Smoked Avocado Toast with Herbed Crab Salad, Bacon Fat Fried Sourdough, + Citrus Caviar

Okay, I've finally jumped on the avocado toast bandwagon (#avotoast). I will be the first to admit that I'm not the biggest fan of avocado to begin with. I always found their mushy texture and lack of flavor to be less than appealing... even though I do love me some guacamole. So, when I saw recipe after recipe of pieces of bread topped with nothing besides avocado, I normally just skipped over them and didn't think anything else about it. But my Mountain Man is a lover of avocado and begged me to make them for him. As with most of my recipes that involve bread, I always have to fry them in some kind of fat or oil, this time I chose bacon fat... because we all know I keep a jar handy in the fridge. I love the smokey flavor and the richness that the bacon fat lends. But, if you aren't a crazy person like me (who keeps bacon fat in a jar), then any oil will be fine here. The toast should be beautifully golden brown, saturated in yummy fat, and perfectly crisp. After you have fried the slices of bread, make sure to give them a rub-a-dub-dub with a big ole' clove of garlic while they are still warm. Now here is the fun part... the smoking of the avocado (and y'all it's so damn easy)! Essentially, all you have to do is get a large dutch oven and place a small bowl upside down in the center. Scatter your choice of flavored wood chips around the bowl, no need for soaking them in water, and turn up the heat to high. While you wait for the chips to start smoking, scoop out your avocado into another small bowl and dress them with fresh lime juice and zest, as well as some fleur de sel. If you want more smokiness to your avocado, then I suggest you slightly smash them, if you want a tame smoke flavor, just leave them in halves. Next, all you have to do is put the bowl of avocado on top of the overturned bowl in the dutch oven (with the chips smoking away), and cover the pot. Smoke the avocado for 5 minutes... any more and it might be overkill. While the avocado is smoking, it's time to quickly whip up your herbed crab salad. This is easy-peasy. In a medium mixing bowl, add the in the jumbo lump crab meat, homemade aioli, dijon mustard, fish sauce caramel, lemon juice + zest, red pepper flakes, minced garlic + shallots, and fresh herbs. If you can't find/make fish sauce caramel, a white balsamic reduction or honey would be a good substitute. As gently as possible, fold together the lump crab meat with the herbed aioli until the crab is completely coated, but still has a few big pieces of meat. Now your bacon fat fried toast, herbed crab salad, + smoked avocado are all ready to be assembled into amazing avotoast. I'm a little coo-coo, in that I had Finger Limes shipped to me from California... specifically for this recipe. Finger limes are so interesting because we you slice them open, a citrus caviar comes out, as opposed to pulp and seeds. If you can, order some, they are so fun, and can be used in a million different ways. But, the toast is just as good with some lime zest + freshly squeezed lime juice on top, so don't worry about it if you can't wait to make this. This smoked avocado toast is so good that we've made it for the past three weeks. I believe I'm now an avocado toast lover... who would've ever thought? Enjoy :)

smoking the avocado

bacon fat fried toast

bacon fat fried toast + smoked avocado slices

all of the components for the herbed crab salad

it's hard to resist it, but save it for the toast

see the citrus caviar from the finger limes on top?

citrus. caviar.

For the Herbed Crab Salad:
8oz Jumbo Lump Crab Meat
3-4T Homemade Aioli
1t Dijon Mustard
1T Fish Sauce Caramel
1 Lemon, Zested (plus the juice from half of that lemon)
1-2t Red Pepper Flakes (or depending on how spicy you want it)
1 Small Shallot, Finely Minced
1 Clove of Garlic, Finely Minced (into a paste)
½t Fresh Cracked Pepper + ¼t Kosher Salt
1T Fresh Snipped Chives (plus a little extra for garnishing)
1t Fresh Tarragon, Basil, + Parsley, Finely Minced (plus a little extra for garnishing)

For the Smoked Avocado: 
2-3 Avocados
1 Lime, Zested + Juiced
Pinch of Kosher Salt


For the Smoked Avocado-Crab Toast:
Prepared Herbed Crab Salad, Chilled
Smoked Avocado, Lightly Mashed or Gently Sliced
4 Slices of Sourdough, Fried in Bacon Fat (or any other oil can be substituted)
1 Large Clove of Garlic
Citrus Caviar (finger limes) or Fresh Squeezed Lime Juice
Mixed Herbs, For Garnishing


