A Lobster of Love

DEAR SOS: About a year ago, my boyfriend (now my husband) took me for a romantic dinner to La Cachette in Los Angeles. He ordered the lobster salad and hasn’t stopped talking about it. I would love to prepare the salad as a surprise for him.

BONNIE DENENBERG

Los Angeles

DEAR BONNIE: After you surprise your husband with this wonderful dish, he should give you a medal as well as a kiss. Restaurant recipes are generally far more complex than home recipes, and this is a perfect example. You’ll need to set aside a chunk of time for this recipe of many parts. I would get the white truffle oil dressing and mayonnaise recipes out of the way a day ahead. (And the truffle dressing is optional.) Prepping the vegetables ahead will also help make last-minute assembly less tedious.

La Cachette Lobster Salad

Active Work and Total Preparation Time: 3 hours

SAFFRON MAYONNAISE

3/4 teaspoon saffron threads

6 tablespoons water

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes

4 1/2 tablespoons mayonnaise

1 1/2 teaspoons chopped garlic

* Combine saffron with water and red pepper flakes in saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring, until reduced to 1 to 2 teaspoons, about 3 minutes. Cool. Combine saffron mixture with mayonnaise and garlic. Set aside.

WHITE TRUFFLE OIL DRESSING (OPTIONAL)

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

5 tablespoons Sherry vinegar

Salt, pepper

6 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons white truffle oil

* Combine mustard and vinegar with salt and pepper to taste. Whisk in olive oil and truffle oil, blending well. Set aside.

SALAD

2 artichokes

12 spears asparagus, peeled

Water

1/4 pound haricots verts

1/4 cup oil

1 carrot, thinly sliced

6 (1-pound) live lobsters

Salt

3 tablespoons fresh corn kernels

1/2 cucumber, peeled and diced

2 shallots, chopped

1 tablespoon chopped red onion

4 tablespoons chopped chives

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 avocado, pitted and cut into 6 wedges

Radish sprouts, for garnish

* Place artichokes upright in steamer and steam until tender and outer leaves pull away easily, 35 to 45 minutes. When cool enough to handle, remove leaves, scrape away chokes and cut hearts into small pieces. Set hearts aside. (Save leaves for another use, if desired.)

* Microwave asparagus in a covered dish with a little water until tender, 2 minutes. Set aside. Microwave haricots verts in a covered dish with a little water until tender, about 2 minutes. Cut asparagus and haricots verts into small pieces. Set aside.

* Heat oil over medium-high heat and add carrot. Cook until lightly browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Drain on paper towels and set aside.

* Bring large pot of salted water to boil. Submerge 2 lobsters and cook 3 1/2 minutes, then plunge into ice water to stop cooking. Repeat in batches with remaining lobsters. When cool enough to handle, remove lobster meat from shell by cracking shells with nutcracker or meat mallet and carefully removing meat. Set aside.

* Combine corn, asparagus, haricots verts, cucumber, shallots, onion and chives with lemon juice and Saffron Mayonnaise in large bowl. Divide vegetable mixture evenly and mold with 3-inch ring mold into ring in center of each of 6 plates. Thinly slice avocado wedges and fan around half of each plate. Garnish with fried carrot and sprouts.

* Place lobster meat and artichoke hearts in baking pan and heat at 325 degrees until warm, 3 to 4 minutes. Place lobster on top of vegetable mixture. Place artichoke hearts around other half of each plate. Sprinkle salads with Truffle Oil Dressing, if using.

6 servings. Each serving: 500 calories; 563 mg sodium; 76 mg cholesterol; 42 grams fat; 16 grams carbohydrates; 22 grams protein; 2.27 grams fiber.