Flaky puff pastry cups are filled with a tangy lemon vinaigrette dressed mixture in these Lobster Avocado Puffs — a delightful appetizer.
Recently, I had guests for dinner and decided to do a traditional lobster dinner with steamed lobsters, drawn butter and extra napkins. It was divine. While I only have one lobster cracker and two pickers these days, we made it work and all enjoyed the succulent lobster meat dipped in the warm butter.
While eating, we got on the topic of lobster seasons. Right now, Maine is in hard-shelled lobster season, which means two things: it’s pricier than other seasons and the meat is so much sweeter. Soft-shelled lobsters are often less expensive, but the softer shells mean they’ve recently shed their hard shell and it impacts the flavor.
This isn’t to say that soft-shell lobster isn’t good. It is. In fact, some people prefer it. But I am a hard-shell girl all the way.
And if you are looking for a way to serve lobster without breaking the bank, appetizers like these Lobster Avocado Puffs are a great option. This allows you to use less lobster (one lobster will feed six people) but still offer the decadent wonderfulness as part of your meal.
This would also be a great addition to Feast of the Seven Fishes menus.
Making these Lobster Avocado Puffs is pretty easy. You start by cooking the puff pastry shells. These are sold in the freezer section and cook up all browned and flaky.
Then you’ll want to toss together the lobster-avocado mixture and whisk together the lemon vinaigrette. Now, you can purchase already cooked lobster (frozen even!) but if you have time, cooking and shucking your own lobster will make the results of this dish even better. But, of course, do what you have time for.
The final step is assembly. Remove the tops of the puff pastry shells, fill them with the lobster-avocado mixture and drizzle with lemon vinaigrette. If desired, you can finish off with a tiny pinch of salt and pepper, but that’s totally optional.
And then this elegant appetizer is ready to serve. Enjoy!
Lobster Avocado Puffs
As far as appetizers go, these are on the bigger side. A fresh salad of lobster and avocado is dressed with a bright lemon vinaigrette and served in a puff pastry cup. Plan on one per lobster-loving guest. And make sure you taste as you go to adjust the seasonings. A little salt can go a long way with lobster, but you want to make sure you do use enough to bring out the flavors.
Ingredients
- 1 frozen package puff pastry cups (6)
- 1 cup chopped cooked lobster (from about 1 1/4 lb whole lobster)
- 1 avocado, pitted, peeled and diced
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon dried basil
- kosher salt
- black pepper
Instructions
- Cook the puff pastry cups according to package directions. Let cool for 10 minutes. Remove the center for filling.
- While the puff pastry cups are cooling, prepare the filling. In a small mixing bowl, stir together the lobster and avocado. Season with a pinch of salt and mix well In a second small mixing bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil and rosemary with a pinch each of salt and pepper until well-combined. It should be cloudy in appearance.
- Divide the lobster-avocado mixture evenly among the cups. Spoon the lemon vinaigrette over the center of the lobster-avocado cups. Serve.
- Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.