Directions:
1. For the Herbed Crab Salad: In a mixing bowl, put in all of the ingredients of the herbed crab salad. Gently fold these together until the crab is coated in the herb-aioli mixture. Do not mix too hard because you want to maintain as much of the “lump crab” pieces as possible. Now, taste and season with salt and pepper, if it is needed. Refrigerate this crab salad until you are ready to assemble the toasts.
2. For the Smoked Avocado: Line a Dutch oven (or any heavy bottomed pot with a lid) with foil to keep your pot from burning. Place a small metal bowl upside down in the middle of the Dutch oven. This will help prop everything up. Then, scatter about 2C of wood chips around the small metal bowl. We used mesquite wood chips, but any kind will work (hickory, apple, etc.), and there’s no need to soak these either! Turn up the heat to medium-high and wait for the chips to start smoking, it can take anywhere from 3-5 minutes. Meanwhile, while you’re waiting for the wood chips to smoke, it’s time to get to avocados ready to be smoked by halving, pitting, and peeling them. Put the avocado halves into another small bowl and zest + juice a lime over the top. If you want sliced avocado for your toast, leave the halves untouched. These will be slightly less smoky. If you love a smoky flavor, lightly smash the avocado, which gives more surface area for the smoke to infuse into. Once the chips are smoking, place the bowl of avocados on top of the upside down bowl in the pot. Top the Dutch oven with a lid and set your timer for 5 minutes (any more time than that, it’ll be way too smoky). After the time is up, remove the smoked avocado, season with some fleur de sel, and place in the fridge to chill.
3. Assembling the Toast: Grab your perfectly browned bacon fat fried toasts and rub the surface with the clove of garlic. Top each of the slices with some of your chilled smoked avocado and season with a pinch of salt. Spoon a mound of the herbed crab salad on top of the creamy avocado. Scatter the citrus caviar evenly over the crab mixture. If you can’t find finger limes, some lime zest and lime juice will do just fine! Garnish with the leftover mixed herbs for presentation.

Farmer's Market Finds: The Best Damn Deviled Egg Salad Sandwich with Crispy Prosciutto, Peppery Arugula, Soft Herbs, + Sriracha Powder on Buttered White Bread

As long as I can remember, I have never liked deviled eggs or egg salad sandwiches. However, that was all changed when we went to our favorite restaurant, JCT Kitchen, and we ordered some of their famous deviled eggs with country ham. I've made and posted their recipe here (with my own little twist) and they were fab. So I thought, why not turn them into a deviled egg sandwich? Now to make this sandwich even better, I used my favorite items that I found at our local farmer's market. This baby arugula is to die for... if you're in the local Atlanta area, stop by the Peachtree Road Farmer's Market and buy some of this arugula from Abundant Harvest Gardens. We normally have to buy two bags every Saturday, one to cook with and one to snack on during the ride home. I don't think I can adequately describe the flavor of these greens. It is nothing like the arugula you buy at the grocery store that is sorta peppery... this shit is straight up wasabi. I literally can't rave about it enough. I'm also in love with this bread. It's from another vendor at the farmer's market, TGM Bread. But anyway, back to this sandwich... you start by boiling a dozen of eggs until they are just cooked through. In the bowl of a standing mixer, beat together the yellow egg yolks, homemade mayo or aioli, softened goat cheese, minced cornichons + shallots, dijon mustard, white balsamic reduction, and a whole mess of fresh herbs (chives, tarragon, basil, and parsley to be exact). Then all you have to do is fold in the diced up egg whites and season with salt + pepper. The one component left, that really takes this recipe over the top, is the crispy prosciutto. I've had all different kinds of egg salad sandwiches, most of them had bacon them, and it just didn't taste quite right. I love the flavor of the country ham/prosciutto on JCT's deviled eggs, so I thought that would be perfect on a sandwich. But, one thing that had to be changed was the texture. This was easily solved by baking some prosciutto until the fat rendered and began to crisp up. Essentially, because it is so thinly sliced, the meat practically melts on your tongue, so that you have delicious-porky-goodness with each bite. All that you have to do is assemble the sandwiches. Get your gorgeous loaf of white bread and fry it in some butter until golden brown + toasted. Next, you slather on a thick heap of that herbed egg salad, followed by a sprinkling of homemade sriracha powder. Finally, you just lay on some slices of that crispy prosciutto and a mound of those spicy arugula greens. The only thing left to do is to devour it. And trust me, that is the easiest and yummiest part of the recipe! Enjoy :)

