Lobster Rolls are one of the greatest of American sandwiches. Purchased in restaurants, they are generally outrageously expensive. They are so easy to make at home—especially if you can buy pre-steamed lobsters, as I do—and this can save a bit of money.
The Lobster Roll recipe I present is the Maine Lobster Roll, which is served cold with mayonnaise. The Connecticut Lobster Roll, on the other hand is served hot, with just drizzled butter and lemon juice. For a discussion of both types click here.
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Buy already steamed lobsters, or cook them live as follows: Boil 3 quarts of water with 3 tablespoons of salt, then grab the lobsters behind the heads, plunge them into the water, cover, and cook for about 7-8 minutes.
Steamed lobsters.
Remove the lobsters from the cooking liquid and lay them on the backs. With a scissors, split the tail shell down the middle, spread the tail apart, and remove the meat.
Cut the tail underside.
Detach the claws, crack them with a nutcracker, and the remove the meat. Chop the lobster meat into bite-sized pieces, and place it in a bowl.
Chop the lobster meat.
Very finely mince the celery stalk.
Mince the celery.
Mince the fresh tarragon.
Mince the tarragon.
Place the celery and tarragon in the bowl with the lobster meat. You can also use snipped chives, as I sometimes do. Stir in the lemon juice, mayonnaise, and Tabasco sauce to taste. Season with sea salt and white pepper to taste.
Top-cup hot dog buns are traditional for Lobster Rolls because they allow the roll to stand upright, holding in the filling better. Top-cut rolls can be difficult to find in many supermarkets.The most prevalent brand is Pepperidge Farm.
Open the hot dog rolls, and spread them with the softened unsalted butter on both sides. Many purists toast only the inside of the roll. I believe toasting both sides gives a nicer texture to the roll. Place the inside of the roll down in a skillet over medium heat. This grilling with butter is essential to give your lobster roll an authentic taste.
Toast the bun.
Then flip the roll and toast it on the other side.
Toast the underside.
Apportion the lobster mixture evenly between the four rolls, and serve the Lobster Rolls with potato chips and dill pickles on the side.
