Peachy Lobster Salad Recipes

CLASSIC LOBSTER SALAD

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Toss the cooked, diced lobster meat with lemon juice and the celery.
• Gently stir in mayonnaise and then season with salt and pepper, to taste.
• Mound the lobster salad on lettuce leaves with a wedge of avocado, cucumber and tomatoes.
• This lobster salad can also be used as the sandwich filling for a lobster roll in a sweet bun or in traditional toasted hot dog buns with lettuce.

LOBSTER SALAD

Steps:

• In a large bowl, mix together the lobster meat, yellow peppers, celery, onion, mayonnaise and pepper until evenly combined. Chill before serving.

LOBSTER AND GRAPEFRUIT SALAD

Steps:

• Boil a very large pot of water. Salt it and add the lobsters head first. Put the lid on the pot and boil until bright red and cooked, about 12 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water.
• While the lobster is cooking, peel the grapefruits to the quick, cutting first the top and bottom off, then cutting the skin off around them, removing all the pith. Cut the grapefruit sections with a knife into a large bowl to catch the juice, and squeeze the remaining juice out of the membrane into the bowl as well.
• To remove the lobster meat, twist off the claws. Use the back of a chef's knife to crack both sides of the claws. Pull off the shell and reserve the meat. Use a pick to pull the meat out of the tube-like limbs attached to the claws. Now, twist the tails off the bodies. Lay them flat on their side and press down to crack the center. Pull out the meat. Discard the bodies and shells, or use them to make lobster bisque.
• Chop the lobster meat into large chunks for the salad and add it to the grapefruit. Cut the avocado and add it to the bowl, along with a generous squeeze of lemon to keep its color. Chop the green onions, including the green parts, and add along with the parsley leaves. Add the oil and season with salt and pepper.
• Toss. Taste, adjusting the seasonings (and adding a little lemon zest if you like) and serve.

LOBSTER SALAD

Steps:

• 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.
• 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.)
• Poach the tails and claws: Hold each lobster over the pot of simmering liquid and twist the tail away from the body.
• 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.
• Transfer the lobster tails and claws to a bowl with tongs; let cool to room temperature.
• Make the aioli: 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. Scrape into a bowl and set aside.
• 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.
• Repeat on the opposite edge, if necessary, to make the crack bisect the shell. Pull the claw apart and remove the meat.
• Insert the handle of a spoon into each knuckle and twist to pull out the 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.
• 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. Cut the claw, knuckle and tail meat into bite-size pieces.
• Make the salad: 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. Serve at room temperature with the lemon wedges.