Recipe Background
Whip up Patriots' Lobster Rolls for a quintessential taste of New England, perfect for newly minted hosts.
It was the Fourth of July, and my friend Sam and I had just decided to throw a spontaneous patriotic bash in our new shared apartment. We wanted something quintessentially New England to serve, and lobster rolls immediately came to mind. With minimal cooking skills and most of our kitchen boxes still packed, we resorted to frozen lobster meat from the market down the street. I remember being so cautious while rinsing it, ensuring not a single piece of shell survived. We partnered it with celery for some crunch and a hint of chives from our tiny windowsill herb garden.
The key to our success that sunny afternoon was butter. We made sure to use it generously, melting it into the warm skillet and letting the lobster soak up its golden richness. The lemon zest added just the right zing to our mayo concoction, a detail I'd stumbled upon from an old New England cookbook my grandmother had gifted me. As we toasted those split-top buns to crisp perfection, the aroma drew in guests from Sam's cleverly curated guest list, though I'm sure the promise of potato chips didn't hurt either.
By the time the fireworks began, our apartment had transformed into a cozy harbor of laughter and delectable bites. The perfectly golden crust on each bun paired with the buttery lobster was a hit, marking our first party in style. For anyone trying this, do not overlook those potato chips as a side; they're the crunchy complement to the tender, buttery rolls. That evening wasn’t just about the food, but about celebrating friendship with a culinary nod to our New England setting.
Ingredients
- 1 pound of frozen lobster meat thawed
- 1/4 cup celery minced
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon chives plus more for garnish, minced
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt plus more to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper plus more to taste
- 4 tablespoons butter divided
- 4 split-top brioche New England-style hot dog buns sides trimmed off
- potato chips optional, to taste, for serving
Directions
- Rinse the lobster meat and pick through any loose shells.
- Drain the lobster thoroughly.
- Chop or tear the lobster meat into large chunks.
- In a large bowl, mix the celery, the mayonnaise, the chives, the lemon juice, the lemon zest, the kosher salt, and the ground black pepper. Taste for seasoning.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter.
- Add the lobster meat to the melted butter and cook, stirring until warmed through and buttery all over, about 2 minutes.
- Use a slotted spoon to add the lobster meat into the mayo mixture and toss to coat.
- Discard the juices from the skillet and carefully wipe it clean.
- Melt the remaining butter in the same skillet over medium heat.
- Toast the buns on the cut sides until golden and toasty, about 2 minutes each side.
- Load each bun equally with the lobster meat and garnish with the chives.
- Serve with the potato chips.
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