Being a California girl, I’ve always had a perception about how summers are spent on the east coast. Mind you, much of my perception is heavily influenced by the movie Beaches, so it obviously includes Boardwalks, surrey bike rides, and nostalgic photo booth sessions with your very best friend.
Maybe the only thing topping these cinematic images of an idyllic east coast summer would be tucking into an authentic lobster roll after a long day at the beach. Your skin is feeling slightly sun kissed, you can still feel the remnant sensation of waves lapping against your legs, and a chill has set into the air. What else is left to do than to fill your belly with a deliciously sweet lobster roll? Maybe while watching Beaches? Even better.
This recipe is fantastic for summer entertaining, whether you’re relaxing beachside on the east coast or spending a chilly summer in San Francisco (like me…yes, our summer’s are freezing here!). Lobster is a little bit of an entertaining splurge, but here’s the deal…when you’re making lobster rolls, you don’t need a whole lobster for each person. I spent about $30 on three small-ish lobsters at a local seafood market, which was plenty to make four filling lobster rolls. When your remaining ingredients are pretty much mayo, celery, chives, and bread, it’s really no biggie to splurge a bit on the star of this show, the lobster!
My market even offered live or pre-cooked lobsters for the exact same price…uh, no brainer. I let the experts at the market take care of the cooking for me so all that was left to do was a little shelling, chopping, mixing, and assembling. My idea of a perfect (nearly effortless) summer meal.
Lobster Rolls
You’ll need:
- Cooked lobsters (totaling 4 pounds)
- 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons finely diced celery
- 2 tablespoons minced chives
- juice from half a lemon
- salt & pepper
- 4 brioche hot dog buns
- 1/4 cup softened butter
- 4 large butter lettuce leaves
To prepare:
- Start by disassembling the lobsters. Remove and discard the head. Separate the legs and claws from the body. Use kitchen shears to cut through the exterior shell of the tail, and remove the meat. Use a small lobster hammer or meat pounder to crack the claws, and remove the meat. A rolling pin may be used to press the meat out of the legs. Discard all of the leftover shells (or they may be saved to make a seafood stock later).
- Roughly chop all of the meat into 1/2 inch chunks, and add to a bowl. Combine with the mayonnaise, celery, half of the chives, lemon juice, and lightly season with salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly. The lobster salad can me made in advance up to this point and stored in the fridge until ready to prepare the rolls later in the day.
- To prepare the rolls, start by preheating the broiler. Cut the buns in half and generously spread butter on the inside. Toast under the broiler.
- Assemble the sandwiches with a butter lettuce leaf on the bottom. Top with the lobster meat, and garnish with a sprinkling of the remaining chives.
Serves 4
Melissa is the blogger behind Serving Seconds, a food blog dedicated to the yummy and the beautiful. When she’s not in the kitchen, you can find her wandering the aisles of the craft store, instagramming at the dinner table, or exploring every foodie nook she can find in her beloved city of San Francisco. She’s got a penchant for anything mini, modernized comfort food, and stellar hospitality.
Blog: www.ServingSeconds.com
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