This New England favorite is not all so common here in the Midwest, but after visiting America's 'lobster land' I know why they enjoy this sandwich so much.
You will need some special ingredients for a classic lobster roll, but you can substitute if you can't find these items. For example, they use a special hot dog-like roll that is not browned on the sides. Rather you pan fry the lobster roll in a little butter to toast the sides of the roll. You can substitute with a standard hot dog or hoagie roll. They also use the Boston lettuce which is soft, green and buttery in texture. If you don't have it you can use standard green leaf lettuce. I make a 'special sauce' rather than just the classic mayonnaise that you usually find in New England. It is more flavorful, adds a little color and a bit of crunch.
Prepare the Lobster: Rather than boil lobster for this purpose, I prefer to steam them. You end up with much less water inside and they cook just as easily. In this case, I simply bring a pasta steamer or other large pot to boil making sure I have some barrier to keep the lobster(s) up out of the water. You can do this with a vegetable steaming basking, pasta basket or even bricks. Once the water is boiling simply add the lobster and let them cook. A 1-pound lobster takes about 10 minutes to steam. I increase the time by about 2 minutes for every quarter pound. A 2-pound lobster takes about 18 minutes and a 3-pound lobster about 25-30 minutes. You really don't want anything bigger than 3-pounds or the meat is overly tough and chewy. If you are making several, pull one out and crack it open to be sure it's done before taking all from the pot. Then let cool until you can handle them easily, crack them open and remove the meat from the tail and claws, discarding the shells. This can be done well ahead and I typically just put in an airtight container and refrigerate until ready for use.
Make the Sauce: The sauce ingredients are listed below and are sufficient for 1 1/2 to 2 pound lobster which will feed two adults. Simply mix the ingredients together well, then toss with the lobster meat. If you'd like to lighten the dish up a bit, as I did here, just slice some of the lettuce into small pieces and mix into the dressed lobster.
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 teaspoon ketchup
1 teaspoon mustard
2 tablespoons minced celery
1 tablespoon finely diced shallot
1 teaspoons lemon juice
Salt
Pinch cayenne pepper
This makes a light dressing for the lobster.
Toast and Assemble: If using the classic New England lobster rolls, butter the sides lightly and toast in a warm skillet until lightly brown on both sides. Then place a large leaf of the lettuce on the inside of the bun, and stuff it with the lobster filling. Serve and enjoy!
I like to cook my own lobster so it's really fresh. And as our grocer's fish case always has a tank of live lobsters at reasonable prices, they are easy to come by especially this time of the year when they are most plentiful.
You will need some special ingredients for a classic lobster roll, but you can substitute if you can't find these items. For example, they use a special hot dog-like roll that is not browned on the sides. Rather you pan fry the lobster roll in a little butter to toast the sides of the roll. You can substitute with a standard hot dog or hoagie roll. They also use the Boston lettuce which is soft, green and buttery in texture. If you don't have it you can use standard green leaf lettuce. I make a 'special sauce' rather than just the classic mayonnaise that you usually find in New England. It is more flavorful, adds a little color and a bit of crunch.
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| Classic Rolls - So You Can Toast Sides |
Prepare the Lobster: Rather than boil lobster for this purpose, I prefer to steam them. You end up with much less water inside and they cook just as easily. In this case, I simply bring a pasta steamer or other large pot to boil making sure I have some barrier to keep the lobster(s) up out of the water. You can do this with a vegetable steaming basking, pasta basket or even bricks. Once the water is boiling simply add the lobster and let them cook. A 1-pound lobster takes about 10 minutes to steam. I increase the time by about 2 minutes for every quarter pound. A 2-pound lobster takes about 18 minutes and a 3-pound lobster about 25-30 minutes. You really don't want anything bigger than 3-pounds or the meat is overly tough and chewy. If you are making several, pull one out and crack it open to be sure it's done before taking all from the pot. Then let cool until you can handle them easily, crack them open and remove the meat from the tail and claws, discarding the shells. This can be done well ahead and I typically just put in an airtight container and refrigerate until ready for use.
Make the Sauce: The sauce ingredients are listed below and are sufficient for 1 1/2 to 2 pound lobster which will feed two adults. Simply mix the ingredients together well, then toss with the lobster meat. If you'd like to lighten the dish up a bit, as I did here, just slice some of the lettuce into small pieces and mix into the dressed lobster.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 teaspoon ketchup
1 teaspoon mustard
2 tablespoons minced celery
1 tablespoon finely diced shallot
1 teaspoons lemon juice
Salt
Pinch cayenne pepper
This makes a light dressing for the lobster.
Toast and Assemble: If using the classic New England lobster rolls, butter the sides lightly and toast in a warm skillet until lightly brown on both sides. Then place a large leaf of the lettuce on the inside of the bun, and stuff it with the lobster filling. Serve and enjoy!
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