This cellophane-noodle salad, with creamy avocados, crunchy peanuts and a chile-honey dressing, is a perfect showcase for tender lobster. It’s a doozy of a recipe. It’s elegant and perfect for company, or if you’re just craving lobster and some spicy flavors.

The recipe I’m using is from Food and Wine, and is by Chef Vongerichten, one of the most famous chefs in the world.

Vongerichten is from Alsace, France, but has also chef’d throughout Asia, and the United States. The flagship restaurant of Jean-Georges Vongerichten is in New York City, with two Michelin stars. The award-winning French chef and cookbook author has 60 restaurants throughout the world. I attempted to count his cookbooks on Amazon, but I lost track after 15. Many have won awards. For more information on this highly revered chef, check out his website.

This recipe calls for cooking live lobsters, which I can’t do. Instead, I purchased 6 frozen lobster tails, which I thawed then poached; I cooked them 1 minute per ounce.

I saw this photo on Vongerichten’s website. Quite appropriate!

Spicy Lobster Noodle Salad

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 large shallots, thinly sliced
Salt
1 red bell pepper
1 fresh long red chile
3 tablespoons Asian fish sauce
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice, plus lime wedges, for serving
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon elderflower cordial
1 teaspoon sambal oelek
1/4 teaspoon Asian sesame oil
Three 1 1/2-pound live lobsters (nope!)
One 3 1/2-ounce package dried cellophane noodles
2 large Hass avocados, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
1/4 cup chopped salted roasted peanuts
2 tablespoons thinly sliced mint leaves
2 tablespoons thinly sliced cilantro leaves

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. In a small skillet, heat the olive oil. Add the garlic, shallots and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Cook over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until the garlic and shallots are golden, 7 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl.

Roast the red pepper and chile directly over a gas flame or under a preheated broiler, turning occasionally, until charred all over. Transfer to a plate and let cool. Peel the pepper and chile and discard the stems and seeds; cut into 1/4-inch dice and transfer to the bowl with the shallot mixture. (I used jarred roasted red bell peppers and fresh Thai chile peppers.)

Stir in the fish sauce, lime juice, honey, elderflower cordial, sambal oelek and sesame oil. Season the dressing with salt.

Add the lobsters to the boiling water head first and cook until bright red all over, 6 minutes. Using tongs, transfer the lobsters to a large rimmed baking sheet and let cool. Crack the lobster claws and knuckles and remove the meat. Using scissors, cut along the underside of the tail shells and remove the meat. Remove and discard the dark intestinal veins from the tails. Cut the tails and claws into 1-inch chunks. (I used poached lobster tails, shelled them and cut them up the same way.)

Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil. In a medium heatproof bowl, cover the cellophane noodles with warm water and let stand until pliable, about 10 minutes. Drain the noodles. Using scissors, cut them into 3-inch lengths. Add the noodles to the saucepan and cook until al dente, about 1 minute. Drain and transfer to a platter. (I used miracle noodles, which only require rinsing. I then dried them off on paper towels before adding to the serving dishes.)

Scatter the lobster and avocados over the cellophane noodles. Drizzle with the chile-honey dressing.

Garnish with the peanuts, mint, cilantro and lime wedges and serve right away.

The cooked lobster meat and chile-honey dressing can be refrigerated separately overnight.

This “salad” is superb! The flavors are fantastic and you won’t miss lettuce!