Chef Laurent Tourondel is a Michelin starred chef who came from France to the U.S. to introduce his concept of “new American bistro” cooking. He is a partner in the BLT (Bistro Laurent Tourondel) restaurant group. I have no memory of why I purchased his cookbook, published in 2007.
I am aware it seems silly to choose to make a salad from a cookbook by a world-renowned chef, but I love lobster, and I do love a Cobb salad with ranch dressing. And it turned out superb.
From the chef: “The original salad was made with chicken but I like to use lobster instead because it elevates the salad and adds a sophisticated touch. It would also be good with shrimp.”
As best I can tell from his website, he presently has 7 restaurants in the United States, plus he has written two other cookbooks – Go Fish, and Fresh from the Market.
I took a few liberties with this salad. Mainly, I didn’t want the whole salad tossed in the ranch dressing because it wouldn’t have kept, and this is a large salad. Besides, I didn’t think it would be that pretty. Instead, I placed the greens on a platter and began adding the other salad components in a decorative fashion, much like what’s done when you order a cobb salad in a restaurant. You can see the original recipe below, however, in case you want to make it the chef’s way.
Lobster Cobb
Ranch Dressing:
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh tarragon
1 tablespoon chopped scallion (green part only)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
2 teaspoons chopped garlic
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
Salad:
1 medium head romaine, thinly sliced
2 bunches watercress, about 2 cups
1/2 small head iceberg lettuce, thinly sliced
3 cups sliced arugula
1/2 cup chopped scallions (green part only)
1/2 cup roughly chopped fresh tarragon, divided
1/2 cup grated aged cheddar cheese
3 lobsters, 1 pound each, prepared (I used thawed lobster claw meat)
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 avocado, peeled, pitted, thinly sliced
2 hard-boiled eggs, still jammy, cut in half
4 slices bacon, crisply cooked, cut into 1/2” pieces
Crispy shallots, recipe below, optional
Combine all ingredients for the ranch dressing in a bowl and whisk until blended. (I made the dressing the day before.)
In a large bowl, toss together the salad greens, scallions, 1/4 cup of the tarragon, and the cheese.
Remove the lobster meat from the shells. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the lobster and sauté about 2 minutes on each side. Add the remaining 1/4 cup of the tarragon and season with salt and pepper. Transfer the lobster to a cutting board. Cut the lobster meat into 1/2” pieces.
Obviously I didn’t need to do this because I purchased 2 pounds of shelled and cooked lobster meat from Kent Island Crab Cakes via Goldbelly. If you haven’t tried out Goldbelly, it’s a great delivery service for just about any company with famous food, everything from dim sum to cheesecakes.
Season the salad with the dressing, salt, and pepper. Toss well. (As I mentioned above, I didn’t do this.)
Top with the lobster, avocado, egg halves, bacon, and fried shallots.
Serve immediately.
Crispy Shallots:
Peanut oil for frying
3 tablespoons finely chopped shallots
2 tablespoons Wondra flour
Fine sea salt
Pour the oil into a small saucepan to a depth of about 1 inch, Heat the oil until a small piece of shallot sizzles rapidly when added to the pan. Toss the shallots with the flour. Carefully add the shallots to the oil and fry until golden brown, 30 to 60 seconds. Remove the shallots with a fine mesh strainer and drain on paper towels. Season with a pinch of salt.
These were fun and good for some crunch, but completely unecessary.
Overall, this salad is a showstopper.