Summertime cooking on the grill is the epitome of informality, but that doesn’t mean you can’t put a gilt edge on it now and again. Chef Peter Livolsi of Roland Park’s Petit Louis Bistro loves to whip up this lobster salad when it’s time to turn up the class on the back deck.
“It’s a fairly simple recipe that can easily impress your guests,” he told me. “The roasting process capitalizes on the natural sweetness of the bell peppers and mellows them for the delicate lobster meat. But the unsung hero is the chervil, whose anise aspect will draw the two main flavors together.” If fresh chervil is tough to find, he suggests substituting one tablespoon of fresh tarragon.
2 three-pound live lobsters (or 3 two-pounders)
2 red bell peppers
2 yellow bell peppers
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chervil
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt and fresh black pepper to taste
Combine olive oil with herbs in a medium-sized bowl and season with salt and pepper to taste. Split the lobsters in half lengthwise (the squeamish can boil the lobsters for a minute prior to cutting), and grill, meat side down, flipping once, until done, but still moist (about 5 minutes). Make three or four incisions in the walls of the peppers to let out steam, then char on all sides. When finished, dunk them in ice water to cool and to loosen skin for peeling.
Remove meat from the cooled lobsters and coarsely dice. Peel and seed peppers, then cut into quarter-inch strips. Toss lobster, peppers and herbs with oil and serve on a bed of your favorite greens. Serves 6.
