Ingredients - Lobster Rolls
-
1 pound fully cooked lobster meat, or 5 pounds live lobsters
-
1 medium cucumber (5 to 6 ounces), peeled, seeded, and finely diced
-
1/2 cup Special Tarragon Mayonnaise (recipe follows); or bottled
mayonnaise; or bottled mayonnaise mixed with the seasonings in the
Special Tarragon Mayonnaise recipe below, to taste
-
3 small scallions (white and most of the green parts), thinly sliced
-
kosher or sea salt
-
freshly ground black pepper
-
6 New England-style top-split hot dog buns (or regular hot dog buns,
with about 1/4-inch of the sides shaved off to make a flat surface for
griddling)
-
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
-
pickles and potato chips, for serving
- Special Tarragon Mayonnaise
-
1 large egg yolk
-
1 tablespoons Dijon mustard
-
2 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon leaves
-
1 cup salad oil, such as safflower, sunflower, or refined peanut (avoid full-flavored oil)
-
juice of 1/2 large lemon
-
1 tablespoon ice water
-
kosher or sea salt
-
freshly ground black pepper
-
cayenne pepper or Tabasco sauce
Directions- Lobster Rolls
- If
using live lobsters, prepare to steam them. Note: There are lots of
opinions on the most humane way to cook a lobster—choose the method
you're most comfortable with. If you'd like to quickly kill the lobsters
before cooking, Fine Cooking has a a very clear video. Alternatively,
you can numb them in the freezer for 20 to 30 minutes (though you may
need to add an extra minute of cook time) or stand the lobsters on their
heads to calm them, like this.
- To
steam the lobsters, fill a large, tall, lidded pot with 1 inch of salt
water. If the lobsters do not fit comfortably in the pot and you cannot
see the bottom of the pot, it’s overcrowded and you should use more than
one pot. Set up a steaming rack inside the pot (or improvise one with
an upside-down colander)—there should be enough room that the lobsters
will be suspended far enough above the water that when they release
liquid during steaming, they do not end up sitting in it. Turn the heat
to high and cover the pot. The water will boil quickly and fill the pot
with steam. When it does, place the lobsters in the pot and cover
tightly. 1-pound lobsters should take 10 minutes to cook; add 2 minutes
for every additional 1/4 pound. Halfway through steaming, using long
tongs, carefully rearrange the lobsters. Work quickly and cover the pot
again as soon as possible. When the lobsters have cooked for the
recommended time, remove one and break it open where the carapace meets
the tail. The tail meat should be creamy white with no translucency. If
not, allow the lobsters to steam for a few minutes more.
- Let
the lobsters cool at room temperature. Use a cleaver to crack and
remove the meat from the claws, knuckles, and tails. Remove the
cartilage from the claws and the intestine from the tails of the cooked
meat and discard. Cut the meat into 1/2-inch dice. You may pick all the
meat from the carcass or freeze the carcass for soup or broth.
- Place the cucumber in a colander for at least 5 minutes to drain any 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 plastic wrap
and chill for at least 30 minutes before serving.
- When ready to serve, preheat a large heavy skillet (12 or 14 inches) over medium low heat. (A black cast-iron pan is perfect.)
- Lightly
butter both sides of each bun. Place in the pan and cook for about 2
minutes or until golden brown. Turn the buns over and toast the other
side. Or toast them under the broiler instead.
- When
the buns are ready, stuff them with the chilled lobster salad. Place
each roll on a small paper or china plate; garnish with pickles and
potato chips. Serve at once, while the bun is still warm and salad cold.
- Special Tarragon Mayonnaise
- To
make the mayonnaise by hand (alternatively, these steps can be done in a
food processor): Place a stainless-steel mixing bowl on a damp cloth to
keep the bowl from sliding around. Add the egg yolk, mustard, and
tarragon to the bowl and whisk until blended.
- Drizzle
the oil into the bowl while whisking constantly. Be sure that the
mixture is smooth and well blended at all times. Stop adding the oil
periodically to allow yourself time to catch up; when there is no oil
visible, continue adding and whisking. When half the oil is added, add 1
teaspoon of lemon juice. Alternate between the remaining oil and lemon
juice, whisking all the while, until both are incorporated.
- Whisk
in the ice water. (The water stabilizes the mayonnaise, which prevents
separating, a common flaw of homemade mayonnaise.) Season to taste with
salt pepper and cayenne. Whisk. Store in a small container, covered and
refrigerated, for up to 3 days. Makes 1 cup.
Thanks to our amazing customers Pamela, Bobby, Shadow & Lucca for bringing this amazing recipe to our attention :-) Recipe courtesy of Food 52 https://food52.com/blog/22559-the-secrets-to-jaspe...
|
|
|