For the Crispy Prosciutto:

6oz Thinly Sliced Prosciutto

EVOO, For Brushing

3-4 Sprigs of Fresh Rosemary

Fresh Cracked Pepper

For the Herbed Egg Salad:

12 Extra Large Eggs

¼C + 1T Homemade Aioli

3 Cornichons, Finely Minced

1 Small Shallot, Minced

2T Goat Cheese, Room Temperature

2t Dijon Mustard

1T White Balsamic Reduction (honey may be substituted if needed)

2T Fresh Chives, Snipped

1T Fresh Tarragon, Minced

2t Fresh Basil, Minced

1t Fresh Parsley, Minced

Kosher + Fresh Cracked Pepper, To Taste

For the Deviled Egg Salad Sandwiches:

Prepared Crispy Prosciutto Slices

Prepared Herbed Egg Salad

Fresh Baby Arugula

Homemade Sriracha Powder, For Sprinkling

Buttered, Toasted Slices of White Bread

Directions:

1. For the Crispy Prosciutto: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Divide the prosciutto evenly between both baking sheets, making sure to lay them flat. Brush the tops of the prosciutto with some EVOO and scatter the fresh sprigs of rosemary on top. Bake the prosciutto until the fat turns golden and the meat is darker in color. This will take about 15 minutes (making sure to rotate baking sheets from top to bottom halfway through the baking time). Using tongs, carefully transfer the prosciutto to paper towels to drain (it will continue tot crisp as it cools). Set them aside until you are ready to assemble the sandwich. 

2. For the Herbed Egg Salad: In a large pot, cover the eggs with cold water and bring them to a boil over high heat. Remove from the heat and let the eggs stand in the hot water for 10-12 minutes. Transfer the eggs to an ice water bath until chilled, about 5-10 minutes. In the bowl of a standing mixer that is fitted with the whisk attachment, mix together the aioli, minced cornichons, goat cheese, Dijon mustard, white balsamic reduction, and minced shallots. Peel the eggs and slice them in half, and then scoop out the yellow egg yolk. On a cutting board, dice up the egg whites into bite size pieces and set them aside. Add the yolks to the bowl of aioli; beat this mixture until it is light and fluffy. Gently fold in the diced egg whites and herbs into the whipped egg yolk-aioli mixture. Finally, season with salt and pepper to taste. Place the egg salad in the refrigerator until you are ready to assemble your sandwich.

3. Assembling the Sandwiches: In a small sauté pan, toast your bread in a little bit of butter until it is golden brown. Remove the bread from the heat and allow it to cool slightly. Top one slice of the bread with the herbed egg salad, a sprinkle of Sriracha powder, a few strips of crispy prosciutto, and a pile of fresh baby arugula, followed by the other slice of bread. Enjoy while the arugula is still crisp!

Date Night : Squid Ink Pasta with Calamari, Mussels, + Scallops braised in a Herbed, Spicy Heirloom Tomato Sauce and Brown Butter Panko

Squid Ink Pasta with Calamari, Mussels, + Scallops braised in a Herbed, Spicy Heirloom Tomato Sauce

Happy Easter everyone! I hope that everyone is surrounded by family, devouring honey baked hams, and stuffing your faces with carrot cake. Or, well, that's what we tend to do around this joint. But unfortunately, I do not have an Easter themed recipe for y'all today, but instead a Date Night entree. This dish is truly stunning... in person... in photographs... in general. I love the pop of black given from the squid ink pasta and the contrast of color the seafood + tomatoes provide. It looks extremely gourmet, but it was actually quite easy to throw together. We purchased the squid ink pasta a while ago, but we were waiting for the right inspiration to hit us. Usually everyone serves it with seafood because it obviously compliments the flavoring of the pasta. Well, we chose not one, but three types: calamari, mussels, + scallops. You honestly could just leave everything out and just use the calamari... just make sure you double or triple the amount of it. The pasta dish doesn't have a heavy sauce, which I love because it allows the remaining minor components to sing-- quite loudly. The sauce is super simple, in that it takes some sauteed onions, garlic, serrano, seafood stock, white wine, and a whole bunch of heirloom cherry tomatoes. Between the brine-y flavor from the squid ink pasta + seafood, the sweet + spicy tomato sauce, and crunchy brown butter panko, every flavor note is easily achieved. Not only is this delicious for two people, but it can't most certainly feed a big group. And lemme tell you, it's a crowd pleaser. I mean, they always say that you eat with your eyes first... and well, this dish is as colorful as you can get!! Enjoy :)

