Lobster Salad With Fresh Mint And Lime Recipes

CRISPY LOBSTER SKEWERS WITH GREEN PAPAYA AND MINT SALAD

Steps:

• Put coconut into a plastic bag and drop the bag onto a hard surface to split the coconut and catch the liquid. Remove the outer shell and discard. Finely grate 1 cup of fresh coconut. Thinly shave the remaining coconut into moon shaped pieces. Toast shavings lightly and set aside for garnish.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Drop live lobsters into a pot of boiling water and cook for only 5 minutes. Remove the lobsters from the water and plunge them into a large bowl or pot filled with iced water to stop the cooking. The lobsters should be cooked early in the day so the lobsters have time to reabsorb their wonderful juices.
• In a 2 quart saucepan, add the oil and butter. Remove the claws and tails from all the lobsters. Set aside. Remove the outer shell from 3 of the lobsters. Saute the 6 lobster bodies over medium high heat until a little bit colored. Leaving some of the shells on will give your sauce a pink cast.
• Add the shallots, chile, and lemongrass. Cook gently until tender. Deglaze the pan with white wine. Add grated coconut and ginger. Add enough cold water to barely cover the lobster bodies. Add curry paste or curry powder. Let sauce simmer slowly for 20 to 30 minutes until reduced, showing a little "body".
• Add heavy cream and let sauce reduce slightly. Add lime juice and lime zest. Add salt and pepper, to taste. Finish with 2 tablespoons of butter for silkiness.
• Strain sauce. Take approximately 1/2 of the solids and puree in blender with some liquid. Add pureed solids back to sauce. Set aside.
• Remove claw meat from their shells. Split the tail, removing all the shell carefully from the tail, except the last segmet of shell connected to the actual tail flippers.
• Skewer the 2 segments of the tail with 1 claw and 1 piece of scallion in between. You will have 6 skewers.
• Beat the egg whites with the 2 tablespoons of cold water to thin out. Dip each skewer lightly into the egg white mixture. Very delicately, sprinkle water chestnut flour all over the lobster. Don't pack on too much.
• Bring a large pot of peanut oil to 350 degrees. Fry 2 skewers at a time. They will only take approximately 2 to 3 minutes to crisp. Remove skewers from the oil and drain. Place in barely warm oven while the other skewers cook.
• To serve, place finished skewers on plate with your delicate salad leaning against the lobster. Spoon the curried coconut sauce around the plate and garnish with toasted coconut "moons".
• In a large bowl, assemble the salad, combining the green papayas, the mint, the Upland or watercress, daikon, carrot, cucumber, and scallions rounds. Dress salad with vinaigrette right before serving.
• Yield: 6 servings
• Whisk together rice wine vinegar, Nam Pla, ginger and oil. Set aside.
• Yield: approximately 1/2 cup

LOBSTER AND PINEAPPLE SALAD WITH BASIL AND MINT

Steps:

• Plunge lobsters headfirst into an 8-quart pot of boiling salted water . Loosely cover pot and cook lobsters over moderately high heat 9 minutes from the time they enter water, then transfer with tongs to sink to cool.
• Remove meat from claws, joints, and tails. Discard (or save for another use) tomalley, any roe, and shells. Cut meat into 1/2-inch pieces and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• While lobsters are cooling, cut pulp in 1 or 2 large pieces out of each pineapple half with grapefruit knife, then discard core and cut pulp into 1/2-inch pieces. Scrape juice and any remaining pulp from pineapple shells with a spoon (to form 1/4-inch-thick shells) into a fine sieve set over a bowl and drain until you have 2 to 3 tablespoons juice, about 2 minutes. Discard solids.
• Cook oil and garlic in a small saucepan over moderately low heat, stirring, until garlic is golden, 2 to 3 minutes, then discard garlic. Add garlic oil to pineapple juice along with lime juice, fish sauce, and sugar, whisking until sugar is dissolved. Add shallot, bell pepper, pineapple pieces, chile, and herbs. Toss lobster with pineapple mixture and serve mounded in pineapple shells.

LOBSTER SALAD WITH GREENS AND CITRUS VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Prepare an ice-water bath. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Plunge lobsters into water headfirst, and simmer, covered, for 11 minutes. (Do not let water boil.) Transfer lobsters to ice-water bath using tongs. Let stand for 10 minutes to cool.
• Meanwhile, whisk together oil, zests and juices, mustard, shallot, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
• Crack lobster claws, knuckles, and tails, and remove meat. Slice tail meat 1/2 inch thick, and leave claws and knuckles whole.
• Combine lobster, greens, tomato, and tarragon. Drizzle with dressing, and toss to coat. Garnish with tarragon. Serve immediately.