I’m from the south, and although they have their barbecue sandwich, a staple growing up, we have our lobster rolls here in New England that I love. Clam shacks are opening for the season serving up fresh lobster rolls with the smell of saltwater nearby. It can also be fun to do it yourself. It’s already May—time is flying by, and spring has finally arrived with its show of flowering trees, flowers, and green lawns. It’s the early part of spring that makes me miss the south where the heat wave is truly in effect beginning in March. Although in New England, winter lingers well into April. Here, March boasted four nor’easters.
When making your own lobster rolls, you can buy the lobsters, boil or steam them in a large pot, and just deal with the idea of placing a live lobster in a scalding pot (link below), or opt to have the fishmonger cook them at any participating grocery store.
In this post I want to share my recipe for making a lobster roll. I prefer the cold lobster salad as opposed to the hot and buttered variety. Think chicken salad. There is a debate which one is better, but one thing is consistent: the bun must be buttered and toasted in a pan on both sides. Think grilled cheese.
I recently bought a lobster that weighed about a pound and a quarter, which is a little on the small side—just enough for two small lobster rolls. I would suggest at least a pound and a half for two rolls filled with an ample portion of meat.
Lobster rolls are served in New England style split top buns, like hot dog buns but split on top and a bit bigger and thicker to withstand the weight of the mixture. Think Texas toast. I look for a bag of fresh buns from the bakery section of the grocery store. Use a soft bun, not a hard bread like a grinder roll.
This recipe is a starting point with basic ingredients. Feel free to go light or heavy on the mayo and herbs. I like the meat lightly coated with mayo. Add a touch of Old Bay seasoning to spice it up. I prefer big chunks of meat, not finely chopped like chicken salad from a deli.
For two lobster rolls:
1½ lobster cooked and shelled meat (tail, claws, legs)
¼ cup mayonnaise (more or less depending on how much you prefer)
¼ cup coursely chopped celery
2 tbsp chopped fresh tarragon—the leafy herb (a few extra leaves for garnish)
2 tbsp chopped fresh chives (set some aside for garnish)
salt and pepper to taste
a squeeze of a lemon wedge
a leaf of lettuce such as green leaf, romaine, or iceberg (the greener outer leaves)
top split buns, lightly buttered on the outside and inside
Cut the meat into large chunks leaving the claws intact. Mix the meat, mayo, celery, tarragon, chives, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Lightly toss, coating the meat with the mixture.
In a nonstick pan on low to medium heat, toast buttered buns on the inside to melt the butter, careful not to break the bun in half. Also toast the outside until light golden brown. The bun should be soft and pliable for stuffing.
Take the toasted bun and place the lettuce along the bottom creating a bed for the lobster salad mixture. Place the claws on top of the mixture. Garnish with tarragon and chives and a squeeze of the lemon. Enjoy!
Learn how to cook and shell a lobster from Fine Cooking.
The featured image is a lobster roll with green leaf lettuce on a buttery toasted bun garnished with fresh chives and tarragon. The split top rolls were purchased from the bakery section of the grocery store—not typical hot dog buns.
the foodie and the dog 