Lobster, corn and mascarpone lasagna with a summer corn sauce

Ingredients

6 ramekins, stainless steel tubs or small Pyrex pan, 8x8.
Lobster Filling
Creamed Corn
2 lb. fresh tomato pasta sheet
Corn sauce

Lobster Filling
1lb. lobster meat or 2 one-pound lobsters, steamed and cleaned.
1/2 C blanched leeks (blanch in water till tender, chill and reserve)
1/2 C blanched english peas (blanch in water till tender, chill and reserve)
1/2 C quarter-inch diced tomatoes
1/4 C basil
2 tsp. lemon zest
1/2 C mascarpone
3 TB parmesan
1/2 C heavy cream
1.5 TB salt
.5 TB pepper

Creamed Corn
1 1/2 C grated corn
1 C corn kernels
1/2 C onion
1 C cream
2 TB butter
1 TB salt

Corn Sauce
1/4 C leek white, sliced thinly
1/4 C fresh fennel bulb, minced
1 1/2 C Creamed Corn from above
2/3 C chicken stock
1/4 C cream
4 TB butter
1/2 tsp. lemon juice

Directions

Lobster Filling
Place mascarpone, parmesan, cream and lemon zest in a mixing bowl and whisk all items together until they are smooth. Add diced tomatoes, lobster, peas, leeks and basil to the cream mixture and fold items together. Season with salt and pepper to taste and set aside ready to build lasagna.

Creamed Corn
Grate corncobs until you have 1 1/2 cups of grated corn. Place the grated corn in a greased cast-iron skillet. Add all other ingredients to the pan. Place the skillet in a 350-degree oven and bake the mixture for 15 to 18 minutes. Chill half and use the other half for the corn sauce.

Lasagna
This can be done in a Pyrex pan, ramekins or a stainless steel ring mold.

Pasta: Bring water to a boil in a large pan that will hold the fresh pasta. Blanch pasta sheet by sheet in the hot boiling water for 3 minutes. Remove the fresh pasta to ice water and cool. Continue until all sheets have been cooked. Once all sheets have been cooked, remove them from the ice water, dry them with a lint-free towel and cut them to the size of the mold that you have.

Butter the molds and layer lasagna by placing a sheet of pasta down first. Add a thin layer of Creamed Corn. Add a layer of pasta and then a layer of the lobster filling. Top with pasta. Repeat this layering until you get to the desired height. Cover with plastic wrap, then with foil. Bake for 25 minutes at 350 degrees or, if in a stainless tube, wrap tube with plastic and cook in a steamer for 25 minutes. Serve hot.

Corn Sauce
In a small saucepot, sauté leeks and fennel in a small amount of butter over medium heat until they are translucent, about 10 minutes. Add chicken stock and cream, and simmer over low heat for another 10 minutes.

Place mixture in a blender and very carefully puree mixture until very smooth but a sauce in consistency. While pureeing, add butter to the mix. Season with salt, pepper and a dash of lemon juice and strain if necessary to make sure sauce is velvety smooth. Hold the sauce hot until you are ready to use. This sauce is quick and easy but difficult to reheat without breaking.

This is a fun, elegant appetizer or can be served as a main course. The lasagna should be made a day in advance. That way, it is easy to just heat and serve the day of the event. When I entertain, I like having time with my guests. This item would pair very nicely with a chardonnay, sauvignon blanc or even champagne.