon zest and water and stir.
Baking: Place the lobster mixture in a glass oven dish. Top with dollops of the cobbler topping. Bake in a 350-degree oven for 10 minutes or until the top is well browned. Serve immediately.
