Lobster BLT Panzanella

Ingredients

• Bacon
• 4 slice(s) mild smoked bacon, chopped & fried
• Bread
• 2 cup(s) ciabatta bread, grilled & cubed
• Lobster
• 2 cup(s) steamed & shelled lobster, rough chopped
• 4 steamed & shelled lobster claws,
• Tomatoes
• 3 tablespoon(s) olive oil, best quality
• 1 tablespoon(s) garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoon(s) thyme or parsley, chopped or chiffonade
• 1/4 teaspoon(s) salt
• 1/4 teaspoon(s) black pepper
• 2 cup(s) zima or grape tomatoes, cut on diagonal
• Greens
• 3 cup(s) romaine, rough chopped or shredded
• 1/4 cup(s) basil, chiffonade

Preparation

1. Bacon
2. 1. Chop bacon into pieces and fry til brown
3. 2. Remove bacon but leave fat in skillet
4. 3. Drain bacon on paper towels and set aside


5. Bread
6. 1. Slice ciabatta stick in half
7. 2. Either toast or grill or broil all sides so that surface is dry & maybe a little crisped but the center remains soft
8. 3. Cube bread and set aside


9. Lobster
10. 1. Boil two-three live lobsters for about 8-10min, shells should be bright red and tails curled
11. 2. Remove lobsters from pot and let cool a little
12. 3. Remove meat from shells, rinsing off any tomalley or white goop & removing the intestinal track from the tails
13. 4. Rough-chop the meat but keep the claw meat intact and set all aside
14. (save shells & boiling water IF you're going to make broth for chowder using any excess lobster over the 2c needed for salad; what you do with any roe is up to personal preference, we like to add it to melted butter served with lobster)


15. Tomatoes
16. 1. In a large salad bowl (c 8-cup), whisk together oil, garlic, herbs & seasonings
17. 2. Add halved tomatoes, stir to coat and set aside


18. Greens
19. 1. Wash greens & basil, spin-dry
20. 2. Set aside


21. Final Prep & Assembly
22. 1. Discard all but a little bit of bacon fat
23. 2. Bring the skillet back to medium high
24. 3. Add bacon pieces & cubed bread to skillet & toast just enough to flavor the bread
25. 4. In large bowl combine tomatoes, 2c chopped lobster & 4 lobster claws, greens, bacon & bread
26. 5. Divide into four servings, making sure each plate has one whole lobster claw on top