Lobster Blt Recipe
- two 1 1/4-pound live lobsters, or 1 3/4 cups cooked
- lobster meat.
- Salt
- 4 ounces great-quality thick-sliced smoked bacon (3 to 4 slices)
- 1 stalk celery, finely diced
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 4 slices brioche bread, white bread, a crusty roll, or your favorite bread
- 4 Romaine or Buttercrunch lettuce leaves
- 2 to 4 thick slices vine-ripened tomato
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup thinly sliced basil leaves
- 2 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- To cook the lobsters: Fill a large pot with enough water to come about 2 inches up the sides of the pot. Bring to a boil over high heat. Add a pinch of salt. Add the lobsters, shell side down, cover, and let steam for 12 minutes. Drain the lobsters and let cool.
- When the lobster is cool enough to handle, remove the meat from the tails and claws and very coarsely chop. You should have between 1 2/3 and 1 3/4 cups of meat. Set aside in a medium bowl. )Save the bodies and shells for snacking on or for making a lobster broth).
- Cook the bacon in a skillet until crisp on both sides, about 10 minutes. Drain on paper towels and set aside.
- To make the basil aïoli: In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, basil, and oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate; the aïoli will keep for several days. (You will have more aïoli than you need here; save for use in chicken sandwiches, chickensalad, roast beef and cheddar cheese sandwiches, and more.)
- Add the celery to the lobster. Fold in 2 tablespoons of the aïoli and the lemon juice to lightly coat the ingredients. Season with salt and pepper. Store in the refrigerator for up to 6 hours if not making the BLTs at once.
- To assemble a BLT: Lightly toast the bread. Spread the toast with a light dollop of the basil aïoli, just under a tablespoon on each piece of bread. Divide the bacon, lettuce leaves, tomato slices, and lobster salad between 2 slices of the toast. Cover with the remaining 2 slices toast. Slice the sandwiches in half on the diagonal.
- Substitute cooked crabmeat for the lobster.
- You can omit the bacon.
- Serve this as a Lobster BLT Salad: Line a plate with a mixture of good greens, pile on the lobster salad and surround with the tomatoes and the bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces. Drizzle lightly with olive oil and vinegar.
