When you live in a place where lobsters are plentiful and sometimes even a bargain, you come across a lot of crazy lobster recipes. Over the years, I have come to develop rather strong opinions about where I feel lobster belongs and doesn’t belong. For example, even when I can buy lobsters for as little as $3.99 a pound, I wouldn’t think of putting the meat on a pizza or in a Bolognese sauce. On the other hand, when the price for lobster is up there at $10 or more per pound, I would definitely prioritize its use in this spin on France’s classic niçoise salad, in which lobster meat serves as an excellent and luxurious stand-in for the customary canned tuna fish. I guess I may have global warming to thank for making this Lobster Niçoise Salad a family favorite during summer heat waves.
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Lobster Niçoise Salad
Print RecipeIngredients
- 1 tablespoon anchovy paste
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped
- 3 tablespoons shredded fresh basil leaves
- 2½ tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ⅔ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 10 small (about 1 inch in diameter) red-skinned new potatoes
- Ice
- ½ pound thin green beans, often sold as haricots verts, stem ends trimmed, tails left intact
- 1 roasted red bell pepper (store-bought is fine if you don’t want to broil your own), seeded and cut into thin 1-inch-long strips
- 2 tablespoons brine-packed capers, drained
- 1 bunch scallions, both white and tender green parts, trimmed and thinly sliced on the diagonal
- 4 medium-size, vine-ripened tomatoes, cored and cut into ¾-inch-thick wedges
- 1½ pounds cooked lobster meat, freshly picked from the shell and cut into ½-inch chunks
- 5 ounces baby arugula or mesclun greens, rinsed and spun dry
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 4 large hard-cooked eggs, peeled and quartered
Instructions
For the dressing: Place the anchovy paste, mustard, garlic, basil, lemon juice, lemon zest, and salt in a small food processor. Process until pureed. Add the olive oil and process again until smooth. The dressing can be refrigerated, covered, for up to 1 week. Let come to room temperature and stir to recombine before using.
Place the potatoes in a medium-size saucepan and add water to cover. Bring to a boil and cook the potatoes until they are fork-tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Drain the potatoes and set them aside.
Have a large bowl of ice water ready. Bring another saucepan of water to a boil then add the green beans and blanch them until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Drain the beans and immediately plunge them into the bowl of ice water to stop the cooking and set the bright green color. When the beans are cool, drain them again and pat them dry. Place the beans in a large salad bowl.
Cut the potatoes in half while still warm and add them to the salad bowl. Add the roasted red pepper strips, capers, and 3 tablespoons of the Niçoise Dressing and toss to mix. Let stand until the potatoes have cooled to room temperature, about 10 minutes.
Add the scallions, tomatoes, lobster meat, and greens to the salad bowl. Add enough of the remaining dressing to coat all of the ingredients without drenching them. Taste for seasoning adding salt and/or pepper, as needed. Divide the salad among 4 large dinner plates. Garnish the edge of each salad with 4 hard-cooked egg quarters. Serve the salad at once.
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