Listen to the Story – Dive into Florida’s Spiny Lobster Season
Ingredients
2 crushed garlic cloves
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
3 white ends of scallions
2 bay leaves
1 key lime, sliced in half
4 lobster tails
2 cups diced avocado
5 hot dog buns
2 tablespoons butter
5 large butter lettuce leaves (use extra if you want to serve as lettuce wraps)
2 tablespoons sliced green part of scallions
Preparation
Poach the Lobster Meat
Bring 3 quarts of water to a boil with crushed whole garlic cloves, peppercorns, scallion ends and bay leaves. Squeeze each key lime half into the pot and drop it in. Allow it to boil for 10 minutes.
Insert kitchen shears between the lobster meat and shell and slice through the shell lengthwise on both sides, then snip through the meat to split in half. Pull out the meat. Slice it into 1 1/2-inch chunks.
Drop the lobster chunks into the water and poach for 90 seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to a bowl. Rinse with cool water, drain, and set aside.
Make the Key Lime Aioli
Whisk together yolk, lime juice, and mustard in a bowl. Slowly whisk the oil into the yolk mixture until all oil is incorporated and mixture is emulsified. (If mixture separates, stop adding oil and continue whisking until mixture comes together, then resume adding oil.)
Mince and mash the garlic with a pinch of salt and whisk into the aïoli. Taste and season with salt and pepper and a few drops of hot sauce, if you like.
Assemble
Toss the lobster meat with aïoli, then gently fold in the avocado.
Melt butter in a large skillet over medium. Split open the hot dog buns and toast the inside until golden and then flip over and toast very lightly on the outside.
Line each hot dog bun with lettuce leaves and fill with as much lobster salad as possible.
Sprinkle on the sliced scallions and serve.
Recipe shared with permission from Danielle Rose, shared on her blog website Suwanee Rose.