RECIPE: Make Georgia Grille’s Lobster Enchiladas

Georgia Grille’s Lobster Enchiladas. Courtesy of Karen Hilliard

Credit: handout

Credit: handout

Georgia Grille’s Lobster Enchiladas. Courtesy of Karen Hilliard

Although it is no longer in business, we absolutely loved the lobster enchiladas from Georgia Grille in Buckhead. Is there any way that the owner, Karen Hilliard, might share her recipe now that the doors have closed? — Elisha Alden, Atlanta

One of the losses associated with the coronavirus pandemic was the closing of Georgia Grille, Karen Hilliard’s much loved Buckhead neighborhood restaurant. Fortunately, the recipe for her iconic Lobster Enchiladas were documented in Hilliard’s 1994 cookbook, “Teaching Billy to Cook,” which includes many of the recipes that became favorites in the more than 30 years of the restaurant’s existence. Copies of the cookbook are available directly from Hilliard for $15. Order a copy by texting her at 404-274-0578.

Hillard says in the headnote to this recipe, “Some customers wouldn’t eat anything else at Georgia Grille.”

The recipe calls for pickled jalapeno puree. Hilliard would take a jar of pickled jalapenos and puree them in a blender, then store the puree for use in recipes like this. We substituted 1 tablespoon of finely minced pickled jalapenos. For the lobster, we steamed eight 3-ounce lobster tails to yield 1 pound cooked lobster. In lieu of a smoked red pepper, we grilled ours to approximately that smoky flavor.

Fresh Tomato Salsa

Hilliard notes that sauteing the onions and garlic gives the salsa a sweeter flavor and helps it stay fresh for longer. If you want to use that whole 10-ounce can of Rotel tomatoes and green chilies, double the rest of the recipe. The addition of balsamic and rice vinegars is a change from traditional salsas. Everyone who sampled it enjoyed it.

From the menu of ... Georgia Grille, formerly at 2290 Peachtree Road, Atlanta.

Is there a recipe from a metro Atlanta restaurant you’d like to make at home? Tell us and we’ll try to get it. We’ll also test it and adapt it for the home kitchen. Because of volume, we can’t answer all inquiries. Send your request, your address and phone number to fromthemenu@gmail.com and put “From the menu of” and the name of the restaurant in the subject line.

Read more stories like this by liking Atlanta Restaurant Scene on Facebook, following @ATLDiningNews on Twitter and @ajcdining on Instagram.