For the Brown Butter Panko:

4T Salted Butter, Melted & Browned

1C Panko Breadcrumbs

For the Pasta:

2T Unsalted Butter + 2T EVOO

1 Small Red Onion, Thinly Sliced

5 Cloves of Garlic, Thinly Sliced

1-2 Serranos, Thinly Sliced

2C Heirloom Cherry Tomatoes, Sliced in Half

2C Seafood Stock + 2C White Wine

2T Sugar (or to your desired sweetness)

1T AP Flour

1-2t Red Pepper Flakes (or to your desired spiciness)

Sea Salt & Fresh Cracked Pepper, To Taste

½C Mixed Herbs (we recommend minced chives, Chiffonade basil, & tarragon)

½lb Calamari, Cut into Rings

1lb Mussels, Cleaned + Beard Removed

8-10 Seared Scallops

8oz Squid Ink Pasta

Directions:

1. For the Brown Butter Panko: In a small sauté pan over medium heat, melt the butter until it has begun to toast and lightly brown. After it is has browned, pour the butter over the panko and quickly toss to coat the breadcrumbs until they are saturated. Return the buttered breadcrumbs to the pan and continue to brown them until they reach a lightly golden brown color. This should only take a few minutes (make sure to move them constantly, so they don’t burn). Remove them from the pan and place into a bowl, so that they can be used as a garnish later.

2. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and add in the squid ink pasta. Cook them according to the package; however, ours only took about 3-5 minutes (just make sure it’s al dente). Drain the pasta and set aside.

3. For the Spicy Heirloom Tomato Sauce: Bring a large sauté pan to medium-high heat and add in the butter and olive oil. Once they have melted, add in the red onion slices, garlic slivers, sliced Serranos, and calamari rings. Cook them until they begin to caramelize slightly and become fragrant, about 2-3 minutes (don’t let the garlic burn). Throw in the tomato halves and continue to sauté until they begin to break down and release their juices, about another 3-5 minutes. Stir in the seafood stock, white wine, and mussels. Cover and let this mixture cook on medium-low heat for about 10 minutes in order for the flavors to meld and allowing the mussels to open up. Afterwards, sift the 1T of AP Flour over the sauce and stir to combine (this will help the sauce thicken a bit and hold onto the pasta better). Now, it’s time to season the sauce with red pepper flakes, sea salt, & fresh cracked peppers. Once it has been seasoned to your liking, add in ¼C of the fresh mixed herbs (saving the other portion for garnishing).  Add the drained squid ink pasta into the spicy heirloom tomato sauce and toss to cover the noodles completely.

4. Serving the Pasta: Dump the squid ink pasta onto a serving platter and place the seared scallops all over the dish. Garnish with the remaining ¼C of fresh mixed herbs and sprinkle the brown butter panko all over the dish.

5. Enjoy with some toasted bread and a glass of red wine!

Summer Corn Chowder with Herbed Lobster Salad, Cinnamon Pancetta, Crumbled Goat Cheese, & Fresh Chives

Summer Corn Chowder with Herbed Lobster Salad, Cinnamon Pancetta, Crumbled
Goat Cheese, & Fresh Chives

I know what all of y'all are thinking... soup in the summer? Someone check this girl out because she might be feverish. But seriously, this "chowder" is so versatile, you'll be making it all year long. In fact, I first made this soup last week and it only lasted about 12 hours in our refrigerator, so I didn't get to take a picture of it. Oh shucks, I had to whip up another batch... that's just soooooo devastating. Actually this soup is best in the summer when you can use that sweet, sweet corn that you found at the local farmer's market. There are two ways that you make this soup... rustic/slightly chunky or a smooth puree. We tried it both ways and actually ended up liking the batch with more texture (and even better, it required less work... winning). If you want it to be more "summer-friendly", this dish is great cold... almost gazpacho-ish. Now here's where things get insane. You get to top off your chowder with a big ole' pile of herbed lobster salad. This lobster component is bangin' because you toss big chunks of the buttery meat with mustard, lemon, a tad bit of mayo, celery, and a whole bunch of herbs. It's kind of like the filling of a "naked" lobster roll. Everything is rounded out with some crispy bits of cinnamon pancetta, creamy crumbled goat cheese, and a fresh zip of a bunch of homegrown herbs. This corn chowder exists in such balance between all of its parts + additions. I hope all of y'all enjoy this summer soup as much as we did!! Enjoy :)

skewering the lobsters before they are grilled

rubbing down the tails with some compound butter

lots of toppings + lobster

herbed lobster salad. cinnamon pancetta. crumbled goat cheese. fresh chives + basil.

