Lobster Salad

Name: Lobster Salad
Prep time: 1 h 5 min
Cook time: 1 h 5 min
Total time: 1 h 5 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Global
Ingredients: 3 bay leaves; 15 black peppercorns; 1 leave Butter lettuce , for serving; 473 milliliters canola oil; 118 milliliters diced celery; 59 milliliters champagne vinegar; 4 teaspoons dijon mustard; 2 larges pasteurized egg yolks; 2 teaspoons minced fresh chives, plus more for serving; 2 teaspoons minced fresh tarragon; 1 clove garlic; 2 teaspoons hot sauce; 1 teaspoon Hungarian paprika; 4 servings Kosher salt; 4 lemons, plus wedges for serving; 1 kilograms Maine lobsters (about each); 10 sprigs parsley; 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes; 4 sprigs thyme

Lobster Salad might be just the main course you are searching for. This recipe serves 4. Watching your figure? This gluten free, dairy free, whole 30, and pescatarian recipe has 251 calories, 19g of protein, and 15g of fat per serving. This recipe covers 25% of your daily requirements of vitamins and minerals. If you have tarragon, chives, hungarian paprika, and a few other ingredients on hand, you can make it. To use up the hungarian paprika you could follow this main course with the Rose Levy Beranbaum's Chocolate Tomato Cake with Mystery Ganache as a dessert.

Instructions

Make the poaching liquid: Freeze the lobsters for 20 minutes. (This sedates them and makes them more manageable.) Meanwhile, combine 1 gallon water, the bay leaves, thyme, red pepper flakes, paprika, parsley and peppercorns in a large pot. Halve the 4 lemons; squeeze the juice into the pot and then add the halves. Season the liquid with salt until it tastes as salty as the ocean. Bring to a boil; reduce the heat to a simmer.

Ingredients you will need

Red Pepper Flakes

Peppercorns

Bay Leaves

Lobster

Paprika

Parsley

Lemon

Juice

Thyme

Water

Salt

Equipment you will use

Pot

Kill the lobsters: This is the most humane method: Position the point of a knife on the middle of the back of the head; push the point straight down through the shell and lower the knife through the head. (The lobster may continue to move for a few minutes.)

Ingredients you will need

Lobster

Equipment you will use

Knife

Poach the tails and claws: Hold each lobster over the pot of simmering liquid and twist the tail away from the body.

Ingredients you will need

Lobster

Equipment you will use

Pot

Put the tails in the pot and cook 3 minutes, then twist off the large claws (with the knuckles attached), add to the pot and cook 7 more minutes.

Equipment you will use

Pot

Transfer the lobster tails and claws to a bowl with tongs; let cool to room temperature.

Ingredients you will need

Lobster Tails

Equipment you will use

Tongs

Bowl

Put the egg yolks, garlic, mustard, vinegar, hot sauce and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt in a food processor; pulse to combine. With the motor running, add the canola oil in a slow, steady stream and process until thick and creamy.

Ingredients you will need

Canola Oil

Egg Yolk

Hot Sauce

Mustard

Vinegar

Garlic

Salt

Equipment you will use

Food Processor

Scrape into a bowl and set aside.

Equipment you will use

Bowl

Shell the lobsters: Stand each claw on one of its narrow edges and whack the top with a knife. Wiggle the knife until a crack runs through the claw.

Ingredients you will need

Lobster

Equipment you will use

Knife

Repeat on the opposite edge, if necessary, to make the crack bisect the shell. Pull the claw apart and remove the meat.

Ingredients you will need

Meat

Insert the handle of a spoon into each knuckle and twist to pull out the meat.

Ingredients you will need

Meat

Lay each tail on its side.

Put the palm of your hand on top, then press that hand with the heel of your other hand until the shell cracks.

Hold the tail with the underside facing up. With your thumbs, grab the edges of the bottom of the shell.

Bend back the edges of the shell to crack open the underside and remove the tail meat.

Ingredients you will need

Meat

Chop the lobster meat: Pull the flat piece of cartilage from the middle of each piece of claw meat and discard. Halve each tail lengthwise and clean out any visible vein or roe.

Ingredients you will need

Lobster Meat

Meat

Cut the claw, knuckle and tail meat into bite-size pieces.

Ingredients you will need

Meat

Combine the lobster meat, celery, about 1/4 cup aioli, the tarragon and chives in a bowl; toss. (Cover and refrigerate the rest of the aioli for up to 4 days.) Scoop the lobster salad onto butter lettuce leaves and sprinkle with more chives.

Ingredients you will need

Butter Lettuce Leaves

Lobster

Tarragon

Celery

Chives

Aioli

Equipment you will use

Bowl

Serve at room temperature with the lemon wedges.

Ingredients you will need

Lemon Wedge

Photograph by Jim Franco

Equipment

Ingredients

Servings:

bay leaves 15

black peppercorns 1leave

Butter lettuce , for serving 473milliliters

canola oil 118milliliters

diced celery 59milliliters

champagne vinegar 4teaspoons

dijon mustard 2larges

pasteurized egg yolks 2teaspoons

minced fresh chives, plus more for serving 2teaspoons

minced fresh tarragon 1clove

garlic 2teaspoons

hot sauce 1teaspoon

Hungarian paprika 4servings

Kosher salt 4

lemons, plus wedges for serving 1kilograms

Maine lobsters (about each)10sprigs

parsley 1teaspoon

red pepper flakes 4sprigs

thyme

Recommended wine: Chablis, Chardonnay

Lobster can be paired with Chablis and Chardonnay. Chablis is perfect with lobster, but a chardonny from other regions is bound to hit the spot too. The Etienne Boileau Petit Chablis with a 4.3 out of 5 star rating seems like a good match. It costs about 24 dollars per bottle.