Grilled Lobster Salad with Corn, Tomato, and Avocado 

Jody Adams/Rialto

Citrus vinaigrette

3 tablespoons orange juice

3 tablespoons lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon orange zest

1/2 teaspoon lemon zest

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon chopped tarragon

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Combine all the vinaigrette ingredients together in the blender.  Puree until smooth.  Season with salt and pepper.

Salad

1 cup grape tomatoes

1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated ginger (I use a microplane)

1/4 teaspoons finely grated garlic (I use a microplane)

1 teaspoon paprika

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 cup grilled or blanched corn kernels

1 scallion, trimmed and thinly sliced

2 tablespoons chopped basil

8 leaves Bibb lettuce, washed and dried

1 ripe avocado, peeled and cut into ¼ inch slices

2 1 1/2-pound live lobsters

Preheat a grill to 375° F.   

Cut the tomatoes into 1/4 inch slices and transfer to a bowl.  Add the ginger, garlic, paprika, honey and lemon juice, season with salt and pepper and toss well.

Combine the corn, scallions and basil in a large bowl.  Add citrus vinaigrette and toss well.  Add the tomatoes and toss again. 

Be bold.  Put a lobster on the counter, belly side down.  Using a large sharp chefs knife, plunge the knife tip into the lobster where the head meets the tail.  Slice down the center of the tail until it is split in half.  Remove the knife, turn it and using the same method, cut the head in half.  Crack the claws.  Remove the digestive tract and discard.  Repeat with the second lobster.

Brush the meat of the lobster halves with a teaspoon or so of the citrus vinaigrette.

Set them, shell side down, on the grill.  Grill until the meat is opaque and almost cooked through.  Flip the lobsters and cook shell side up for 4 minutes.  Remove from the grill and cool slightly.

When cool enough to handle, remove the claw meat from the shells.  Remove the tail meat as well.

Arrange 2 lettuce leaves on each of 4 plates and top with 1/4 of the avocado slices.   Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with citrus vinaigrette.  Put half a lobster in the center of each plate.  Spoon the corn salad on top.