Lobster and spinach salad w/ bacon + walnut dressing
Serves 4
Ingredients:
2 2# Maine lobsters
1 pt heavy cream (for poaching)
the dressing:
2 oz bacon
1 egg yolk
juice of 2 lemons
2 oz walnuts
1 T mustard
4 oz blended oil
Separate the live lobster into claws, tail and body. poach the claws for a few minutes and cool. Take the claws from the shell (be careful to pull the meat out as intact as possible. The meat should still be underdone. Cooking time will vary depending on claw size but around five minutes should be enough for a medium sized claw). Heat the heavy cream to poaching temperature (below boiling--180º) Cut the tails in half lengthwise and place them along with the de-shelled claws in the poaching cream and poach for about 8 minutes (for an average sized 2# lobster) Remove from the liquid and let cool.
the dressing: put the first ingredients into a food processor and then add the oil in a slow steady stream. Dress 12 oz spinach or arugula. Mix with hard cooked eggs, boiled asparagus, sautéed mushrooms and tomatoes (all of which are optional). Cut the lobster into big chunks and lay on top of the salad. Heap a little more of the dressing on top of the lobster and garnish with chopped chives.
