Lobster Rolls

The darling food of the Summer has to be lobster rolls. A specialty of New England and found in restaurants specializing in fish and seafood and popular at picnics, backyard parties and even food trucks! A traditional lobster roll contains cooked lobster meat, mayonnaise and often may contain celery and scallions. Lightly seasoned, a squirt of lemon juice and served in a soft dinner roil or hotdog bun that’s been lightly toasted are how it is served.

The main key to a good lobster roll is to use fresh lobster – that is to say starting with live lobster, boiling/steaming it then tossing it in mayo and such. The “and such” part is where many can be cheated out of a good lobster roll with too much filler. I like adding scallions and celery for texture, flavour and crunch but never to stretch the lobster salad. It is after all, a lobster roll.

The final key to a good lobster roll is to not use too much mayo – one wants to taste the lobster meat and in my approach the mayo is the binder and flavour-enhancer of this delightful sandwich. My little twists in this dish is some minced garlic, diced fennel (which gives the salad a celery and anise one-two flavour punch), some Dijon mustard, pinch of cayenne pepper, fresh ground pepper, a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and some sweet paprika for garnish.

Summer is better with lobster rolls tossed in the mix.

Lobster Rolls

(serves 4-6)

2 lobsters, approx. 1 1/2lb. each

3-4 scallions, thinly sliced

1/2 cup diced fennel

1 small of garlic, minced

zest & juice of 1 lemon or lime

1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard

3-4 heaping Tbsp. of mayonnaise

pinch of cayenne pepper

1/4 cup of chopped fresh fennel fronds

fresh ground pepper to taste (no salt needed here)

toasted hot dog buns

1. Fill a large pot with water, place on your stove-top and bring to a boil. Drop your lobsters in it and once the water returns to a boil, set a timer for 10 minutes and boil your lobsters. Remove from the pot and drop in a pot of ice cold water. Allow the lobsters to cool before extracting the lobster meat (use a rolling pin to even remove the meat in the lobster legs).
2. Roughly chop the lobster meat and place in a bowl with the scallions, diced fennel,  garlic, zest and lemon/lime juice, mustard, fennel fronds, cayenne and ground pepper to taste. Cover and place in the fridge to chill.
3. Add the mayonnaise and gently fold until well-coated and mixed evenly. Taste and adjust seasoning accordingly. Place some lobster salad in a toasted hot bun, sprinkle with some sweet paprika and serve.