Maine Lobster with Celery Root and Apple Salad
Chilled lobster medallions and a single claw top a salad of celery root and apple julienne dressed with Dijon mayonnaise. Mango vinaigrette, made with fresh mango, sherry vinegar, and hazelnut oil, is drizzled over the top, adding punch to both the flavor and the color. Cool cucumber cubes garnish the plates.
Ingredients
- Lobsters
- Water - for steaming
- White Vinegar - 1 cup
- Cracked peppercorns - 1 teaspoon
- Onion - 1 small, peeled
- Bay Leaf - 1
- Several fresh dill branches
- Maine lobsters - two, 2-pound
- Celery Root and Apple Salad
- Mayonnaise - 1⁄2 cup
- Dijon-style mustard - 1 teaspoon
- Lemon Juice - 3 teaspoons
- Fresh Parsley - 2 tablespoons, chopped
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Celery Root - 1 1-pound, peeled and julienned
- Granny Smith apples - 2, peeled, cored, and julienned
- Mango Vinaigrette
- Ripe Mangos - 2
- Sherry Vinegar - 1⁄4 cup
- Juice of 2 lemons
- Hazelnut oil - 1 cup
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Cucumbers - 2 small, peeled, seeded, and diced
- Fresh chervil for garnish
Instructions
To cook the lobsters: In a large stockpot or kettle (at least 16 inches in diameter) pour in 11⁄2 inches of water and add the vinegar, peppercorns, onion, bay leaf, and dill. Set a rack or colander in the pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the lobsters and cover tightly to make sure no steam escapes. (If necessary, place a weight on the cover to hold securely.) Lower the heat and cook until done, about 15 minutes. Test the lobster by removing one of the little legs and tasting the meat. Remove the lobsters from the stockpot and chill.
To make the celery root and apple salad: For the dressing, combine the mayonnaise, mustard, half the lemon juice, and parsley in a small bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
To prevent the celery root and apple from discoloring, as soon as the fruit is cut, toss with the remaining half of the lemon juice and a sprinkle of salt. Taste the celery root before completing the salad to make sure it doesn’t taste salty. If it does, rinse under cold water and dry it. In a mixing bowl combine the celery root and apple and fold the mayonnaise dressing into the salad.
To make the mango vinaigrette: Peel the mangos, remove the pits, and coarsely chop. In the work bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade purée the mangos with the vinegar and lemon juice. With the motor running, slowly add the oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
To serve: Remove the lobsters from the refrigerator. Remove the claws, crack them, and pull out the meat in one piece. Cut through the head and tail lengthwise and pull out the tail meat in 2 whole pieces. Cut the tail meat into 8 medallions.
Arrange celery root and apple salad in the center of each serving plate and place lobster medallions on top of the salad. Position a claw in the middle. Drizzle the mango vinaigrette over and around the lobster meat and sprinkle the diced cucumbers around the plate. Garnish the top with fresh chervil.
