New England Lobster Rolls

New Englanders take their lobster rolls seriously. There’s a science to this meal, and everyone has their own solution. Some like it warm, and some like it cold. Some like their meat frisked with mayo, and others like it naked  with a side of drawn butter. Some like only tail meat, while others enjoy the sweet touch of a claw. Some like lime, but others prefer lemon.

During our two years on the East Coast  we had our fair share of lobster rolls. We had them on hot dog buns, and on white bread. We had them dressed in mayonnaise and naked with butter. We had them from little shacks on the sea and from fancy restaurants on the harbor. Though each roll came with a unique memory, our favorite rolls were always the ones cooked at home. While sure, we’d take an ocean view to that of an alleyway any day, with each new roll we’d try, the hubs and I always found ourselves comparing our food to the recipe prepared right in our own kitchen.

I’ve been feeling mighty homesick for Boston lately, missing friends and weekly rituals. I’ve missed our weekend trips to the beach, and the seafood market next to our old apartment. I’ve missed afternoons spent on the docks eating fish stew, and I’ve especially missed our access to fresh lobster.

In lieu of hamburgers and hotdogs for our labor day feast, we celebrated our weekend New England style with a traditional New England lobster bake. We enjoyed clams and lobster straight from Portland, ME. There was corn and potatoes and plenty of butter to go around. I spent the day baking blueberry cobbler and chocolate whoopie pies. I could almost hear the waves. Just almost.

As any good New Englander knows, the best part of a lobster bake is your meal for the following day–if you’re lucky to have any left, anyway. I was in a constant state of panic the entire night of our meal, anxiously watching the lobster supply, calculating what leftovers we might end up with. We had ordered several extra lobsters to eliminate this worry, but you know how people get when it comes to lobster. Lucky for us, we were left with a bag full of claws, and a couple of tails. Just what we needed for a perfect afternoon meal.

New England Lobster Rolls

3-4 cups cooked and chilled lobster meat, chopped into 1-inch pieces

2 tbsp mayonnaise

juice of 1 lime

3 green onions, chopped

1 small stalk of celery, chopped

3-4 dashes of hot sauce

s&p to taste

6 hot dog buns or hoagie rolls

butter

6 lettuce leafs

1 pinch of dried parsley

In a large bowl, mix together mayonnaise, lime juice, hot sauce, green onions, celery, and salt and pepper until well combined. Gently stir in lobster meat until lightly coated.

Meanwhile, butter bread and lightly toast or grill under golden brown.

Top your bread with a lettuce leaf and two large spoonfuls of lobster. Add a pinch of dried parsley if desired.

Recipe serves 6.

What’s your favorite way to eat a lobster roll?