INGREDIENTS
kosher salt
1 pound lobster meat, picked from four 1.5 lb lobsters or eight 3 oz tails
3 to 4 tbsp aioli or mayonnaise
1 medium stalk celery, thinly sliced
2 tbsp roughly chopped fresh tarragon
2 tsp minced fresh chives
1 lemon, halved
your choice of soft butter lettuce, wedges of tomato, avocado, jammy eggs, blanched string beans, or toasted buttered buns, for serving
For the aioli
1 egg yolk, at room temperature
1 clove garlic, grated or pressed
2 tsp fresh lemon juice, plus more if needed
1/2 tsp salt, plus more to taste
1 cup olive oil or canola oil or a combination of both
In a metal bowl, whisk together the egg yolk, garlic, salt, and lemon juice. In a very slow, steady stream (starting with mere drops), patiently whisk in the oil until it thickens and emulsifies. If it becomes too thick, add in a few drops of cold water or lemon juice and keep going. If the mixture looks too thin, whisk without adding additional oil for a minute or so. Once all the oil has been emulsified, taste and season with more salt and lemon juice if needed. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
DIRECTIONS
Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Drop the lobster in the pot (if you are boiling whole lobsters, you will need to do these two at a time) and cook until the shells are bright red and the meat is opaque, nine to ten minutes. If you're using tails, they take five to six minutes to cook. Remove and place on a rimmed sheet pan to cool. With kitchen shears, a mallet, or lobster crackers, crack the shells and remove the meat, slicing it into 1/2 to 3/4 pieces. I like to keep them on the larger end. Luxury! In a bowl, gently toss together the lobster meat with the aoli until just combined. I don't like the dressing to be overly clingy, as it can overpower the sweetness of the lobster meat, which is the star. Add the celery, tarragon, chives, and toss again. Season to taste with salt and the lemon juice. Serve on a platter with soft butter lettuce and wedges of tomato, avocado, jammy eggs, and blanched string beans, or be like Chad and put it on a toasted buttered bun.
