Lobster Salad, Heirloom Tomatoes, Avocado, Fresh Fennel, Chamomile Vinaigrette
Chef Cyril Renaud of Fleur de Sel – New York, NY
Adapted by StarChefs

Yield: 4 Servings

Ingredients:

Chamomile vinaigrette:

• 1 bunch chamomile
• 1 quart white vinegar
• 3 teaspoons grenadine

Tomato confit:
• 4 plum tomatoes (peeled, seeded, and halved)
• 2 garlic cloves (peeled and finely chopped)
• 1 shallot (finely diced)
• 2 sprigs of fresh thyme (de-stemmed and coarsely chopped)
• ¼ cup of olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• 1 Tablespoon sugar

Lobster salad:
• ½ handful of gray salt
• 2 live lobsters (1¼ pounds each)
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 fennel bulb, very thinly sliced
• 1 ripe avocado
• 1 pound heirloom tomatoes, cut in small quarters
• Tomato confit (see recipe)
• 2 sprigs of lemon thyme, leaves picked and chopped
• 2 sprigs of mint, leaves picked and chopped
• 2 sprigs of tarragon, leaves picked and chopped
• 2 pinches of Fleur de Sel
• Freshly ground white pepper
  

For tomato confit:
Preheat the oven to 225°F. Score the bottom of each tomato with an ‘X’ and drop into a pot of boiling, salted water for about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Remove tomatoes from the pot and shock in ice water. When tomatoes are cool enough to handle, remove the skin and the seeds and cut in half.

Place the tomato halves on a half size sheet pan and sprinkle all the ingredients on both sides of the tomatoes. Place in the oven for 15 minutes, turn over and cook for an additional 15 minutes. Remove tomatoes from the sheet pan, reserve, and allow to cool.

For lobster salad:
Add gray salt to a pot and boil water. Drop the live lobsters in boiling water for 5 minutes. Remove and while lobsters are still warm, clean the body and the claws. Reserve the lobster in the fridge with a wet towel covering it.

Save the shell of the heads, clean the inside very well, and dry it in a warm oven. Allow shells to cool in the refrigerator. Place cold shells in a food processor. Blend until it becomes a powder and transfer to a small pot. Pour the olive oil over the powder, and let sit on the side of the stove or in a warm area for few hours. Pass the mixture through a sieve and reserve.

Split the lobster tail in half. In a bowl, mix half of the lobster tail, one claw, the lobster oil, fleur de sel, pepper and a touch of olive oil and chamomile vinegar. Mix and adjust seasoning to taste.

Shave fennel bulb on a mandolin or cut into very thin slices and reserve. Cut the avocado in half. Remove pit and scoop out flesh. Rub the avocado with lemon and olive oil and cut into small slices. Put avocado in a bowl with the tomato confit and fresh tomatoes. Season the mixture with salt and pepper to taste, lobster oil, and a touch of the chamomile vinaigrette.

To serve, place tomato and avocado salad in the center of a plate. Arrange lobster on top, drizzle with chamomile vinaigrette and top with shaved fennel. Garnish with fresh herbs and fleur de sel.

Wine pairing:
A full-bodied Alsatian Gewürztraminer such as the Domaine Schoffit Gewürztraminer “Cuvee Caroline” 2001