Maine Lobster Salad With Lemon Creme Fraiche,
Spring Vegetables And Osetra Caviar
Recipe by Joachim Splichal of Patina

Yield: Serves 4

You could substitute 3/4 pound of peeled shrimp for the lobster in this salad if desired.

Lobster

• Pinch of sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon red wine vinegar
• One 1 1/2-pound Maine lobster, very much alive

In a large saucepan, bring a generous amount of water to a boil and add the salt and vinegar. Plunge in the lobster, cover the pan and cook for 8 minutes. Remove and drain the lobster; when it is cool enough to handle, remove the meat from the tail and claws and slice it in 1/2-inch-thick pieces. Set aside, covered, while you prepare the vegetables. Note: If it will be more than an hour until serving time, refrigerate the lobster.

Spring Vegetables

• 1/2 cup fresh peas
• 2 ounces haricot verts (very fine green beans)
• 2 ribs celery, cut into thick (1/4-inch) julienne strips
• 2 ounces baby carrots, peeled and with 1/4 inch of the green top left on
• 1/2 cup fresh fava beans, shelled (about 5 large pods)
• 3 small plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced
• 2 ounces baby asparagus stalks, bottom 2 inches peeled (if using larger stalks, use only the top 3 inches and halve them lengthwise)

Have ready a large bowl of ice water. In a large saucepan, bring a generous amount of water to a boil. Using a skimmer, plunge each of the vegetables, separately, into the boiling water and blanch for 2 to 4 minutes, or until tender. Remove with the skimmer and immediately plunge each vegetable into the ice water for a minute to stop the cooking, then drain on a tea towel. Blanch the remaining vegetables in the same way, adjusting the cooking time to the size and shape of the vegetables. Note: if the peas and fava beans are a similar size, they can be cooked together.

Dressing

• 1/2 cup creme fraiche
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped chives
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped lemon zest
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

In a medium mixing bowl, combine the creme fraiche, chives, lemon zest and juice and whisk until evenly blended. Add the blanched and drained vegetables and the lobster chunks to the bowl with the dressing and toss until all the ingredients are coated.

Assembly

• 1/2 cup oak leaf lettuce, arugula or radicchio leaves
• 1 to 2 ounces osetra caviar, or as much as you can afford

On each of four large plates, arrange a few leaves of the lettuce and mound a quarter of the lobster mixture in the center. Decorate the top with dollops of caviar.