Tarragon Lobster Salad

It was a busy holiday weekend here!  Not only did I host a dinner party for my youngest daughter's birthday (she was actually born on LABOR Day!), but we also had one of our gourmet group events. 

The host and hostess of last weekend's gourmet dinner put on a lobster boil for one of their gourmet dinners years ago and none of the couples have allowed them to change menus for OBVIOUS reasons!  They've been doing this dinner for so many years that they even have purchased their own equipment, that they used to rent - a huge pot with a liner on it's own stand.

The first course is always clams, mussels and shrimp - Lots of them!


Then the lobster are cooked and served along with a huge platter of farmers' market fresh corn on the cob and heirloom tomato caprese salad. Did you know that the months ending in 'ber are the best months to enjoy shellfish? Our friends always schedule their lobster boil in September so that the weather here in Wisconsin is still warm enough to dine outdoors because this is a messy meal!

After indulging to too many clams, mussels and shrimp, I was only able to finish my lobster claws so this little gem came home with me that night. 

What to do with a beautiful lobster tail? Make Lobster Salad!

I found this wonderful recipe at Epicurious and it is excellent! I made a couple of small changes to the recipe and was delighted with the result. The original recipe called for four whole lobsters and I only had one small lobster tail so I adapted it along with a couple of other minor tweaks to suit my taste.

If you have the opportunity to find some fresh lobster meat, this is a delicious salad.  The price of lobster is quite reasonable right now and I've seen whole, 1 to 1-1/4 pound lobsters for $10.00 to $13.00.



Tarragon Lobster Salad
Adapted from Gourmet, July 2001
Printable Recipe

Serves 1 (which was Moi - so adjust ingredients accordingly)

Your can either cook your own lobster if you are brave enough or have your seafood purveyor steam it for you.

3/4 cup cooked lobster meat, cut into large dice
1 teaspoon finely chopped shallot
1/4 cup finely chopped celery
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup mayonnaise (I use Hellmans' Light)
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh tarragon
Salt and Pepper to taste

Combine shallot, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt in a bowl and let stand at room temperature for 15-20 minutes while you are preparing the rest of the ingredients.

Whisk mayonnaise, tarragon, and black pepper to taste into the shallot mixture. Add lobster meat and celery and toss gently to coat.

Serve on a bed of lettuce with fresh avocado and tomato or, you can also put this on a fresh, toasted bun to make a tasty lobster roll.