Lobster and Grilled Corn Panzanella 

Ingredients

For the vinaigrette

1/4 cup white wine vinegar

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tablespoon fresh tarragon, finely chopped

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

For the salad

2 pints grape or cherry tomatoes, halved

1 small red onion, thinly sliced, divided

4 ears corn on the cob, unhusked

2 (8 ounce) frozen uncooked lobster tails, thawed and rinsed

5 (3/4-inch thick) slices Italian loaf or ciabatta

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste

4 Persian cucumbers, halved and cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces

1 teaspoon fresh tarragon, chopped

1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped

Method

Make the vinaigrette:

In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the vinegar, garlic, tarragon, mustard, salt and pepper.

Continue to whisk while slowly drizzling in the olive oil in a steady stream until the vinaigrette is emulsified.

Marinate the tomatoes and onions:

In a large wide shallow serving bowl, combine the tomatoes, half of the onions, and 1/2 cup of the vinaigrette. Set aside to let the tomatoes marinate and exude their juices as you prepare the rest of the salad.

Prep and soak the corn:

Peel off and remove the outermost layers of corn husk while keeping the majority of the husks still on the corn. Trim the corn silk tassels and tips of the husks hanging beyond the tip of the corn. Trim off the base of the corn so that it can stand flat when held upright. Only trim enough of the base so that the remaining husks don’t fall off.

If your corn is very fresh, there’s no need to soak them as they should still be very moist. If they’re several days old, you may want to plump them up by soaking them in cold water for 20 to 30 minutes prior after preparing (as instructed above) to grilling.

Prepare the steamer basket:

In a pot large enough to hold the lobster tails in a single layer, add 1 to 2 inches of water so that a steamer basket isn’t submerged. Add about 1 tablespoon of salt to the water.

Place the steamer basket into the pot. If you don’t have a steamer basket, loosely scrunch some foil into balls and place them in the pot so they sit above the water level, giving the lobster tails a perch to rest on.

Cover the pot and bring the water to a boil over high heat.

Steam the lobster:

Place the lobster tails into the steamer basket, with the bottom side down, cover, and steam until the shells are red and the meat is opaque, about 10 minutes.

Transfer the lobsters to a shallow bowl or plate and let cool until you’re able to handle with hands but still warm, about 5 minutes

Remove lobster meat from shell:

Turn the lobster tail onto its back with the softer shell facing up. Using a pair of sharp scissors, cut along both edges of the soft shell from the wide end to the fan tail.

Grab the soft shell from the wide end and peel the soft shell off. Pull the meat out. Cut a long slit down top side of the tail meat. Use the tip of a small knife to remove the gray-black string of digestive vein if there is one.

Cut the lobster into bite-size pieces.

Prepare the grill:

Preheat the grill for high direct heat. You want it at 500°F.

Grill the bread:

Using a pastry brush, lightly brush both sides of the bread slices with oil and sprinkle with the salt. Arrange the bread in a single layer on clean grill grates and close the grill lid.

Grill the bread on both sides, until the bread has grill marks and is slightly toasty and slightly charred, 30 seconds to 1 minute per side. This is not the time to walk away as the bread can burn very quickly.

Remove the bread from the grill and set aside to let cool. Cut into 1/2-inch pieces.

Grill the corn:

Place the corn in a single layer on the grates, using long tongs if necessary. Close the lid and grill, turning the corn a couple of times to cook evenly, 8 to 10 minutes total.

Using tongs, remove one ear of corn from the grill and carefully peel back some of the husk to peek at the kernels. The kernels should have changed from a flat to shinier bright color. Remove all of the corn and set aside to let cool slightly, about 4 to 5 minutes.

One the corn is cool enough to handle, pull the remaining husk and silk off. It may help to grab the corn by the base with a kitchen towel if it’s still hot and you want to get things rolling.

Return the corn to the grill, turning once or twice to get some smoky flavor and char on the kernels, 2 minutes. Don’t grill them too long or they’ll dry out. Remove corn from the grill and set aside to cool.

Cut corn kernels off the cob:

Working with one ear of corn at a time, hold the corn upright with the tip facing up in a wide shallow bowl. Using a sharp knife, I prefer a serrated one, cut downwards pressing the side of the knife against the cob as a guide, to separate the kernels from the cob.

Assemble the salad and serve:

Add the remaining onions, cucumbers, bread, lobster, and corn to the bowl of marinating tomatoes and onions and toss to coat evenly.

Sprinkle the tarragon and parsley over the salad and toss again. Season to taste with salt, if desired. Taste the salad and add additional vinaigrette as needed. Serve.

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