Ahhh sweet summer corn at its' finest :)

Our Dinner: Summer Corn Chowder + Southern Cornbread Panzanella Salad

For the Summer Corn Chowder:

½lb Thick Cut Smoked Bacon or Pancetta, Cut into Cubes

¼t Cinnamon 

¼C White Wine

4T Unsalted Butter

1 Small Vidalia Onion, Finely Chopped

2 Stalks of Celery, Finely Chopped

1 Large Carrot, Finely Chopped

4 Cloves of Fresh Garlic, Finely Chopped

8 Ears of Fresh Summer Corn, Kernels Cut Off

1Q Seafood Stock + 1C Water

1t Turmeric

Heavy Pinch of Ground Nutmeg, Cumin, & Ground Mustard

4 Sprigs of Thyme

2C Heavy Cream

½C Sour Cream

Sea Salt, Fresh Cracked Pepper, & Sugar (to taste)

For the Herbed Lobster Salad:

2C Freshly Cooked Lobster Meat, Cut into Large Chunks

1 Small Shallot, Finely Minced

2t Fresh Lemon Juice + 1t Fresh Lemon Zest

1t Dijon Mustard

1T Mayo

2T Extra Virgin Olive Oil

3T Fresh Celery Leaves, Roughly Chopped

1T Fresh Tarragon, Roughly Chopped

1T Fresh Basil, Roughly Chopped

Salt & Pepper, To Taste (and the addition of a pinch of sugar for sweetness)

For the Soup Garnishes:

Cinnamon Pancetta or Crispy Bacon Lardons

Crumbled Goat Cheese (we like Humboldt Fog)

Fresh Minced Chives

Prepared Herbed Lobster Salad

Fresh Cracked Pepper, For Garnishing

Extra Virgin Olive Oil, For Drizzling

Directions:

1. For the Summer Corn Chowder: In a large soup pot, add in the diced bacon or pancetta and sprinkle the cinnamon over the top and cook over medium heat until the pork is crispy and fat has rendered. Bring the pot up to medium-high heat and add in the wine to deglaze the pot, removing the flavorful brown bits from the bottom. Add in the butter and melt completely. Add in the diced onions, celery, carrots, and garlic and sauté until tender, about 6-8 minutes. You want them to begin to caramelize, but not brown. Next, toss in the fresh corn kernels and season with salt & pepper. Cook for another 5 minutes or so until they have softened slightly. Throw in the sprigs of fresh thyme, seafood stock, water, turmeric, and all other spices. Bring the corn mixture to a boil, and then reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Once the soup has cooked and softened, puree the corn soup into smooth chowder with an immersion blender or a regular blender. After it has been pureed, return the pot to the stove and stir in the heavy cream and sour cream. Season the soup to taste, making sure to add any more spices that are needed. This is where you have to decide whether you want a slightly chunky soup or very smooth bisque. If you want smooth bisque, strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl, pressing on the solids to get out all liquids. Discard the solid afterwards. We chose to leave it slightly chunky because we liked the texture, but it’s up to you! You can serve the soup hot or cold, but with the herbed lobster salad, the soup is best chilled (like a gazpacho).

2. For the Herbed Lobster Salad: Whisk shallot, lemon juice, lemon zest, mustard, and mayo in a medium bowl. Gradually whisk in 2 tablespoons oil; season dressing with kosher salt and pepper (and a pinch of sugar if you like). Add in 2C of cooked lobster meat, 3 tablespoons celery leaves, tarragon, and basil; toss gently to coat. Cover and chill until cold, about 1 hour.

3. Serving the Soup: Divide the summer corn chowder into serving bowls evenly. Sprinkle the top of the soup with the crispy cinnamon pancetta, crumbled goat cheese, fresh minced chives, a drizzle of olive oil, and fresh cracked pepper. Finish the soup with a large pile of herbed lobster salad in the center and enjoy with a glass of white wine.

