Gabriella Khalil

A CHRISTMAS EVE FEAST

Gabriella Khalil, the Creative Director of boutique hotel Palm Heights Grand Cayman, has a knack for combining top-notch service and collectible design with laidback, barefoot glamour and good, old-fashioned fun.

The atmosphere Gabriella created for her family’s traditional Italian American Christmas Eve celebration the Feast of the Seven Fishes—a multi-course seafood extravaganza in which she served seven different types of seafood ranging from lobster pasta to caviar to king crab legs—conjured both old world decadence and modernity using a mix of Christofle’s classic and contemporary pieces. As the mother of six-year-old Grace, Khalil doesn’t lose sight of making her celebrations family-friendly.

She balanced preciousness and pragmatism with ornate Jardin d’Eden flatware and dramatic Malmaison candelabras set among playful Tourbillon glasses and more rustic hand-painted vintage Italian plates Khalil has collected over the years. The result is a classic table with texture, a touch of sentimentality, and comfort. Extending the familial from the menu to the table setting is by design. As Khalil says: “The best host is one that’s having fun and confident and feeling good in the space that they’re entertaining in.”

GABRIELLA'S LOBSTER PASTA

INGREDIENTS

For The Lobster

- 3 shallots, quartered

- 1 fennel bulb, quartered

- 1 medium carrot, diced

- 4 sprigs of thyme

- 1 pound lobster (live)

- 1 lemon, quartered

- Ice bath (in a large bowl

INSTRUCTIONS

Using a knife, pierce the top head of the lobster and crack through the shell. Then remove the arms and the tail to cook separately. Using a cutting board, cut the vegetables (shallots, fennel, lemon, thyme, carrot) and place in an 8qt pot with water.

Bring the liquid to a boil, then cook the lobster tail for 4 minutes, then remove using a pair of tongs and plunge into an ice bath to stop the cooking process. Do the same process for the claws and cook for 7 minutes, then remove from the pot and then cool down in an ice bath.

Removal of the lobster meat: Cut the tail in half using a sharp knife and remove the meat from both sides, taking out the vein of the lobster. Using the lobster crackers, crack the lobster at the joints to remove the meat. Reserve the meat for the pasta and save the shells for the sauce.

INGREDIENTS

For The Sauce

- 1 pound lobster shells

- 1 red onion, finely diced

- 3 garlic cloves, finely diced

- 2 oz canola oil

- 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves

- 32 ounces water

- 1 pound of dry linguine

- 8 oz of lobster sauce

- 2 pieces lobster tail, cut into large pieces

- 2 each, lobster claws and knuckles

- 1 oz unsalted butter, cubed

- 4 oz cherry tomatoes, halved

- 1 oz kosher salt

- Pepper, to taste

- 1 16 oz can of crushed tomatoes

- 4 ounces heavy whipping cream

- 4 oz unsalted butter

INSTRUCTIONS

In an 8qt pot, cook the onions, garlic, lobster shells, and herbs in oil for 3 mins, then add the water, salt, and pepper and simmer for 20 minutes. Then add the tomatoes and heavy cream. Let this simmer for 7 minutes, then transfer to a blender.

Blended until smooth, then strain. Rinse out the blender top and then add the strained sauce to the blender emulsify the butter into the sauce and save for the pasta.

Using the lobster crackers, crack the lobster at the joints to remove the meat.

Reserve the meat for the pasta and save the shells for the sauce.

INGREDIENTS

For The Pasta

- 1 pound of dry linguine

- 8 oz of lobster sauce

- 2 pieces lobster tail, cut into large pieces

- 2 each, lobster claws and knuckles

- 1 oz unsalted butter, cubed

- 4 oz cherry tomatoes, halved

- 1 oz kosher salt

- Pepper, to taste

- 1 16 oz can of crushed tomatoes

- 4 ounces heavy whipping cream

- 4 oz unsalted butter

- 1 oz capers perils

- 1 oz olive oil

- 1 tbsp salt (for pasta water)

- 1 tsp kosher salt

-1 lemon

- 1 ounce parsley, chopped

INSTRUCTIONS

First, place a pot with water and salt on the stove to bring to a boil. Once boiling, cook the linguine for 9 minutes, then strain and reserve the pasta water for the sauce. Spread the pasta on a baking sheet with parchment and 1 oz of oil to prevent from sticking.

Lobster pasta final method: In 3 qt saucepan or medium pan, preheat olive oil prior to adding the tomatoes and capers. Cook for 1 min on low heat and add the pasta, lobster and then some of the sauce to incorporate together. Gauge and add more sauce or pasta water if needed and then add the butter, parsley,

lemon zest to the pot.

Add salt to the pasta and adjust the seasoning if needed.