autumn lobster salad with with Curried Butternut Squash, Endive, Shaved Apple, Fennel, Grapes, Arugula and Blood Orange Vinaigrette

Recipe by Matthew O'Connor, Executive Chef at Bonnie Briar Country Club, Larchmont, New York, USA.

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Ingredients
 
Compressed Fennel - Chef Note: Must be prepared 24 hours in advance.
 (Yields 10 Portions)

• 5 Fennel Branches (the green stalk removed from the bulb, trimmed of all leaves)
• 1 Tablespoon Pernod Liqueur
• 2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 teaspoon Orange Zest
• Fennel Fronds (reserved for garnish)

Lobsters
 (Yields 10 Portions)

• 5 Hard Shell Lobsters (1 ¼ pounds)
• Salt and Pepper

 
Curry Roasted Butternut Squash
 (Yields 10 Portions)

• 2 Butternut Squash (large)
• 2 Tablespoon Canola Oil
• 1 Tablespoon Yellow Curry Powder
• Salt and Pepper (to taste)

 
Blood Orange Vinaigrette
 (Yields 2 cups)

• ½ teaspoon Blood Orange Zest (finely chopped)
• ¾ cup Fresh Blood Orange Juice
• 2 Tablespoons Fresh Lemon Juice
• 2 Tablespoons Shallots (minced)
• 2 teaspoons Dijon Mustard
• Salt and White Pepper(to taste)
• ¾ cup Canola Oil

 
 Salad Components
 (Yields 10 Portions)
​

• 30 Red Endive Leaves (small size, separated)
• 1 Granny Smith Apple (shaved on a mandolin to order)
• 10 Red Grapes (seedless, shaved thin on a Japanese mandolin)
• Micro Arugula
• 15 Blood Orange Segments (cut in ½)
• 20 Fennel Fronds (small)
• 10 Apple Blossoms

Preparation
 
Compressed Fennel 

Place all of the ingredients in a food saver bag and vacuum seal overnight.
 
Remove the fennel branches and thinly slice for service.

 
Lobsters
 
Steam Lobsters for 8 minutes at 220 °F and immediately plunge into ice water.
 
Once cold, remove the meat from the shells.
 
Cut the tails in half and then slice medallions out of the tail. Cut each claw in half and reserve cold for service.


Curry Roasted Butternut Squash
 
Peel the butternut squash and cut the end off that does not contain seeds. Chef Note: Reserve the bottom that contains seeds for other uses.
 
Square off the peeled squash and cut 30 perfect large cubes.
 
Toss the cubes in the oil, curry, salt and pepper and place on a baking sheet.
 
Roast in a 350 °F oven until tender and browned.
 
Cool completely and hold cold for service.


Blood Orange Vinaigrette
 
Put all ingredients except for the canola oil in a blender and blend until smooth, while the mixture is pureeing slowly drizzle the canola oil into the vinaigrette forming an emulsification. Strain through a fine mesh sieve and place into a squeeze bottle for service. Chill until assembly.  
​
 
 Assembly 
​
Toss the curried butternut squash, lobster and endive leaves in a little bit of blood orange vinaigrette.
 
Place three cubes of butternut squash per plate onto each plate
 
Place half a tails worth of the sliced lobster medallions onto the plate and 2 pieces of claw scattered around the butternut squash, lean 3 endive leaves against the butternut squash cubes.
 
Slice 30 slices of granny smith apple and lean them against the red endive.
 
Scatter the grape slices and compressed fennel slices around the plate.
 
Place some dots of blood orange vinaigrette onto the plate and place a blood orange segment into each dot.
 
Garnish the salad with micro arugula, fennel fronds and apple blossoms.
 
Serve immediately. 

Bonnie Briar Country Club, Larchmont, New York, USA. Image courtesy Bonnie Briar.