My mother says this is her last meal. If she could pick anything at all, she’d pick lobster salad, lettuce, tomato, and bacon on toast. It’s hard to disagree with her. This was really, really good. And easy. I got home at 8 o’clock last night, and had dinner on the table at 8:30. I did, I admit, make the lobster salad ahead of time. It’s a great leftover from grilled lobster tail. Just steam an extra one.

I got the idea for the herb-caper mayonnaise from Wine Bar Food: Mediterranean Flavors to Crave with Wines to Match by Cathy and Tony Mantuano. If you don’t own this book, it has to be because you don’t know about it. I swear, I may never eat a real dinner again after reading it.

I (again) used frozen Maine lobster tail. I live in Florida, guys! Fresh, live lobster does not grow on trees. Although I did have it last weekend, and it was incredible!! Thanks, Dad.

Lobster salad with herb-caper mayonnaise
Serves 2

1 frozen lobster tail
1/2 cup mayonnaise (I used Spectrum olive oil mayo)
juice of half a lemon (I used Meyer lemon)
1 tbsp capers, mashed (I used organic Italian capers)
1 tbsp chopped assorted herbs (I used garlic chives and marjoram)
salt and pepper to taste
Hot pepper sauce to taste

1. Steam the lobster tail for 10-15 minutes, until it turns bright red. Cool.
2. While the lobster tail is cooling, mix the mayonnaise with the lemon juice, capers and herbs. Salt and pepper to taste. Add a little hot sauce if desired. Take it easy. You want to taste lobster, not hot sauce.
3. Remove the shell. I used kitchen shears to cut the shell down the middle, both front and back, and then peeled the tail meat out of the shell. Coarsely chop.
4. Add lobster to the mayonnaise and toss lightly. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before eating, to allow the flavors to meld.

For the lobster club, I used whole wheat french bread, sliced thin. Cover one side with heirloom lettuce, sliced heirloom tomato, and bacon. I bought this fabulous Irish bacon at Whole Foods. It’s basically thickly sliced, smoked pork loin. Put lobster salad on the other slice and put it together.

Served with Prosecco.

Added on 3/21/09: By the way, total cost for dinner, including Prosecco, $20.