One of the best pieces of advice that I ever received concerning food pairings came from Chef Mark Ainsworth at the Culinary Institute of America. He posed the question to the class “If you killed a deer in the woods, what would you pair it with?” His answer was just about anything edible within a 100 yard radius of where the deer fell. Berries, herbs, barley, root vegetables…anything the deer would have been eating. It makes perfect sense. We are what we eat, so it stands to reason that we would taste good paired with what we eat.

With all of that said, this pairing is an exception to the rule. This dish is Lobster Risotto with Truffled Corn Jus and Crispy Leek. Lobsters would rarely have occasion to come across corn or leeks, yet they taste outstanding together. The mild sweetness of the lobster meat paired with the starchy goodness of the corn works well, and the crispy texture of the leeks and their mellow flavor complement the dish nicely.

A puree of fines herbs garnishes the plate in a design inspired by the “Spin Art” of childhood. Decades later, it would seem that playing with my food has paid off in some small fashion.