Authentic Maine Lobster Rolls are served up on New England style split top hot dog buns. Lightly buttered and toasted on a grill. These buns have flat sides. We have plenty of New England style buns here but whole wheat New England style buns are unknown. I suppose I could make my own. Nah.
The Maine Lobster Roll starts here:
You want a lively lobster.
I like lobster steamed. Put 1 inch of water in a big stock pot. Splash in a capful of white vinegar. Cover it. When the water is going at a ripping boil lift the cover, chuck the lobster in fast, head first, and slam the cover back on. I know he's really just a big bug but this is the most merciful way to do him in.
The water will come back to a boil quickly.
Steam your lobster 8 minutes for the first pound and 3 minutes for each additional pound. Start timing when the water comes back to a boil but even with a big lobster it will be back to a boil in 30 or 40 seconds on a really hot burner.
This guy went for 11 minutes.
When the lobster finishes steaming fish it out of the pot with some tongs, transfer it to a bowl and run cold water over it for several minutes to stop further cooking.
When the lobster cools down refrigerate it.
When ready to make a Lobster Roll, crack open the tail, knuckles and claws, pick the meat out, rinse it and blot it dry with some paper towel. I pick the legs off and suck the meat out.
Chop the tail and claw meat into half inch pieces. Mix in a tablespoon of mayonnaise for each pound of (whole uncooked) lobster. Just enough to make the lobster stick together. If you think you need more that's just enough.
A key point here - an authentic Maine Lobster Roll has nothing else in the filling. Adding celery or onions <gasp!> makes "lobster salad". You can put that in a bun and it might be quite good, but it's lobster salad in a bun. Not a Lobster Roll.
Line your bun with a lettuce leaf and fill it with your lobster filling. You can pinch some paprika over the top if you want.
Authentic or almost authentic it's a perfectly delicious dose of lobster.
In my opinion 3 things go with a Maine Lobster Roll. Iced tea. Lemonade. Beer.
May I just say that I love this post! I like my lobster unadulterated... mayonnaise in my lobster roll, but absolutely nothing on it when it's hot. I have read this post several times now and I think I need to stop at the market today, because I'm making a lobster roll! Thanks for the inspiration :)
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