LOBSTER GAZPACHO
Ingredients for 6 servings:
Gaspacho:
3 pounds fresh tomatoes
1 cucumber, divided
½ large red bell pepper
½ white onion
1 small clove garlic
Juice of ½ lemon
4 ice cubes, crushed
2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Garnish:
3 Maine lobsters, 1-1/4 pounds each, steamed
3 ounces French green beans
3 large white mushrooms
Fresh chervil sprigs
Directions:
Gaspacho:
Peel the tomatoes: Score the base, dip in boiling water for 30 seconds then place in an iced water bath. Remove the skin and discard.
Cut around the outside of 2 tomatoes removing the flesh but no seeds. Cut enough tomato pieces in a fine dice to measure 1/3 cup. Place in a bowl, cover and refrigerate. Coarsely chop remaining tomatoes and reserve.
Peel the cucumber, halve it lengthwise and remove the seeds. Reserve ½ for the soup. Dice enough of the other half to measure 1/3 cup, cover and reserve.
Chop the pepper, onion and garlic. Combine these with the tomatoes and cucumber pieces in the workbowl of a food processor or blender. Process until smooth. Pass this soup base through the finest disk of a food mill.
Season the soup with lemon juice, salt and pepper, to taste. Pulse the ice in the processor to crush it. Whisk this into the soup followed by 1/3 cup olive oil.
Cover and chill thoroughly.
Garnish:
Steam the lobsters in the slotted insert of a pasta pot, one at a time for 10 minutes. When cool enough to touch, remove the tail meat and claws.
Boil the green bean in salted water, uncovered until just tender. Cool in iced water, drain and dice enough to measure 1/3 cup.
Wipe clean the mushrooms, remove the stem from each and dice the caps.
Assembly:
Center the lobster claw meat in a deep soup bowl. Surround with medallions of thinly sliced tail meat. Scatter 1 tablespoon of each garnish vegetables over this centerpiece: tomatoes, cucumber, green beans, mushrooms.
Ladle the cold gaspacho around the lobster medallions. Finish by spooning on 1 tablespoon olive oil, seasoning with salt and pepper, and scattering on a sprig or three of chervil.
