American
Lobster Roll
Two legendary styles — chilled Maine mayo and warm Connecticut butter — from A Guide to American Gastronomy.
Recipe by Cyman Huang
Cooked, styled and photographed in his kitchen.
The lobster roll is one of America's great luxury sandwiches, and the debate between the two primary styles — Maine-style (chilled lobster meat tossed lightly with mayonnaise) and Connecticut-style (warm lobster meat bathed in drawn butter) — is as passionate as any in American food. Both are correct. Both are extraordinary.
The roll itself must be a New England split-top hot dog bun, toasted in butter, because the structural integrity of a regular hot dog bun does not meet the requirements of this application.
Watch it come together
Ingredients
Base
- 2 live lobsters, 1½ lbs each (or 1 lb cooked lobster meat from the fishmonger)
- Kosher salt for the boiling water
- 4 New England split-top hot dog buns
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter (for toasting buns)
Maine style (cold)
- 3 tbsp best-quality mayonnaise (Duke's or Hellmann's)
- 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 small stalk celery, very finely diced
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- Pinch of white pepper
- Fresh chives for garnish
Connecticut style (warm)
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter, clarified or whole
- 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
- Pinch of kosher salt
- Fresh tarragon or chives
Method
- 1
COOK THE LOBSTER: Bring a very large pot of heavily salted water to a rolling boil. Add lobsters headfirst. Cover and cook for exactly 9–11 minutes for 1½ lb lobsters, until the shells are bright red. Transfer immediately to an ice bath for 5 minutes to stop the cooking.
- 2
EXTRACT THE MEAT: Twist off the claws and knuckles. Crack claws with a nutcracker or the back of a heavy knife. Remove the tail by twisting it from the body. Use kitchen shears to cut down the underside of the tail and pull out the meat in one piece. Chop all meat into generous chunks, roughly 1-inch pieces.
- 3
TOAST THE BUNS: Melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a skillet over medium heat. Toast the buns on their flat sides until golden brown.
- 4
FOR MAINE STYLE: Gently fold lobster chunks with mayo, lemon juice, celery, salt and white pepper. Do not overmix. The mayo should coat the lobster, not drown it. Serve cold or at room temperature in a toasted bun, topped with fresh chives.
- 5
FOR CONNECTICUT STYLE: Gently warm lobster chunks in clarified butter over very low heat, 2–3 minutes. Season with salt and a squeeze of lemon. Spoon into a warm toasted bun with all the butter. Top with fresh tarragon.
Substitutions
- Chef's Tip: Buy the best lobster you can afford and do not adorn it heavily. The Maine preparation should be just enough mayo to bind — never so much that the lobster becomes a lobster-flavored mayonnaise salad. The lobster is the star; everything else is just the frame.
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