Succulent Succotash: Lobster sweetens dish

PANAMA CITY BEACH — Succulent Succotash! Lobster transforms vegetable medley into luxurious dish.

Executive Chef Konrad Jochum's Lobster Succotash is just one of 10 dishes being served during the Lobster Feast on the Beach on Saturday and Sunday at Schooners, 5121 Gulf Drive, during the 29th annual Lobster Festival. (Another 11 dishes are available inside the restaurant through the weekend.)

Though Red Tide has made it to Panama City Beach, lobster festivities are scheduled to go ahead as planned. According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, even though hard clams, oysters and mussels may not be recreationally harvested (store-bought and restaurant-served shellfish are tested for safety) during red tide, "edible parts of other animals commonly referred to as shellfish (crabs, shrimp and lobsters) are not affected by the red tide organism and can be eaten."

Jochum likes to change things up with his annual lobster specials — swapping paella for succotash this year. His recipe with corn and lima beans, with tomatoes, onions and peppers is a traditional take on succotash, but his spin with lobster and shrimp makes getting your vegetables so much sweeter.

"Just like spaghetti, there's a million ways," Jochum said. "Up north, they put in zucchini."

Succotash gained popularity in the Great Depression as a cheap nutritious meal, but unlike Sylvester the cat's famous expression — nobody is "sufferin'" while eating this dish. And Lobster Succotash is simple and quick enough to be enjoyed any night of the week — though the flavors would fool your guests to think otherwise.

After steaming packages of frozen vegetables and dicing up onions, garlic, red peppers and tomatoes, the dish only takes 10 minutes with leftover meat. If you don't have any leftover lobster, steam or grill a couple of pounds of tails beforehand. Jochum used a combination of lobster and shrimp and served the dish with two grilled petite lobster tails. But you could even make a Shrimp Succotash and use just 2 pounds of shrimp — maybe some sweet Royal Reds.

"For housewives, the best vegetables are fresh frozen lima beans or black beans. This way you don't have to soak or cook them. It cuts out cooking and prepping by 90 percent. It's just a package of this and that," said Jochum, adding, "You could even use leftover chicken or steak in place of lobster. Recipes are like rules; they are made to be broken."

LOBSTER SUCCOTASH

1 cup olive oil

1 cup onions, diced

1 cup garlic, chopped

2 cups lima beans, cooked

2 cups corn kernels, cooked

1 cup red peppers, diced

1 cup tomatoes, diced

2 pounds lobster meat (or 1 pound each of lobster and shrimp), cooked

1 cup scallions, sliced

1 cup chicken broth

2 tablespoons sea salt

1 tablespoon black pepper

1 tablespoon smoked paprika

Saute onions and garlic in olive oil for 5 minutes. Add all other ingredients and simmer for 5 minutes.

Source: Executive Chef Konrad Jochum

When: 11 a.m. today through Friday, 10 a.m. Saturday and Sunday

Where: Schooners, 5121 Gulf Drive, Panama City Beach

Admission: Free; $30 ticket per day for Lobster Feast on the Beach on Saturday and Sunday

Details: Schooners.com

See weekend schedule in Friday's Beach Insider in the Entertainer.

LOBSTER FESTIVAL