Lobster Club Sandwich with Vanilla Bean Butter Fried Brioche, Tarragon Lobster Salad, Smashed Avocado, Maple Glazed Bacon, Arugula, & Heirloom Tomato

Lobster Club Sandwich with Vanilla Bean Butter Fried Brioche, Tarragon Lobster Salad,
Smashed Avocado, Maple Glazed Bacon, Arugula, & Heirloom Tomato

I'm sure y'all have noticed how bad of a blogger I have been... so, so, sooooo bad. And I feel just awful because I really love to do this every other day or so. But after being sick for 2-3 months, and then Christmas started taking over my life, I just needed a little break from my responsibilities. I mean, we all feel like that sometimes, right? I definitely do. I'm finally back though and I'm here to stay, especially with the new year just around the corner. I'll be posting some new recipes this week as well as one of our favorite posts, Our Top 10 Favorite Recipes: Savory & Sweet, for the year. So, y'all have to check back and find out what made our list for the best, most craveable meals that we enjoyed in 2012. What do y'all think should make the list or are there any personal favorites that you hope you'll see on there? Lemme know because your feedback is especially important :) Anyway, today's recipe is a sandwich, but of course, you know it's our favorite meal. But it ain't no boring sandwich, trust me. Why? Because there's lobster in it. Lots of it. You know what else? Utterly gorgeous brioche bread... that's been fried in homemade vanilla bean butter. It might sound bizarre, maybe even gross. But, trust me, lobster + vanilla bean pair amazingly together. I think the vanilla really brings out the natural sweetness of lobster meat. Then you add in creamy avocado, maple glazed bacon, peppery arugula, and a gorgeous heirloom tomato... that's heaven between two pieces of bread y'all. This is the mother of all clubs as far as I'm concerned. And I'm sorry, but nothing makes me happier than seeing a sky-high stacked sandwich towering over me. Honestly, I even get anxiety trying to tackle this baby. It's just so beautiful, yet oh-so-messy. Why ruin it by eating it? Pah, who am I kidding. Just lean over, bow up, and go at it. That's how a true Southern lady does it... right? I sure hope so!! Enjoy :)

After a few big bites :)

How cute are those itty bitty vanilla beans??

For the Vanilla Bean Butter Fried Brioche:

1 Stick of Unsalted Butter, Room Temperature

1-2 Vanilla Beans, Split & Scraped for Seeds

6 Slices of Brioche Bread

For the Tarragon Lobster Salad:

2T Mayo

¼t Dijon Mustard

¼C Fresh Celery, Finely Diced

¼C Shallots, Minced

1T Fresh Tarragon, Minced

¼t Fresh Lemon Zest

Pinch of Sugar

Salt & Pepper, To Taste

1T Fresh Chives, Minced (plus extra for sprinkling)

Butter Poached Lobster Tails, Roughly Chopped & Chilled

For the Maple Glazed Bacon:

6-8 Slices of Thick Applewood Smoked Bacon

Maple Syrup, For Brushing

For the Lobster Club Sandwiches:

Vanilla Bean Butter Fried Brioche Slices

Prepared Tarragon Lobster Salad, Chilled

Avocado Slices, Smashed

Heirloom Tomatoes, Thinly Sliced & Seasoned

Fresh Baby Arugula

Prepared Maple Glazed Bacon

Salt & Pepper, To Taste

Directions:

1. For the Vanilla Bean Butter Fried Brioche: In a small mixing bowl, smash together the softened butter and vanilla bean seeds until incorporated. Spread the butter onto the slices of brioche. Heat a sauté pan over medium heat and fry the slices until they are lightly golden brown in color. Keep warm or set aside until you are ready to layer your sandwiches.

2. For the Tarragon Lobster Salad: Mix together all of the ingredients until smooth and incorporated. Add in the chilled lobster meat and toss to combine. Chill in the refrigerator until ready to use.

3. For the Maple Glazed Bacon: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and lay the bacon slices on top of a baking sheet that has been lined with parchment paper or a Silpat. Bake the slices of bacon for 15-20 minutes or until crispy. Remove them from the oven and brush them heavily with maple syrup, and then return them to the oven for another 5 minutes or so, or until the maple syrup is slightly sticky.

4. Assembling the Lobster Clubs: Place 1 slice of the Vanilla Bean Butter Fried Brioche onto a plate, and then spoon on a generous amount of the Tarragon Lobster Salad and top with some smashed avocado, another slice of fried brioche, maple glazed bacon, baby arugula, and seasoned tomato slices. Finish off the sandwich with another piece of brioche. Repeat with the remaining ingredients for another sandwich. Enjoy immediately.