Question: I was served an incredibly good salad of broccoli rabe, polenta and lobster at Raphael's in Providence, R.I. Could you get the recipe and educate me about rabe?
- Betty O'Keefe, CincinnatiAnswer: No visitor to Providence, R.I., should miss an opportunity to stroll Benefit Street to absorb all the antiquity that "Mile of History" offers. For instance, the Providence Athenaeum, a Greek Revival, granite structure on Benefit Street, is one of America's oldest subscription libraries (1753) and cultural centers. Among the Athenaeum's treasures is a volume of Colton's American Review (December 1847), which contains the anonymous poem, "Ulalume," with Edgar Allan Poe's signature attached to it.
Legend has it that Poe, the brilliant 19th-century poet and spinner of psychological tales, and Sarah Whitman carried on their courtship among the library stacks. After Poe and Whitman became engaged, she asked if he had read the poem, and if he knew the author. Acknowledging that he had written it, Poe signed his name to the library copy of the poem.
Poe, portrayed by critics as an unsavory, unstable drunkard, was nonetheless able to inspire readers' devotion through his cultivation of mystery and the macabre in fiction. For the past 49 years, a mysterious figure has placed a half bottle of cognac and three roses on Poe's grave in Baltimore.
When you've walked around Providence and can't manage another step, catch a cab to Raphael's Italian bistro in the quaint waterfront building on the south bank of the Providence River to nosh rabe. (If broccoli rabe, sometimes called rapini, is unavailable in your area, substitute broccoli.)
BROCCOLI RABE AND POLENTA SALAD WITH LOBSTER
Lobster:
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 cooked lobster tails (chicken or shrimp may be substituted), cut in chunks
Broccoli:
1 bunch broccoli or broccoli rabe (rapini), approximately 11/2 pounds
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 small cloves garlic, chopped
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pep-per
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 cup water
Polenta:
1 package (smallest size available) store-bought polenta, cubed
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
In a mixing bowl, combine rosemary, olive oil, salt and pepper. Toss chunks of cooked lobster in the mixture and set aside.
Leave the rabe or broccoli in a bunch and slice off the bottom inch of stem. Fray the stem by holding stem end up and slicing down stalks with a sharp knife, rotating the bunch by 1/4 turns to get to every stem - this process ensures even cooking. Fill sink or large bowl with cold tap water. Agitate the rabe in the water to remove any sand. Remove from water and drain on paper towels.
Place a large saute pan over medium heat. Add olive oil, garlic and red pepper. Cook until garlic begins to brown, then add the rabe. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and saute until the vegetable starts to wilt. Add water, cover, and steam until tender, approximately 5 minutes.
Cut polenta into 2-inch cubes. Toss cubes with olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper. Place polenta on a sheet pan and bake in preheated 450-degree oven (turning as necessary) until the cubes are crisp and golden brown.
Place broccoli rabe on serving plate, top with lobster and polenta, and serve immediately. Yields 2 servings.