Sometimes I just need to switch things up and have snacks for dinner. Sometimes I'm feeling fancy. And sometimes I combine them both and make this fully luxurious snack board of lobster, cheeses, and caviar.
This snack board is perfect to share with a loved one, a large group, or to keep all to yourself. Just scale up or down as necessary.
I found lobster on sale at H Mart (a Korean grocery store) for $7.99/lb! That's a great deal. Usually lobster is anywhere from $13 - $18/lb. So I decided to get one and butter poach the lobster with garlic, shallots, and lemon zest. So delicious.
To make this delicious lobster, I quickly parboiled it for 5 minutes in boiling water. Thank the lobster for it's sacrifice because you have to cook a lobster immediately after it is killed. That's why lobster is sold alive. Lobsters have harmful bacteria in their flesh that quickly multiplies to unsafe levels when it dies. Cooking it stops the multiplication reducing the risk for foodborne illness. You can freeze your lobster for 10 minutes in the freezer before boiling to slow down the lobster's system.
Bring the water to a boil and drop the lobster in. Allow to return to a boil and continue to boil for 5 minutes. Remove the lobster. Remove the meat from the shell by cracking the claws carefully and cutting through the shell of the tail. Try your best to keep the pieces whole for better presentation.
Melt 3 Tbsp of butter in a pan. Add in 1 diced shallot, lemon zest from half a lemon and 1 clove of garlic. Cook over medium low heat until shallot and garlic softens about 5 minutes. Add in fresh lobster meat and cook until done about 5 minutes over medium heat. I added in the lobster head during cooking for maximum flavor. It's also a good way to create drama for presentation for your lobster dishes. Once lobster is cooked through, it's ready to be added to your luxury snack board.
I added 2 types of cheeses for my luxury snack board. I used a soft sheep's milk cheese that was marinated in olive oil, thyme, and other spices and an asiago cheese. I bought some mini dolmas (stuffed grape leaves), olives, and crackers to nibble on. The olives are called "Sangria" olives at Wegmans. It's some blend of orange rind and hot peppers and deliciousness. I used plain water crackers and a rosemary flatbread. At Wegmans I found a variety pack of salami that was perfect for the occasion. I visited a Russian market close to where I live and found a huge variety of caviar! They had caviar ranging from affordable to "bring out the black card" status. I was on the affordable end. But they had some caviar that was pay buy the pound and they were generous enough for me to try a couple to decide which one I wanted to buy. I found a black caviar and a salmon caviar that was right up my fancy.
This was my perfect high protein, salty, savory snack board. Maybe next time I'll add a little popcorn to make it perfect for movie night or an Oscars party.
Luxury Snack Board
Serves 2
Ingredients
1 Butter Poached Lobster (See above for instructions)
Water Crackers
Rosemary Crackers
Sheep's Milk Cheese
Asiago Cheese
Salami
Caviar
Stuffed Grape Leaves
Olives
Champagne to Toast
Arrange everything on a platter and enjoy this luxury!
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