Lobster Salad with Tarragon and Chives
Lobster Salad with Tarragon and Chives is the quintessential summer dish for many New Englanders. To me, nothing is more evocative of a day spent by the sea, than this sumptuous mixture of lobster, mayonnaise, and herbs. Once this salad is made it can be served on a simple bed of lettuce, or on a fresh roll, or with bacon, lettuce, and tomato on toasted brioche.
The Equipment You’ll Need
- A Very Large Pot- You’ll need this to steam all 4 lobsters at once. If you only have a large pot, you should steam your lobsters in 2 batches.
- Lobster or nut crackers- You’ll need these to crack open the shells.
- Kitchen Scissors- These are handy for cutting the herbs. You can also use these to cut open the shells.
The Ingredients Needed for Lobster Salad with Tarragon and Chives
- The Lobsters- Nothing can beat the taste of freshly caught lobster. No lobster I can purchase near my home, an hour from the ocean, can match the taste of a lobster just caught on the shores of Maine. But, any lobster I can steam at home, is better than many restaurant lobsters. Home steamed lobsters are far superior to frozen lobster tails or a lobster that was steamed days ago.
- The Mayonnaise- I always use Hellaman’s.
- The Herbs- I think tarragon and chives complement lobster, better than any other herbs.
How I Made It
- A few hours before lunch, and right after I bought the lobsters, I steamed them.
- Next, I took all the meat out of the shells. I saved the shells to make lobster stock, which I later made into lobster risotto, and lobster bisque.
- Then, I mixed all the salad ingredients together, and chilled them for two hours.
- Finally, I made Lobster BLTs with the salad. I toasted some brioche, and added bacon, ripe tomato slices, and Boston lettuce.
When dining at seaside restaurants, I always order lobster salad, but am often disappointed. Most recently, just last month in fact, at a restaurant in New Hope, Pennsylvania, I saw what looked like delicious lobster salads, being delivered to the nearby tables. And, yes, I know New Hope is hours from the ocean, and most definitely not known for their lobster, but I still had hopes that the lobster salad would be at least good, but it wasn’t. My New Hope lobster salad was warm, and warm is not what you want in a lobster salad. So, please try and make some lobster salad of your own. Even if it’s your first time steaming lobster, I’m positive you can top a lukewarm, skimpy with the lobster, New Hope lobster salad.
Lobster Salad with Tarragon and Chives
Equipment
- lobster pot or other large pot
- lobster or nut crackers
Ingredients
- 4 1 pound lobsters
- ¾ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup minced chives
- ¼ cup minced tarragon
- 2 stalks minced celery
- 4 tsp. lemon juice
- ½ tsp. black pepper
- 4 leaves Boston lettuce
Instructions
- Bring two inches of water to a boil over high heat, in a very large pot.
- Add the lobsters, and hold down the lid to kill them quickly. Steam them for 12 minutes.
- Remove the lobster meat from the shells, and chop it all up in half inch pieces.
- Put the lobster in a bowl and add the rest of the ingredients, except for the lettuce.
- Cover and chill for at least two hours. Serve on Boston Lettuce, and on bread if you wish.
