The Dish | 2-Way Lobster Rolls

I just whipped these beauties up for a few friends over the weekend, and — oh boy — were they delish! Sweet Maine lobster, buttery brioche, and just the right amount of herbs and spices. The two preparations — cold with a mayo-based dressing or hot with spice-infused butter — are both big hits. The chilled lobster salad on kettle chips was my secret snack in the kitchen as I was plating up the hot version for my guests. Either way, you can’t go wrong. Yum. (You can thank me later.) 

Remember to have plenty of chilled bubbles on deck!

What You’ll Need to Cook the Lobster

2 live Maine lobsters (1.25 – 1.5  pounds each) will make approximately 4 rolls, depending on how full you stuff your rolls

Equipment:

  • 8-12 quart stock pot
  • Tongs and heavy duty kitchen shears
  • Large bowl for an ice bath 
  • Cutting board 
  • Chefs knife 
  • lobster/crab crackers 

Ingredients for the boil:

  • 2 celery stalks, thinly sliced
  • 8 parsley stems
  • 4 garlic cloves, whole
  • 1 lemon, sliced in 6-8 pieces
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine
  • 1 tablespoon salt per quart of water (depends on your pot size)
  • 8 black peppercorns 
  • 4 tablespoons Old Bay seasoning
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 1/2 small yellow onion, sliced 
  • Pinch of crushed red pepper
Directions

Court Bouillon for boiling the lobsters:

  • Fill the pot with water, leaving some room at the top.
  • Add celery, parsley, garlic, lemon slices, wine, salt, Old Bay seasoning, bay leaves, onion, black peppercorns, and crushed red pepper.
  • Bring it to a boil and let it simmer for 10 minutes to blend the flavors.

Cooking the Lobsters:

  • Add the live lobsters head-first into the boiling pot of court bouillon.
  • Cover the pot and cook for 8-10 minutes, until the shells are bright red.
  • Use tongs to transfer the lobsters to an ice bath if making cold rolls, or let them rest for a 10-12 minutes if making hot rolls.

Cleaning the Lobster

  • Twist off the claws, knuckles, and tail.
  • Use a cracker, shears, or a towel and rolling pin to crack the shells and extract the meat.
  • Cut the tail along the underside with kitchen shears to remove the tail meat.
  • Run cold water through the tail to rinse out any green tomalley or dark veins.
  • Gently rub out any remaining bits for a clean, sweet taste.
  • Double check your pile of meat for any shells fragments 🙂
  • Tear the lobster meat into large chunks.

Chilled Lobster Rolls

Ingredients:
  • 4-5 tablespoons of your favorite mayonnaise
  • 3 tablespoons of finely diced celery hearts (include the bright yellow leaves)
  • Juice of half a lemon (about 1.5 tablespoons)
  • Kosher Salt and fresh black pepper to taste
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh chives 
  • 4-6 small inner leaves of crisp bibb lettuce
  • 4 (or more) split brioche buns
directions
  • Pat dry the lobster meat with a paper towel then combine with the following ingredients listed above: mayonnaise, diced celery hearts (include the bright yellow leaves), lemon juice, salt and fresh black pepper to taste, chopped fresh chives 
  • Chill for 10-15 minute to let the flavors set in.

Toast the buns:

  • Butter the sides of split-top hot dog buns or brioche rolls.
  • Toast them in a skillet until golden brown on both sides 2-3 minutes on low.

Assemble:

  • Add a few small leaves of bibb lettuce to the bun (ensure that it is completely dried)
  • Spoon the lobster salad into each toasted bun.
  • Serve with a lemon wedge, a generous handful of salted kettle chips. Enjoy! 

Hot Lobster Rolls

Ingredients:
  • 6 tablespoons of unsalted butter
  • 1 clove of garlic, smashed
  • Spice blend:
    • 1/8 teaspoon paprika
    • 1/8 teaspoon onion powder
    • 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
    • 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
    • Small  pinch of cayenne pepper
  • Cooked lobster meat (see above)
  • 4 (or more) split brioche buns
Directions:
  • Melt 6 tablespoons of unsalted butter in a large pan over medium-low heat.
  • Add 1 smashed clove of garlic, let it cook gently for 30-45 seconds.
  • Add spice blend (ingredients above)
  • Add the meat from the two cooked lobsters and heat just until warm 2-3 minutes without browning.
  • Remove the garlic clove and you are ready to roll!

Toast the Buns:

  • Butter and toast the sides of split-top hot dog buns or brioche rolls 
  • Toast them in a skillet until golden brown on both sides 2-3 minutes on low.

Assemble:

  • Fill the buns with warm, buttery lobster.
  • Drizzle any extra melted butter over the top, making certain to scrape any tidbits from the pan.
  • Serve with a lemon wedge, a generous handful of salted kettle chips. Enjoy!  

If you have not made your holiday plans and need catering, we’ll be offering a variety of full service and to-go options for easy entertaining. We’ll be releasing our special menus via email in our November newsletter. You can also email us at catering@chefrobertdorsey.com for more details.

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