Lobster Roll

New England Lobster Roll

The classic Maine-style lobster roll: tender chunks of cold lobster tossed with a light dressing of mayonnaise and chives, served in a buttery griddled split-top bun. A seaside staple of the New England summer.

Prep

15 min

Cook

20 min

Total

35 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Easy

Recipe ingredients

• •450 g (1 lb) cooked lobster meat, freshly steamed or boiled; claws, knuckles, and tail preferred, or null
• •60 ml (¼ cup) mayonnaise, good-quality, such as Hellmann's or Duke's, or null
• •1 stalk celery, small, finely diced (about 60 g / ¼ cup), or null
• •15 g (¼ cup loosely packed) fresh chives, minced, or null
• •5 ml (1 tsp) fresh lemon juice, from about ¼ lemon, or null
• •2 g (½ tsp) fine sea salt, or to taste, or null
• •1 g (¼ tsp) freshly ground black pepper, or to taste, or null
• •1 g (⅛ tsp) smoked paprika, optional, for color, or null
• •4 buns split-top hot dog buns, New England-style with flat sides (Pepperidge Farm or local bakery); standard sided buns are not a true substitute, or null
• •30 g (2 tbsp) unsalted butter, softened, for griddling the buns, or null

Steps

1. 1 If starting with live lobsters: steam them in a large pot over 3 cm (1¼ in) of boiling salted water for 12–14 minutes for 450–675 g (1–1½ lb) hard-shell lobsters; the internal temperature of the tail meat should reach 74°C / 165°F and the shells will be bright red. Transfer to an ice bath to stop cooking.
2. 2 Remove the meat from the claws, knuckles, and tail. Discard the tomalley (green liver) and any black vein. Pat the meat dry with paper towels and cut into roughly 2 cm (¾ in) chunks, keeping the pieces intact rather than shredded.
3. 3 In a large bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, minced chives, diced celery, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and smoked paprika (if using).
4. 4 Gently fold the lobster meat into the dressing until just coated. Do not overmix or the lobster will break apart. Taste and adjust salt and lemon. Cover and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes and up to 2 hours to let the flavors meld.
5. 5 When ready to serve, heat a large skillet or flat griddle over medium heat. Spread the softened butter generously on the flat outer sides of each split-top bun.
6. 6 Place the buns buttered-side down on the hot skillet and griddle for 1–2 minutes, until deeply golden brown and crisp. Press gently with a spatula. Work in batches if needed.
7. 7 Heavily pile the chilled lobster mixture into each warm, griddled bun, mounding it above the edges. Finish with a small extra sprinkle of chives and a light grind of pepper. Serve immediately with potato chips, pickles, or a simple green salad on the side.