Lobster Quinoa
- Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients
- 6 lobster tails, shell on, cut in half with kitchen scissors
- Extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4cup sauvignon blanc or other dry white wine
- 1sprig fresh dill
- Maldon or other flaky salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 heaping cups uncooked quinoa
- 1cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/4cup good-quality mayonnaise
- 2cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 red onion, finely chopped
- 4teaspoons jarred prepared horseradish (not the sauce)
- Tabasco sauce (just a few shakes or a lot of shakes)
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 handful fresh mint leaves, roughly chopped
- 1 handful fresh dill sprigs, roughly chopped (no big stems)
- 1 handful fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
- Squeeze of agave nectar
Instructions
1. If you’re not using cooked lobster tails, preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Place the lobster tails, olive oil, wine, dill, and salt and pepper to taste in a foil pouch. Bake for about 20 minutes, checking after 15 minutes, until the lobster is just cooked through and opaque in the middle. Let cool.
3. Cook the quinoa in boiling water for 15 minutes and drain. Return to the saucepan over low heat; stir for 1 minute with a wooden spoon to remove the excess water.
4. Place the warm quinoa in a large glass bowl and mix in the tomatoes, mayonnaise, garlic, onion, horseradish, Tabasco, and lemon juice.
5. While the lobster is still warm, add it to the quinoa, gently breaking up the lobster meat into manageable-size pieces. (If you have precooked lobster, break it up and add it here.) Mix in the herbs so that they all fuse together nicely and the flavors meld. The rough edges of the lobster will help it soak up the other flavors.
6. Set aside to cool to room temperature or cover and refrigerate until you’re ready to serve. Just before serving, add some more lemon juice, salt, pepper, and agave to balance.
Book credit: Fresh Happy Tasty: An Adventure in 100 Recipes by Jane Coxwell (William Morrow, a division of HarperCollins)