Ingredients

• Ingredients
  1. Four 1 1/2-pound live lobsters
  2. 2 teaspoons dried tarragon, crumbled
  3. 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  4. Salt and freshly ground pepper
  5. 3/4 cup verjus (see Note)
  6. 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  7. 2 jalapeños, seeded and very finely chopped
  8. 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh tarragon
  9. 2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
  10. 1 tablespoon very finely chopped shallot
  11. Lemon wedges, for serving

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 450°. Bring a very large pot of salted water to a boil. Plunge the lobsters into the water head first and boil just until they stop moving, about 2 minutes. Transfer the lobsters to a cutting board and let cool slightly.
2. Using a heavy knife, split the lobsters in half lengthwise. Wrap the claws in a clean towel and, using the back of the knife, crack the claws in several spots. Transfer the lobsters, cut side up, to 2 baking sheets.
3. In a small bowl, mix the dried tarragon with the paprika and a generous pinch each of salt and pepper. Sprinkle the mixture over the lobsters and drizzle with 1/2 cup of the verjus and 1/4 cup of the olive oil. Roast for 12 minutes, until the lobster meat is opaque; transfer the lobsters to a large platter.
4. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir the jalapeños, fresh tarragon, parsley and shallot with the remaining 1/4 cup of verjus and 1/2 cup of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon the dressing over the lobsters and serve with the lemon wedges.

Notes

Wölffer Estate (wolffer.com) on Long Island's South Fork makes a terrific verjus , as does Terra Sonoma (terrasonoma.com).