Authentic New England Lobster Rolls

by Diana Rattray

An authentic New England lobster roll is packed with sweet cooked lobster meat, a bit of mayo, and sometimes, finely chopped celery or fresh herbs. Soft, freshly buttered and toasted New England-style rolls are essential for the real thing, but if all you can find are the split top brioche or regular side-split rolls, toast the inside, not the outside.

Minimal mayonnaise and seasoning are critical here because you want the lobster to be the star. If you add too much mayo or herbs, you risk overwhelming the lobster’s unique, sweet flavor. A few tablespoons of mayo should be plenty for 1 pound of lobster meat—add a few drops of lemon juice to the mayo if you like. If you crave a little texture, add some finely chopped celery. The celery can enhance the sandwich’s flavor without interfering with the flavor of the lobster. Some salt and pepper, to taste, is all the seasoning you need. Add a garnish of chopped fresh dill or snipped chives if you need color. I like to line the buns with lettuce, but that’s optional as well.

This recipe makes 4 well-stuffed lobster rolls, but you can easily stretch the filling to make 6 to 8 perfectly delicious lobster rolls.

What are New England-Style Hot Dog Rolls?

New England-style hot dog rolls are split-top rolls with crusts on the top and bread sides. The sides of the rolls are usually buttered and toasted and filled with hot dogs, lobster, tuna salad, or another filling. They are unique to New England, but you might find them in other regions. You might also find New England-Style hot dog rolls online. When I lived in Mississippi, I had to have my mother send them—they are a must for a true Maine or New England-style lobster roll.

There are other “split-top” rolls, like split-top brioche rolls, but they can’t be toasted in the same way, which is a major. If you can’t find them, King Arthur makes a specialty pan that mimics the rounded top crust and white-bread sides.

The Connecticut Lobster Roll

A Connecticut lobster roll is made with warm lobster meat and melted butter instead of mayonnaise. So, if you aren’t a fan of mayonnaise, this version is for you! All you need is about 1 tablespoon of melted unsalted butter for each lobster roll, some salt and pepper for seasoning, and chopped chives for garnish. New England-style hot dog rolls with toasted white bread sides are also the preferred bread for a Connecticut lobster roll.

Soft Shell vs Hard Shell Lobster

Soft shell lobsters are less expensive because they are still growing into their shells, and there is more water in them. Hard shell lobsters have grown into their shells, offering a higher meat yield. For 1 lobster roll—or 2 if you stretch it—you’ll want a 1 1/4-pound hard shell lobster or a 1 1/2-pound soft shell lobster.

What to Serve With Lobster Rolls

Serve lobster rolls with some potato chips or a side of fries or sweet potato fries. A simple side salad, slaw, or fresh sliced tomatoes goes nicely with lobster rolls as well. Or consider a flavorful pasta salad or light potato salad.

Tips

• Plunging a lobster head-first into boiling water purportedly kills it instantly, but many believe it should be killed humanely before boiling or steaming. To kill it quickly before boiling, plunge the point of a large, sharp knife into the lobster’s head, between the eyes, then bring the knife down to slice right through the head.
• Save the shells and freeze them to make a tasty seafood stock in the future.

Variations

• Instead of lobster, make the rolls with about 3 cups of chopped cooked shrimp.
• Add a squeeze of lemon and chives to the mayonnaise and lobster mixture.
• For Connecticut style, toss the lobster meat in 1/3 cup of melted unsalted butter.
• Instead of mayo or melted butter, toss the lobster in about 1/3 cup of brown butter.
• For an Asian twist, add about 1/4 teaspoon of Indian-style curry powder (or to taste), 1/2 teaspoon of lime zest, and 1 tablespoon of lime juice to the lobster mixture. Garnish with cilantro leaves.
• Add about 1/2 cup of creamy coleslaw, season with celery salt, and drizzle with butter.

How to Store Leftover Lobster

• If you have more lobster salad than you need, refrigerate it for up to 3 days in an airtight container.

Can I use frozen lobster meat?

If you would rather not cook live lobsters, you can buy fresh or frozen lobster meat. Or ask your fishmonger to steam the lobsters, then you only have to crack them and pick out the meat when you get home. Most grocery stores and fish markets are more than willing to do this.

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