Nauti Lobstah’s popovers and ‘Lazy Man’s’ lobster in Apopka

APOPKA, Fla. — Some New England accents can be heard around Central Florida, perhaps from neighbors who’ve moved to the Sunshine State from up north.

They might even say the word “lobster” differently — like, “lobstah.” That authenticity is behind the name of Apopka’s Nauti Lobstah restaurant.

Veteran chef Mike Rumplik is from Rhode Island. His culinary roots are sprinkled in everything he does, from a 3-pound “Lazy Man” stuffed lobster to New England popovers.

“I worked back at a restaurant back in the 70s, (and) every day, all day, (I was) making fresh popovers,” he said with a smile.

Popovers have become a beloved regional specialty in New England. The pillowy biscuits are known for their comforting simplicity and dramatic rise in the oven. The Nauti Lobstah popover can be enjoyed either sweet — slathered with honey maple butter as you would a dinner roll — or savory and dipped into au jus from one bite of Rumplik’s tender herb-roasted prime rib.

Hungry? Let’s cook!

New England-style popovers with honey maple butter

This recipe can be prepared in 5-10 minutes and makes 12 large- or 24 medium-sized popovers.

Ingredients

• 8 large eggs, room temperature
• 3 cups of milk, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 13 ounces bread flour, sifted
• 1 ounce melted butter, cooled

Instructions

1. Position your oven rack on a lower shelf. The top of the fully risen popovers should be about midway up the oven. Do not allow the tops of the popping popovers to be too close to the top of the oven.
2. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
3. Use a standard 12-cup metal muffin tin with cups close to 2-1/2 inches wide and 1-1/2 inches deep.
4. Grease the entire pan thoroughly, using a pastry brush or paper towel. Be sure to coat both the insides of the cups and the top surface between the cups, as the popovers will rise and spill over during baking. This helps prevent sticking.
5. In a medium mixing bowl, beat together the eggs, milk, and salt with a wire whisk until well-combined.
6. Add all the flour and beat with a wire whisk until fully incorporated and there are no large lumps in the batter.
7. Melt the butter and stir into the batter, whisking to combine quickly.
8. Set the batter aside 30 minutes to allow the batter to rest and reach room temperature.
9. Pour the batter into the muffin pans with a measuring cup or ladle, filling each baking cup about 2/3 to 3/4 full.
10. Ensure the oven is at 450 degrees Fahrenheit and carefully place the muffin pan on a lower rack of the oven.
11. Bake for 20 minutes without opening the oven door.
12. Reduce the heat to 350 degrees without opening the door, and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes, or until popovers are a deep, golden brown.
    • NOTE: If you plan to serve the popovers immediately, remove them from the oven, and stick the tip of a knife into the top of each to release steam and help prevent sogginess. If you want the popovers to hold their shape longer, without deflating and settling, bake them for an additional 5 minutes.
13. Serve with honey maple butter.

Honey maple butter

Ingredients

• 1 pound salted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/4 cup maple syrup

Instructions

1. In a small mixing bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer, mix the butter until soft.
2. Scrape down sides of the bowl with a silicone spatula.
3. Add the honey and maple syrup.
4. Mix or beat until all the ingredients are combined.
5. Serve at room temperature for easy spreading.
   • Store unused honey maple butter in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. Remove the maple honey butter from the refrigerator 60 minutes before serving to let it come to room temperature.

3-pound “Lazy Man’s” stuffed lobster

Ingredients

• One 3-pound fresh Maine Lobster
• Six medium (21-25) shrimp, peeled, deveined and tail removed
• Six sea scallops
• One stick of unsalted butter, melted; plus more for serving, if desired
• 4 tablespoons white wine
• 1 teaspoon fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup hollandaise sauce (optional garnish)
• One lemon, cut into 4 wedges

Instructions

1. Steam the 3-pound fresh Maine Lobster for 18-20 minutes in a large pot with a tight-fitting lid, until the lobster shell is bright red, and an antenna pulls off easily. (The general rule is 7 minutes for the first pound and 3 minutes per additional pound.) The internal temperature of the tail should reach 135-140 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Using tongs, remove the lobster from the pot, and let it cool for 5-10 minutes, or until it’s safe to handle without burning your hands.
3. Cut the tail away from the body to remove.
4. Twist off each claw where it meets the body, and set aside.
5. Use kitchen shears to cut down the middle of the underside (the soft shell) of the lobster tail.
6. Gently pull the tail shell apart, and slide out the meat in one whole piece.
7. Check for and remove the black vein (intestine) running along the top of the tail meat.
8. Crack the large claw shell using a nutcracker or the back of a knife.
9. Gently pull out the claw meat whole, using a pick if necessary.
10. Break apart the knuckles, and use kitchen shears or crackers to remove knuckle meat.
11. Stand up the lobster body on a platter with tail shell and claw shells for presentation.
12. On low heat, melt butter in a small saucepan.
13. Cut the tail lobster meat into large chunks and leave the claw meat whole.
14. Place the lobster meat in a sauté pan with melted butter, and sprinkle with white wine.
15. On medium heat, lightly sauté the lobster, shrimp and scallops with 8 tablespoons of melted butter, for 6 minutes, until warmed through and shrimp and scallops are cooked.
16. Add any remaining white wine with salt, pepper and chopped fresh parsley. Don’t overcook.
17. Place lobster chunks, shrimp and scallops inside the lobster tail, and drizzle with pan sauce.
18. Place the claw meat on top of the claw shells for presentation.
19. Drizzle of warm hollandaise sauce, if desired.
20. Serve with warm butter and lemon wedges.