Lobster salad sandwich
Instructions:
- Lobster rolls, especially those made in Maine during the summer months, are pure luxury even though they are simple fare, with good-sized chunks of fresh Atlantic lobster nestled in soft rolls. In Italy, you can buy slender sandwiches filled with seafood salads, wrapped in paper so that you can savor them as you walk along the glittering Mediterranean. This sandwich is my marriage of the two.
- 4 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 cups dry white wine
- 4 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
- One 1½-pound live lobster
- ¾ cup Rick’s Homemade Aioli
(recipe follows) - 2 scallions (white and green parts), finely sliced
- 2 tablespoons finely diced celery
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon
- Pinch of cayenne
- 8 slices soft white bread, crusts removed
- In a large saucepan, bring 1 quart of water, 3 teaspoons of salt, and the wine, parsley, thyme, and peppercorns to a boil over high heat.
- Drop the lobster into the boiling liquid, head first, and cover the pan. When the liquid returns to a boil, cook for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the shell turns bright red. Set aside to cool in the cooking liquid. When it is cool, refrigerate the lobster and its cooking liquid.
- When the lobster is cold, drain the liquid from the lobster and discard it. Pull the meat from the lobster’s tail and claws. Discard the shells. Dice the lobster meat into bite-sized pieces.
- In a bowl, toss the lobster with the aioli, scallions, celery, mustard, lemon juice, tarragon, cayenne, and remaining teaspoon of salt until well mixed. Set aside at room temperature for 1 hour to allow the flavors to blend. If not using after 1 hour, refrigerate until ready to use.
- Place a slice of bread on each of 4 serving plates. Divide the lobster salad evenly among the slices. Top each with another slice of bread and gently press on the bread to spread the lobster salad nearly to the edges. Crimp the edges of the bread with a fork or your fingers to seal the lobster inside.
- Cut each sandwich in half and serve.