The tarragon vinaigrette in this salad has been on the menu of MC Perkins Cove restaurant for a long time because it's one of those outstanding recipes that goes with many things, including this sweet and succulent lobster salad.
Chilled Lobster Salad with Tarragon Vinaigrette and Marinated Red Onions
Ingredients
For the mayonnaise and marinated onions:
- 4 large egg yolks
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- Juice of 1 lemon, plus more to taste
- 1 small garlic clove, peeled and finely grated
- 2 tablespoons ice water
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- ½ cup olive oil
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- ⅓ cup hot water
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- ½ cup white wine vinegar
- 1 medium red onion, peeled and thinly sliced
For the lobsters:
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 4 live Maine lobsters, about 1 ½ pounds each
For the tarragon vinaigrette and serving salad:
- ⅓ cup white wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons whole grain mustard
- 2 shallots, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
- ½ cup (lightly packed) chopped tarragon
- ½ cup (lightly packed) chopped parsley
- ½ cup olive oil
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 3 cup baby arugula
- 1 head frisée, trimmed and torn into bite-sized pieces
- 1 small head radicchio, trimmed and torn into bite-sized pieces
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
- Toasted, buttered baguette
Instructions
Make mayonnaise and marinated onions: Add egg yolks, dijon mustard, lemon juice, garlic, and ice water to the bowl of a food processor. Blend to combine. With the machine running, begin to add vegetable oil in a slow, steady stream. Add the olive oil in a similar fashion, blending until mixture is emulsified and thick, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Season generously with salt and additional lemon juice and transfer to a bowl. Chill.
In another bowl, combine hot water, sugar, and 1 tablespoon salt. Whisk until sugar and salt are dissolved. Add vinegar and red onion. Mix to combine and transfer to refrigerator until ready to use.
Cook lobsters: Prepare an ice bath. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add ¼ cup salt and stir to dissolve. Snip rubberbands from lobster claws. Submerge lobsters, in batches if necessary, head first, and return water to a boil. Cook, 10-12 minutes, until antennas pull out easily. Transfer lobsters to prepared ice bath and let sit until cool. Repeat with remaining lobsters, if cooking in batches. Drain lobsters from ice bath.
Twist to remove claws from body and use a nutcracker to crack the claw shells. Retrieve claw meat and coarsely chop. Add to a large bowl. Twist tails from body, and, using a pair of sharp kitchen shears, cut lengthwise down the underside of the tail. Bend and invert tail shell backwards to remove tail meat and coarsely chop, adding to the bowl with claw meat. Rinse tails and reserve for serving. Split the tails lengthwise to increase the number of serving vessels, if desired.
Add ½ up mayonnaise and fold to combine, adding additional mayonnaise if a creamier salad is preferred. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and transfer to refrigerator until well-chilled, at least 45 minutes and up to one day in advance. Reserve remaining mayonnaise for serving and other uses.
Make tarragon vinaigrette: In a blender, combine white wine vinegar, dijon mustard, whole grain mustard, shallots, whole peppercorns, tarragon, and parsley. Blend to combine. With the machine running, begin to pour olive oil through the feed tube or hole. Continue blending until mixture is smooth. Season to taste with salt. Set aside.
When ready to serve, place arugula, frisée, radicchio, and tomatoes in a large bowl. Toss with enough vinaigrette to coat and season with salt and pepper. Place remaining vinaigrette in a bowl. Fill reserved tail shells with lobster salad and transfer to serving plates, with dressed greens and marinated red onions. Serve, with baguette, along with remaining mayonnaise and tarragon vinaigrette on the side.
