Classic Maine Lobster Roll, Summer Shack

Written by Jessica Houghton

The Following recipes are from Jasper White's Summer Shack Cookbook

Check out the story on Jasper White and Summer Shack HERE.

Classic Maine Lobster Roll
Makes 4 rolls

The Maine lobster roll has always been a New England favorite, but now it is becoming favorite in other places as well. I never thought I’d see the day that the New York Times ran an article on the best lobster rolls in the city (NYC), but recently they did just that. It is only a matter of a time before lobster rolls become popular everywhere. The lobster roll, the king of clam shack offerings, is incredibly delicious, with its cool fresh lobster salad and warm crisp, buttery bun. It is humble, but don’t be fooled by the garnish of pickles and potato chips. This dish is like a millionaire driving an old Chevy-understated, but still rich-typical of the New England culture.

Making lobster rolls at home is easy, and they are a guaranteed hit with visitors and family alike. You will need to find real New England-style hot-dog buns, which are top-sliced with cut sides so they can be buttered and griddled. If you can’t find them, buy slightly oversized buns and trim the crust from the sides.

For equipment, you will need a 10-inch skillet, preferably cast iron. If you have paper bun holders, they are quite handy for holding the rolls when you stuff them and for serving.

4 New England-style hot-dog buns
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, divided
4 Boston or Bibb lettuce leaves, washed and dried
Lobster Salad (see recipe below)
4 dill pickle spears
Potato chips

Working Ahead
You can mix the Lobster Salad up to 4 hours ahead. Once the Lobster Salad is ready, this becomes a very easy and fast dish.

1. Heat a 10-inch skillet over medium heat.
2. Spread the sides of the hot dog buns with the butter, using 1⁄2 tablespoon on each side. Place the buttered buns in the hot pan and toast, without moving, until golden brown on one side, about a minute. Turn and cook the other side, about 1 minute more. Remove from the heat.
3. Open the buns and place in paper bun holders or on small plates. Place a lettuce leave to the side of each bun. Divide the Lobster Salad evenly among the buns. Serve with the pickles and potato chips on the side.

Lobster Salad
Makes 2 cups, enough for 4 or 5 sandwiches or to serve 4 or 5 as a light main course

In New England, tastes for lobster salad are highly individual. Some people like only mayonnaise, other want onions and celery added. Some dice the meat small, others prefer huge chunks. My version uses a special mayonnaise with a small dice of cucumber and scallion. The cucumber is crunchy, and its mild flavor complements the lobster. I have served hundreds of thousands of lobster rolls at Summer Shack using this recipe, and people love it. In addition to providing the filling for the venerable lobster roll, you can use this salad to stuff a ripe tomato or papaya for a delicious cold plate, layer it between slices of almost any kind of bread to make a great sandwich, or roll it up to make a wrap.

If you buy cooked lobster meat from a good-quality market, it can be a fair deal. If the meat looks dull in color or has reddish stains, that means it isn’t very fresh. In that case, cook your own lobster and remove the meat.

Working Ahead
You can make the salad a few hours before you serve it, but in that case, don’t add the scallions until half an hour before serving.

1 pound cooked lobster meat or 5 pounds live lobsters
1 small to medium cucumber (4-5 ounces), peeled, seeded, and cut into 1⁄4-inch dice
1⁄2 cup Jasper’s Lobster Mayonnaise (recipe appears in his book) or Hellmann’s mayonnaise
2 or 3 small scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced
Freshly ground black pepper, if neededKosher or sea salt, if needed

1. If you are using live lobsters, steam them until fully cooked and allow to cool to room temperature. Crack and remove the meat from the claws, knuckles, and tails. Remove any cartilage from the claws and the intestine from the tails.

2. Cut the lobster meat into 1⁄2- to 3⁄4-inch dice. If using whole lobsters, you can pick all the meat from the carcasses and add it to the meat, or freeze the carcasses for soup or stock.

3. Place the diced cucumber in a colander and let stand for at least 5 minutes to drain the excess liquid.

4. Combine the lobster, cucumber, mayonnaise, and scallions in a bowl. Season with a bit of pepper if needed; it is unlikely that salt will be needed. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes before serving.