Chilled Lobster with Potato-Blood Orange Salad and Lime
Ingredients
- Kosher salt
- 1- to 1 1/2-pound lobsters, (see Notes)
- 1 teaspoon shallots, minced
- 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup creme fraiche
- 1 teaspoon lime zest, grated
- black pepper, Freshly ground
- 2 tablespoons Pernod
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 blood oranges, skin and membrane removed, cut into segments over a bowl and stored in their own juice (use other sw
- 1/2 pound fingerling, scrubbed or small Red Bliss potatoes
- 2 tablespoons tarragon, fresh, chopped
- 3 tablespoons chervil, fresh, chopped
- 2 tablespoons chives, fresh, minced
- 12 cherry tomatoes, cut in half or other small sweet tomatoes
- 4 small bunches small greens such as watercress, dried, washed and or mache
- 1 lime, sliced into 4 wedges
Directions
Pour 1 inch of salted water into a large pot, invert a colander in the pot, and bring to a boil.Put the lobsters in the pot and cover tightly.
Steam for 5 minutes, then open the pot carefully (steam is hot) and, using a pair of tongs, change the lobsters position so they will cook evenly.
Quickly replace the lid and steam for 5 more minutes.
Remove the lobsters from the pot and allow to cool.
Separate the tail, claws, and knuckles from the body of each lobster.
Save the bodies for lobster stock or discard.
Remove the lobster meat from the shells, trying to keep it in as large pieces as possible.
(Shells dont provide as much flavor for stock as lobster bodies, so I discard them.
) Cut the shelled tails in half lengthwise and remove the digestive tract, the dark vein-like structure.
Cover and refrigerate the meat.
To make the vinaigrette, whisk the shallots, 1 tablespoon of the lime juice, and the Dijon mustard together in a small bowl.
Slowly add 1/4 cup of the olive oil in a steady stream.
Season with salt.
Mix the creme fraiche with the lime zest, 1 tablespoon of the limejuice, and the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a bowl.
Season with salt and pepper.
Cover and refrigerate.
Mix the Pernod with the honey and pour over the blood orange sections.
Let sit for 30 minutes.
While the blood oranges are soaking, cut the potatoes into 1/2-inch-thickslices.
Put the slices in a small saucepan and cover with cold water.
Add 1 1/2 teaspoons salt per quart of water.
Bring to a boil and simmer until the potatoes are just done, 4 to 5 minutes.
Drain.
Toss with 2 tablespoons of the lime vinaigrette and set aside to cool at room temperature.
Mix the chopped tarragon, chervil, and chives together.
Right before serving, toss the lobster meat in a bowl with the remaining vinaigrette and 5 tablespoons of the herbs.
Mix the potatoes with the remaining chopped herbs.
Put 2 tablespoons of the creme fraiche in the center of each off our plates.
Overlap the potato slices in a ring on the creme fraiche, Arrange the meat from half a lobster on top of each portion of potatoesstart with the knuckles, then the tail and then the claw (reserve the remaining vinaigrette in the bowl).
Form a crescent of 6 tomato halves on one side of the lobster on each plate.
Toss the watercress with the lime vinaigrette left in the lobster bowl.
Place a bunch of dressed greens on each plate on the side of the lobster opposite the tomatoes.
Distribute the orange segments around the edges of the plates and drizzle with any remaining syrup.
Garnish each plate with a wedge of lime, and serve.