Warm lobster & potato salad with truffled mayonnaise

 

 

Ingredients

• 2 cooked lobsters, about 500g each
• 250g fine green beans, cooked
• 2 shallots, finely chopped
• 6 tbsp olive oil
• 1 lemon, halved
• 12 new potatoes, cooked
• 100g mixed baby salad leaves
• 1 tsp white balsamic vinegar

For the mayonnaise

• 2 egg yolks
• 1 tbsp English mustard
• 300ml olive oil
• few drops truffle oil (optional)
• juice ½ lemon
•  
  Prep: 1 hr, 10 mins Cook: 20 mins
  Moderately easy
  Serves 4 
   

  Method

  1. To make the mayonnaise, whisk the egg yolks with the mustard and some salt and pepper together in a large bowl. Trickle in a few drops of oil, whisking vigorously.
  2. Continue to whisk in the oil, little by little at first, then slowly increasing the amount to a steady stream. Make sure each addition is well incorporated before you add any more. Finally, add a few drops of the truffle oil, if using, then finish with the lemon juice. Keep in the fridge until needed.
  3. Prepare the lobster and remove the meat from the claws and tail. Trim the frayed bit of meat from the tails and flake the claw meat into large chunks, discarding the membrane. Set aside. Cut the tails into 6 slices each and set aside.
  4. Trim the ends off the beans and cut the beans in half. Tip into a bowl with the shallots and 3 tbsp of the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Mix in the lobster claw meat and squeeze over a lemon half, then set aside.
  5. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a non-stick frying pan. Fry the potato slices over a medium heat for 5 mins on each side until crisp and golden. Use a fish slice to transfer them to a plate lined with kitchen paper.
  6. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in the same pan and lower the heat, add the slices of tail meat to the pan, then heat through in the oil for a few moments on each side. Turn off the heat, season lightly with salt and pepper and squeeze over the lemon. Moments before you are ready to plate up, toss the salad leaves with the balsamic vinegar and remaining olive oil. You are now ready to plate up.
  7. Spoon a quarter of the green bean salad into the centre of the plate. Shape using a 10cm ring or cutter, if you have one, then press down lightly and remove the ring. Place 1 tsp of mayonnaise on the four opposite sides of the outside of the plate and sit a piece of lobster on top of each spoonful of mayonnaise.
  8. Put a fried potato slice in between each pile of lobster so you have alternate pieces of lobster, then potato. Toss the leaves in the dressing and carefully tower a small handful on top of the green beans and serve straight away.