On multiple occasions during my childhood, several branches of my extended family would gather on the Oregon coast for a week of vacation. We'd always go to crabbing, and would often come back with enough crab that everyone could eat until they were ready to burst and keep on going. I tell you this story to illustrate the fact that while there was plenty of shellfish available during my formative years, it was crab, not lobster.
Last Saturday I was out with some friends when we stumbled onto the top of shellfish. I was forced to admit to my friend Tony that despite the amount of crab I ate during those vacations, there was a vast hole in my shellfish knowledge, as I had never even heard of his favorite food until I was well into my 23rd year of life. His favorite food? Lobster rolls. He is passionate and particular about how a good lobster roll should be prepared and goes so far as to maintain a website devoted to his lobster roll recipe, mail order lobster rolls and the restaurant rolls he has known. In his book, simple is best, because you want to let the lobster meat be the star of the show.
If you want to try to make your own lobster roll, Tony's recipe is after the jump.
*The title of this post is a quote lifted straight from Tony's site. It was just too good not to use.Tony Green's Lobster Roll Guidelines and Recipe
You don't have to go all the way to Maine to get an authentic lobster roll. All you really need is some good lobster (and ideally a top-split roll). I made a lobster roll myself using lobsters that were on sale at the local supermarket (Genuardi's). (They steamed the lobster for me). I have to admit that these lobster rolls were about as good as I've ever had.
- 4 ounces of steamed lobster meat, thoroughly rinsed in cold water and chilled
- 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
- half a lemon
- hot dog roll, "top-split" or "New England" style (example: J.J. Nissen)*
- 1 tablespoon diced celery (optional)
- Grill the outsides of the roll in butter. If you have a non top-split roll, grill the inside.
- Toss the lobster meat gently in a bowl with the mayonnaise. Then, using half a lemon, squeeze lemon juice all over the meat and rinse off most of the mayonnaise. The lobster should be barely coated.
- Pick the meat out of the bowl, letting it drain briefly, and load the roll.
- Serve with lemonade or iced tea.
*The top-split roll is a rare item outside of New England. This thread at Roadfood offers some regional options, but it looks like the only mail-order option is Maple and More, which will fetch you authentic J.J. Nissen rolls, although at a premium price. For that kind of money, you might as well just order the lobster roll kit from Hancock Gourmet Lobster.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
8-23-2007 @ 2:40PM
yoko said...
OMG-- Tony has hit the Slashfood bigtime!
Reply
8-23-2007 @ 3:23PM
malren said...
Oh my GOD the travesty. Mayo on lobster? Disgusting! I will FIGHT any man who says otherwise!
Lober roll is so simple: steam lobster. Sit lobster in electric frying pan full of melted butter on lowest possible setting. Or crock pot, either works. Soak for hours and hours and hours. Toast bun. Spoon lobster and butter onto bun. Eat. Repeat if necessary.
Lobster, butter, bread. Everything else is sacrilege and evidence of a lobster heretic!
Reply
8-23-2007 @ 4:05PM
MJ said...
Whats wrong with mayo? Never had a "lobsta roll"The recipes I have seen always called for a good mayonaise. Who agrees?
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8-23-2007 @ 4:07PM
Sharon said...
A little dab of mayo is okay. It adds a nice cohesiveness to the salad. NO lettuce. NO celery. Just lobs, a touch of mayo, and a drizzle of melted butter... heaven. Take it from an expatriate Mainer.
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8-23-2007 @ 4:08PM
Sharon said...
Oh, and you've got it dead right on the bun. Split top, buttered and grilled. My god, I'm hungry now.
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8-23-2007 @ 4:21PM
AKA said...
I actually use this Lobster in Tarragon cream Sauce... then top the whole thing with the cheapest potato chips you can find.
http://theheartofnewengland.com/food-LobsterTarragon.html
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8-23-2007 @ 6:31PM
K said...
Oh Marisa. That toasted bun, the shellfish, the fries ... this is so sexy I need a cigarette.
BTW, at a wonderful restaurant called "FISH" on the water in Sausalito, just north of San Francisco over the Golden Gate Bridge, they serve a wonderful Crab Roll on a toasted bun. The lump crab is sauteed in butter and parsley, and that's it -- perfect for all the mayo haters. Me? I'll take it either way and be happy.
:::lighting up:::
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8-23-2007 @ 6:59PM
wez said...
Lobster Rolls have been around a long time in the Martimes (Canada; NB,NS,PEI)
so long that Mcdonalds actually serves McLobster rolls in the summer.
It was also common to be served as lunch on airline flights originating
from there. To me the grilled bun and celery are very important.
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8-23-2007 @ 7:14PM
amber said...
i actually agree about the no mayo thing-ugh! any seafood mixed with mayo just ruins the taste of the seafood (discounting tuna, but since i don't like mayo, i don't really do tuna fish sandwiches, either!) i like the idea of just the butter, lobster, roll combo so much more than the thought of throwing in mayo-even if it is just a dab
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8-23-2007 @ 7:55PM
Tony said...
It's been a while since I looked at that recipe where I recommended grilling the inside of a non top-split bun. When we run out of top-split buns, we just trim the crusts off a regular bun and have nice flat sides ready for grilling. Makes even a humble hot dog a special treat.
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8-24-2007 @ 7:13PM
Sweetnicks said...
OK, now I'm totally craving a lobster roll.
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8-25-2007 @ 7:54AM
Noah Oliphant said...
What timing! I had been craving lobster rolls this whole summer and my trip to Massachusetts yielded none. I was forced to make these on Thursday night... I posted my recipe here:
http://www.reciperate.com/arkboynko/recipes/74.html
A little more fancy but really delicious. I want some more now.
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8-27-2007 @ 2:23PM
Sam said...
NO MAYO. HOT LOBSTER ROLLS RULE.
Signed,
In CT
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