Grilled Lobster Tail with Arugula and Sherry-Ginger Vinaigrette

Grilled Lobster Tail with Arugula
& Sherry-Ginger Vinaigrette

I was recently asked by Dancing Spoon’s own, J. Michael Wheeler, “Are the lobsters still as good when they're shedding and have soft shells? And are summer lobsters as good as cold weather lobsters?” I know some people that disagree with me but I have never tasted anything as sweet and tender as a Maine lobster in the summer that is shedding. And, they are easier to eat because you can break the soft, cooked lobster shells with your hands.

My friends just arrived this week for a visit from New Haven, CT. We treated them to lobsters just caught from a local lobsterman and friend. We ate them the old fashioned way: with lots of newspapers on the table, paper towels galore, fresh picked corn on the cob and melted, salted butter. We finished it off with my new Blueberry Cake recipe. The consensus was — sweet, tender, and just keep them coming!

I bought extra lobsters to test for this new recipe below, which we had for lunch. The sherry really adds another level of richness to this already decadent crustacean. YUM!!!

Grilled Lobster Tail with Arugula and Sherry-Ginger Vinaigrette
Serves 2
Ingredients
2 live lobsters, 1 ¾ pounds
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons sherry
1 teaspoon honey
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
1/3 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
4 cups arugula

Directions

1. In large pot, bring two gallons of water to a boil. Parboil lobsters, covered, for five minutes.
2. Remove lobsters from pot, cool slightly. Break off whole tail from body, take tail fins off and push lobster meat out through tail shell. (Shell remaining lobster meat and set aside for a lobster roll meal or nibbling.)

Preheat grill to medium. Spray racks with cooking spray.

3. Combine vinegar, mustard, sherry, honey, garlic, ginger in a small bowl and stir. Whisk olive oil into bowl to slightly thicken.
4. Baste each lobster tail with 1 tablespoon Sherry Ginger Vinaigrette.
5. Grill lobster tails for 2 minutes to heat through, gently pressing for grill marks on entire tail. Toss 3 tablespoons vinaigrette with arugula, divide between 2 plates, top with grilled lobster tail and serve immediately.

Complementary Wines: Bandol, Nero D'Avola

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