Succulent lobster, sweet mango, creamy avocado and tangy pickled vegetables are served over rice in this Lobster Poke Bowl recipe.
Spoiler alert: Living in Maine doesn’t mean eating lobster at every meal. In fact, I don’t even wish it did, because then it wouldn’t be as special.
There’s a commercial that’s been playing on our local radio stations recently. It proclaims to know Maine but then seems to be written only around the tropes people from elsewhere believe. It’s a little weird and never fails to get my kids talking about who wrote it and why they thought it was a good idea.
Those tropes include the one that folks in Maine often consume lobster all. the. time. But, really, we aren’t walking around with lobster rolls in our back pockets. And we aren’t buying it often. Lobster here is spendy too. Especially at this time of year.
But when you are seeking a treat, lobster is the best.
Don’t be fooled though. While you most often will find lobster bathed in butter, mayo or cream, that’s far from the only way to eat it. In fact, there are other delightful ways to enjoy this decadent seafood.
I mean, have you even seen my recipe for Lobster Salad with Avocado, Feta and Lemon Vinaigrette? Sooooooo good. And what about Lobster Fried Rice or Lobster Stuffed Mushrooms? YUM. And while it does have hollandaise sauce, Lobster Benedict is not to be missed.
Or try this: Lobster Poke Bowl with Pickled Vegetables. These bowls are a symphony of flavors, textures and temperatures. Such an amazing treat.
You know, for when you are in fact treating yo’ self with lobster.
For four servings, you will need four lobsters worth of meat. These babies were cooked at my local fishmonger’s store, so I merely had to remove the meat from the shells. About 1/2 cup of meat per bowl is the perfect amount.
Lobster meat can also be purchased already removed from shells, but at about $50 per pound locally at the moment, I wouldn’t dare suggest that. Besides, when you pluck the meat from the shells yourself, you know how fresh it is.
An important part of these bowls is the quick pickled veggies. A trio of carrots, cucumbers and radishes, they add lovely punch to the bowls. Make sure you give the veggies at least an hour to pickle in the fridge before dishing them out.
You won’t regret it.
Now, who’s ready to dig in to this delightful Lobster Poke Bowl with Pickled Vegetables?
PS – Chopsticks optional. That’s always my preference for meals like this, but eating it with a fork is totally fine too.
Lobster Poke Bowl with Pickled Vegetables
Succulent lobster, sweet mango, creamy avocado and tangy pickled vegetables are served over rice in this Lobster Poke Bowl recipe.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup thinly sliced baby cucumbers (about 1-2)
- 1/2 cup thiny sliced carrot (about 1 medium carrot)
- 1/2 cup thinly sliced radishes (about 4-5 radishes)
- 1/2 cup rice vinegar
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup dried short grain rice, prepared
- 1 avocado, pitted, peeled and sliced
- 1 mango, pitted, peeled and diced
- 4 lobsters, cooked and meat removed (about 1 1/2 to 2 cups meat)
- sesame seeds, to taste
Instructions
- In a medium bowl with a cover, combine the cucumbers, carrots and radishes. Set aside
- In a small saucepan, stir together the rice vinegar, water, sugar, ginger and salt. Heat over medium-high heat, stirring, until the sugar dissolves. The mixture should be speckled with ginger but otherwise translucent.
- Pour the heated mixture over the vegetables. Close the container and chill for at least 1 hour in the fridge. The longer this chills, the better it is.
- Once the pickling time is over, divide the rice evenly between four bowls. Top each with 1/4 of the avocado, mango, pickled vegetables and lobster. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve.
Notes
If desired, the lobster can also be tossed with Sesame Ginger Dressing before being added to the bowl. This is completely optional, but adds even more of a flavor punch to the dish.