On a day like today there is no better way to enjoy New England than hitting the beach. We went down to Narragansett beach today. There's something about being on the ocean that always makes you crave seafood. So we went over to Champlain's in Galilee and enjoyed some of their delicious lobster rolls with a tall boy of Gansett of course. Which got us thinking that it's so easy to make and we should have a recipe on our blog. So here it is!
Ingredients 1 pound cooked lobster meat (or 5 pounds live lobsters)
1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded and finely diced
½ cup mayonnaise or tarragon mayonnaise
3 small scallions, white and most of the green parts, thinly sliced
Kosher or sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
6 New England-style hot dog buns
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 head of Romaine lettuce washed and cut
Pickles and Cape Cod potato chips
Directions
If using live lobsters, steam or boil them (* see below for tips from our Maine friends on the perfect way to biol a lobster), let cool, then remove the meat and cut into ½ -inch dice. Place the cucumber in a colander for at least 5 minutes to drain the excess liquid. Combine the lobster, cucumber and mayonnaise. If the salad is to be served within the hour, add the scallions. If not, add them 30 minutes before serving. Season with salt if needed, and pepper. Cover with plasticwrap and chill for at least 30 minutes before serving.
*Lobster should be boiled in fresh ocean or tidal water. It is the briny-sweet taste of the sea that is so intensely satisfying and sensually stimulating. Boiling a lobster in the clean ocean water it came from produces this flavor experience better than any other cooking method. When ocean water is not available, heavily salted fresh tap water is fine, but it never fully captures the flavor of the sea. Or steaming is recommended, which produces a pure lobster flavor.
Preheat a large heavy skillet over medium-low heat. A black cast-iron pan is perfect. Lighly butter both sides of each bun. Place in the pan and cook for about 2 minutes, until golden brown. Turn buns over and toast the other side. Or toaste the buns under a broiler instad. When buns are ready, place one leaf of lettuc inside then stuff them with chilled lobster salad. Place each roll on a small paper or china plate, granish with pickles and potato chips. Serve at once.
