It’s the height of lobster season, and if you’re lucky, you have leftover picked-out meat from a lobster feast. In my 2012 book, “Lobster!,” I suggest several ways to use it; the easiest and most direct is to make a sandwich. Here is the formula for a classic lobster salad roll, and the recipe for a deluxe lobster club, perhaps the most magnificent sandwich of them all.
CLASSIC LOBSTER SALAD ROLL
This mayonnaise-based salad is the most common lobster roll filling. Note the absence of any additional seasonings, which lets the pure, sea-fresh taste of lobster meat shine through. New England-style top-split hot dog rolls are ideal for lobster rolls because the crustless sides can be butter-grilled to crispness, while the interior remains soft so that the lobster juices can soak into the roll. If top-split rolls aren’t available, use conventional hot dog rolls, grilling the crusty top and bottom, not the interior. Potato chips and coleslaw are the right sides. For 4 rolls, either buy picked-out meat or cook three (1½-pound) lobsters and remove the meat.
2 to 4 servings, depending on appetite
4 rolls
2 cups cooked lobster meat (about 12 ounces), cut into chunks no smaller than about ¾ inch
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/3 cup mayonnaise, plus more if necessary
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 top-split frankfurter rolls
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Toss the lobster with the lemon juice in a bowl. Add the mayonnaise and stir to combine, adding more if necessary to moisten the salad sufficiently, but do not overdress. Season with salt and pepper, going easy on the pepper. Refrigerate until ready to make the rolls.
Heat a cast-iron griddle or large heavy skillet over medium heat. Brush crustless sides of the rolls with melted butter and cook on the griddle, turning once, until both sides are golden brown, about 2 minutes per side.
Open rolls and spoon in the lobster salad, heaping it high. Serve immediately.
DELUXE LOBSTER CLUB ON BRIOCHE WITH SAFFRON MAYONNAISE
The original lobster club sandwich on brioche was created several years ago by a New York chef. It was a brilliant concept, which I have taken one step further with the addition of the saffron mayonnaise. If you’re not partial to this pungent spice, you can skip it, of course. The number of bread slices depends on the size of the loaf. Challah is often shaped into a long braid, so you may need to double up on the number of slices.
2 servings
2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
¼ teaspoon saffron threads, crumbled
3 tablespoons mayonnaise, plus additional for spreading
1 cup chopped cooked lobster meat (5 ounces), from one (1½-pound) lobster
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 slices bacon
6 or more thin slices brioche or challah or other rich egg bread, lightly toasted
Several leaves of crisp lettuce, such as romaine
1 medium-large ripe tomato, sliced
Combine the vinegar and crumbled saffron in a small saucepan. Heat gently for 1 to 2 minutes, using the back of a spoon to help crush and dissolve the saffron. Whisk the saffron vinegar into the 3 tablespoons of mayonnaise. Toss the lobster meat with the saffron mayo, season with salt and pepper to taste, and refrigerate. (Can be made up to 4 hours ahead.)
Cook bacon in a skillet over medium-low heat until the fat is rendered and the bacon is crisp, 10 to 15 minutes. Drain on paper towels.
Spread some mayonnaise on 1 side of each of the toasted bread slices. Layer on lettuce, then the lobster salad, and sandwich with a second slice of bread. Layer on tomato and bacon and top with a third slice of bread.
Cut the sandwiches in half diagonally, skewer with a toothpick to hold the layers together, and serve.
Brooke Dojny is author or co-author of more than a dozen cookbooks, most recently “Chowderland: Hearty Soups & Stews with Sides and Salads to Match.” She lives on the Blue Hill peninsula, and can be contacted via Facebook at:
facebook.com/brookedojny
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