With the 4th of July holiday fast approaching my recipe creating is starting to work on overdrive. After a recent trip to Cape Cod, MA where we had a fresh lobster dinner, I cannot get lobster off my mind. I also can’t think about this upcoming holiday without thinking of Lobster Rolls. There is just something about them that goes so well with any of the holidays we celebrate during the summer months, like Memorial Day, 4th of July and Labor Day. Ever since our trip to Cape Cod, I have been wanting to make lobster at home. It is crazy because my husband says he is not a big lobster fan. WHAT?! I know, crazy, right?! I think he doesn’t care for the work it takes to crack and eat a lobster. He says I enjoy it so much more than he does. Ok, I will give him that; it can be a lot of work to crack a whole lobster and I agree that I definitely love it more than he does. I happen to think it is worth it to tie on that lobster bib and spend time cracking that shell to pull out all that tender lobster meat. It is so tasty on its own or dipped in some nice melted butter for extra flavor. I can taste it now as I am writing this; my mouth is watering. Ok, sorry I lost myself for a minute there. Lobster can do that to a girl.
Lobster Dinner, Cape Cod
Instead, I thought I would make something easier for my husband to eat and this way I still get my lobster. Lobster Rolls it is. Win-win!
Because I decided to try my hand at lobster rolls during our busy weekday schedule I wanted to make this a very simple recipe. I headed to our local supermarket which happens to have a great fish market. I knew they would have just what I was looking for. I was able to find Wild Caught Lobster Tails that were fully cooked. Now, I could have bought fresh lobsters or even just the tails and cooked them up myself. Normally, that is just what I would do. However, with a busy schedule (and because I couldn’t wait until the weekend to have my lobster) I didn’t have time to do that. I was so pleasantly surprised by the fully cooked lobster I found. It was so tender and so incredibly delicious. They did not disappoint. Bonus, I think maybe I got my husband to enjoy his first lobster dinner! How do I know this? He asked for seconds!
Check it out, give it a try. These Lobster Rolls are so easy to make and would be great for your next summer get together. Your guests will be so impressed.
Mangia!
Lobster Rolls w/Homemade Chips
Makes approx. 4 Servings
Ingredients
3 Cups, Wild Caught Lobster Tail Meat, bite size pieces (about 1 tail per person)
1/4 cup, Mayo
3 Tablespoons, Lemon, Juice
1 stalk, Celery, finely chopped
2-3 Green Onions, white & green parts, chopped
1/2 Teaspoon, Garlic Salt
S&P
2 Tablespoons, Fresh Tarragon, chopped
1 Tablespoon, Butter, unsalted
1 Lemon, cut into wedges for garnish
1 Tablespoon, Fresh Italian Parsley, rough chop *for garnish
4 Hot Dog Buns, slit on top of bun
*Extra Butter to toast buns
Homemade Rosemary & Garlic Chips:
3 Large Butter Potatoes
S&P
1 Teaspoon, Garlic Salt
2 Tablespoons, Fresh Rosemary, finely chopped
2 Tablespoons, Olive Oil
Instructions
In a medium to large size mixing bowl, add the mayo, lemon juice, celery, green onions, garlic salt, 1 tablespoon of the Tarragon, S&P and mix well. Set aside or place in fridge until ready to use (to keep nice and cold).
Place a sauté pan on the stove and turn heat to medium. Add 1 tablespoon of butter. Once melted, add the lobster meat and sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the Tarragon on top. Toss the meat around until all coated, approx. 30 seconds or so. Don’t heat for too long otherwise the lobster can get chewy. Remove from the heat. Using a slotted spoon transfer the lobster to the mixing bowl with the mayo mixture. Toss to even coat all the meat. Place in fridge while you prep the rest of your meal.
Homemade Chips: Preheat oven to 400 Degrees. Using a mandolin or a knife, cut the potatoes thinly. Toss them in the olive oil and season with the S&P and fresh Rosemary. Spray a couple of baking sheets with cooking spray and place the potatoes onto the baking sheets in a single layer. Bake in the oven for approx. 12-15 minutes or until nice and golden. Remove from heat, season with a little more salt, transfer to wire racks to cool and to ensure they crisp up nicely.
Toast Buns: Butter the outside of the buns. Heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Place the buns into the pan (side with butter facing down) and toast each side until they are a nice golden brown color.
Assemble the Lobster Roll: Remove the lobster from the fridge. Place about 3/4 cup into each roll. Sprinkle the parsley on top of each one. Serve with some of the homemade chips and a lemon wedge or 2 for each. You can also line the bun with a piece of lettuce (I would recommend Bib lettuce). Serve with your favorite beer or beverage.
Mangia! Enjoy!
Notes
Lobster: you can buy Lobster Tails and cook them up yourself. If you do this, figure about 1 tail per person. However, that can get quite expensive if you are feeding several people. I was fortunate to find fully cooked lobster tail meat at my local supermarket. It was all tail meat and wild caught. No imitation here please!! Our supermarket has a great fish market so I thought I would give it a try. I am so glad we did because the lobster was so tender and incredibly delicious! Not to mention, it was less expensive and made it super easy to put this dinner together.
Mayo Mixture: you can add less or more of the mayo depending on how dressed you like your lobster. I like to taste my lobster so I didn’t want to overdo the mayo in this recipe.
Celery/Green Onions: if you like more of a crunch, feel free to add more of the celery and green onions to this recipe.
Optional Garnishes: If you don’t like the parsley, you can garnish with some fresh, chopped chives or chop up some extra Tarragon to top them off. Use any of your favorite herbs.