Lobster Salad With Saffron Potatoes And Crispy Leeks Recipes

Steps:

• Cook's Note: Use the leftover lobster meat from the whole lobsters that were cooked in the Grilled Lobster Tails with Green Curry-Mango Dipping Sauce recipe.
• Add vinegar, saffron, and honey to a small skillet and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Turn off the heat and let mixture cool to room temperature. In a small bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, garlic, and cooled vinegar mixture. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
• In a medium bowl, combine the lobster, celery, onion, and chives, and stir together. Add 1/2 cup of the saffron mayonnaise to the mixture and stir well. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
• Preheat the grill to medium-high. Brush potatoes with oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill potatoes, cut-side down, until golden brown. Turn over and grill for 2 more minutes. Remove potatoes from the grill and place a small dollop of lobster salad on each potato.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Mix the lobster meat, celery, red onion, mayonnaise, lemon zest and salt and pepper, to taste. Reserve in the refrigerator. Cut the baguette into thin 1/4-inch slices. Lay out on a sheet pan and bake at 350 degrees F until lightly browned. When the bread is cool, spoon a generous amount of the lobster salad onto the baguette and garnish with a chervil sprig.

Steps:

• Combine the white wine and garlic in a large pot and bring the liquid to a boil over medium heat. Add the lobsters, cover and steam for 12 minutes. Take the lobsters out of the pot. Set aside to cool. When the lobsters are cool enough to handle, remove the tail and claw meat from the shell and cut it into bite-size pieces. Refrigerate.
• Strain the lobster broth through a sieve lined with cheesecloth into a small saucepan. Bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer until it reduces to 1/4 cup, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add the saffron and set aside to cool.
• Meanwhile, put the potatoes in a pot, cover with cold water and simmer over medium heat until tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold running water until cool. Cut the potatoes in half. Set aside.
• Pour the cooled lobster sauce into a large salad bowl. Whisk in the lemon juice and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Add the potatoes, lobster and basil. Toss gently. Refrigerate for up to 4 hours before serving.

Steps:

• Place the potatoes in a large pot and cover with water by 1 inch. Add 1 tablespoon salt and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 15 to 25 minutes, depending on the size of the potatoes, until just tender. (I use a small bamboo skewer to test them.) Drain in a colander, cover the colander with a clean kitchen towel, and allow the potatoes to steam for 5 to 10 minutes. Cut them in quarters or halves, depending on their size, and place them in a large bowl.
• Meanwhile, whisk together the vinegar, mustard, garlic, egg yolk, 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. While whisking, slowly pour in the olive oil, making an emulsion. Stir in the wine and capers. While the potatoes are still very warm, pour half the vinaigrette on the potatoes and toss them gently, allowing them to soak up the vinaigrette. Stir in the scallions, celery, red onion and lobster and add enough vinaigrette to moisten. Reserve any remaining vinaigrette. Add the zest and juice of the lemon, the tarragon, 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper and toss carefully. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour to allow the flavors to blend. Taste for seasonings and add more vinaigrette, if necessary. Serve at room temperature.

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.

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Add potatoes and lobsters, let the water return to the boil and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove lobsters and let cool to room temperature. Probe potatoes with a small knife to make sure they are fully cooked, then drain and let cool to room temperature. (Alternatively, cook potatoes in a separate pot.)
• Meanwhile, roast the peppers: Place whole peppers over the flames of a gas stovetop burner turned to high, under the broiler or over a bed of hot coals. Turn the peppers frequently with tongs, allowing the skins to completely blacken, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, and place in a bowl.
• When the peppers cool, cut them in half, top to bottom. Use a spoon to remove the seeds, then place the peppers flat on a cutting board blackened-side up. With a paring knife, scrape away the charred skin and wipe with a paper towel. Don't worry if a few charred specks remain- do not rinse. Cut peppers into 1/2-inch-wide strips.
• Remove lobster meat from shell. (A pair of strong kitchen shears is a good tool to use.) Cut tail meat crosswise into 1/2-inch slices, and claw meat into similar pieces. Reserve knuckle and head meat for a cook's treat.
• To make the salad, slice the potatoes into 1/4-inch slices and arrange in one layer on a large platter without crowding. Top each potato slice with a piece of lobster. Drape pepper strips over lobster and decorate with cherry tomatoes.
• Sprinkle lightly with salt and drizzle generously with olive oil. Dust surface with pimentón. Garnish with parsley leaves and serve at room temperature.

Steps:

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