Warm Lobster Salad

[kirra]

Warm Lobster Salad
Maguy Le Coze & Eric Ripert; Le Bernardin Cookbook

This was always one of the most popular items on the menu. I think it closed more than one deal, and definitely led to some second dates. If you want, you can make it with langoustine or spiny lobster.

Ingredients:

4 (1-pound) lobsters
1 recipe lobster stock
1/2 cup vinaigrette
Fine sea salt, to taste
Freshly ground white pepper, to taste
6 cups mesclun (baby greens)
1 shallot, peeled and finely diced
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 bunch fresh chervil, for garnish

Preparation:

Kill the lobsters and poach them according to the directions in Poaching Lobster (do not shell the tail meat). Shell the claw meat and cut it lengthwise into 1/4-inch-wide strips. Using heavy kitchen shears, cut away the legs and the thin shell that covers the underside of the tail meat. Cut the tails, with the meat still adhering to the shell, on the diagonal into 1/2-inch-wide slices. Refrigerate the lobster meat.

Put the lobster stock in a saucepan and bring it to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat slightly and simmer, skimming occasionally, until the stock has reduced to 1/3 cup, about 10 minutes. Put the sauce in a bowl and let it cool slightly. Whisking constantly, slowly drizzle in the vinaigrette. (The recipe can be made to this point up to several hours ahead; refrigerate the sauce).

To serve, preheat the oven to 550 degrees. Spread the lobster on a baking sheet in a single layer and season it with salt and pepper. Spoon 1/4 cup of the sauce over the lobster. Put the rest in a small saucepan and warm it gently over low heat. Put the lobster in the oven just until warmed through, about 1 minute.

Put the mesclun in a bowl and toss with the shallot, tarragon, and lemon juice. Toss with 6 tablespoons of the sauce. Mound the salad in the center of 4 dinner plates. Arrange the lobster tail slices in a circle around the salad, with the crescent backs of the shells facing the rim of the plate. Scatter the claw meat over the salad.

Spoon the remaining sauce over the tail slices and top each one with a small sprig of chervil. Put a large sprig of chervil on top of each salad and serve immediately. Serves 4.