Millionaire's Lobster Salad

  • 1 Medium lobster, live or cooked
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 sprig thyme
  • 11/2 pounds (681g) new potatoes, scrubbed
  • 2 ripe tomatoes
  • 4 oranges
  • 1/2 head chicory or radicchio
  • 1 head Boston lettuce
  • 1/4 cup (50mL) extravirgin olive oil
  • 1 can (7oz./196g) young artichokes in brine, quartered
  • 1 small bunch tarragon, chervil or flatleaf parsley to garnish

Dressing
  • 2 tablespoons (25mL) centrated orange juice,
  • 6 tablespoons (90 mL) unsalted butter, diced
  • Cayenne pepper
  • Salt

   If the lobster needs to be cooked, add to a large pan of salted water with the bay leaf and thyme. Bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes. Cool under running water. Twist off the legs and claws, and separate the tail piece from the body section. Break the claws open with a hammer and remove the meat intact. Cut the tail piece open from the underside with a pair of kitchen shears. Slice the meat and set aside.
    Bring the potatoes to a boil in salted water and simmer for 20 minutes. Drain, cover and keep warm. Cover the tomatoes with boiling water and set aside for 20 seconds to loosen their skins. Cool under running water and slip off the skins. Halve the tomatoes, discard the seeds, then' cut the flesh into large dice.
   To segment the oranges, remove the peel from the top, bottom and sides with a serrated knife. With a small paring knife, loosen the orange segments by cutting between flesh and the membranes. holding the fruit over a small bowl.
    Dressing: Measure the thawed orange juice into a glass bowl and set it over a saucepan containing one inch of simmering water. Heat the juice for one minute, remove from the heat, then whisk in the butter, a little at a time, until the dressing reaches a coating consistency. Season to taste with salt and a pinch of cayenne pepper, cover and keep warm.
   To Serve: Wash the salad greens and spin dry. Dress with olive oil, then divide between four large serving plates. Moisten the potatoes, artichokes and orange segments with olive oil and distribute them among the salad greens. Lay the sliced lobster over the salad, spoon on the warm butter dressing, add the diced tomato and decorate with spring's of fresh tarragon. Serve at room temperature.

Serves 4

From The Great Fish and Shellfish Cookbook, edited by Linda Doeser (Lorenze Books).

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