This summer the price of lobster in my local supermarket reached an all-time low of $5.99 a pound, prompting me to add this popular crustacean to menus on more than one occasion. For two family birthday dinners we steamed lobsters, and served them with pots of melted butter and sides of corn on the cob and salad.

Then I got more creative when one local grocery chain started cooking lobsters, removing their succulent meat, and selling it fresh or frozen. I bought home a small container to use for—lobster BLTs! My first attempts were good, but not stellar. I prepared a delectable mixture of lobster, mayo, lemon, and tarragon as a base for the sandwiches. But then I overwhelmed it with too much bacon and an unnecessary addition of sliced avocados.

The third try brought success (not that any of my assistants was complaining about testing lobster sandwiches!). Lightly toasted sourdough bread slices were topped with tender lettuce leaves, a generous spread of the lobster salad, a mere sprinkling of crumbled bacon, and slices of juicy tomatoes. These sandwiches are definitely indulgent, but they turn a BLT into something that you could easily describe as celestial!

Lobster BLTs
1/4 cup mayonnaise
l tsp grated lemon zest
2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp chopped tarragon
4 slices good quality sourdough bread, lightly toasted (See note.)
5 to 6 ounces lobster meat, cut into 1/2 inch pieces (See note.)
1 green onion, white and light green parts, chopped
2 leaves Boston or green leaf lettuce
2 medium tomatoes, sliced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 bacon slices, fried until crisp, drained, and crumbled coarsely

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, lemon zest and juice, and tarragon. Use about 3 to 4 teaspoons of this mixture to spread thinly on one side of each of the four toasted bread slices. Then stir the lobster and green onion into the remaining mayonnaise and mix well.

2 Place a lettuce leaf on each of two bread slices. Spread half of the lobster mixture over each leaf and sprinkle with half of the bacon. Top with two to three tomato slices and salt and pepper them well. (Save any extra slices for another use.) Cover sandwiches with remaining bread slices. Serve immediately. Makes 2 sandwiches.

Note: I used a sourdough bread loaf that was about 5 inches wide by 10 inches long. If your loaf is large, you may need to cut the slices in half. Or you can use good quality white sandwich bread such as Pepperidge Farm.

Note: One pound of lobster will yield 3 to 4 ounces cooked meat. Some fish markets and grocery stores sell cooked lobster meat, which has been frozen. If using the latter, defrost in the refrigerator overnight, and pat dry with paper towels.
Copyright Betty Rosbottom 2013

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