Classic Maine Lobster Rolls

How can it be possible that I have not uttered the word “lobster roll” on this blog yet? Well that is about to change. The lobster roll is one of the true glories of Maine coastal dining and one of the most popular lunch items on the Maine coast, and plenty of places up and down our coastline to enjoy these delicious morsels. It seems every Maineiac and visitor has an opinion on this subject “where to get the best lobster roll”. Now it is my turn to weigh in on the debate. Why even get them at all? They're just so simple to prepare on your own.




I’m guess I am just a traditionalist when it comes to lobster rolls and take a minimalist approach to preparing one– the star always being the lobster. Only large, chilled chunks of the freshest meat combined with a small amount of mayonnaise will do. And then there’s the bun, yes the bun– it must be a top loader, buttered and grilled to a golden brown. The lobster meat should be piled high and generously with perhaps a few chunk spilling out onto the plate. Maybe just a squeeze of fresh lemon and utter perfection.


And then there's the lobster salad, which on a steamy hot day like yesterday--a perfect choice for dinner last night and even easier to prepare than the roll. Same formula basically--chilled and served over a bed of fresh greens and a splash of lemon juice along with an icy cold beer. Perfection, and.. Dad might just love this dish for Father's Day too!



Lobster Salad or Rolls

2-3 cups cooked and diced lobster meat
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
2 TBLS unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup finely diced celery * optional
white pepper
4 split top hot dog rolls
OR fresh greens from the garden

Toss the lobster with lemon juice in a bowl. Add the mayonnaise and stir to combine. Add the celery if you like. Season with just a bit of white pepper--no salt necessary and refrigerate for a couple of hours if not using right away.

For Lobster Rolls:

Heat a griddle or skillet over medium heat. Brush the crustless sides of the rolls with the melted butter and place on the griddle. Cook, turning once until both sides are golden brown--about two minutes per side.

Spoon in the lobster salad into the grilled rolls, heaping it high ;-) and serve immediately.

**Note--You can buy cooked lobster meat in most grocers or just pick up three 1 1/4 pound lobsters and steam them yourself. Once cooled, crack and pick out the meat yourself.

For Lobster Salad:

Pick the freshest greens in your garden or pick some up at your local farmers market. Rinse, and pat dry the salad greens and generously mound the lobster salad over the fresh greens. Enjoy!

Seafood Pie

Here's a dish that I typically make often, but for some reason haven't made it all winter. You may use any seafood you would prefer. Sometimes I make it with only shrimp or lobster, but this week I used some lobster meat, shrimp, and haddock pieces. It's easily assembled, and even better served the next day.





1 cup lobster meat, cut into pieces
1 cup shrimp or more
1 pound fresh haddock or any white fish cut into 2 inch pieces
2 cups Ritz crackers, crushed fine
1 cup corn flakes, crumbled w/ rolling pin
1 TBL cornstarch mixed w/ a few tsps of milk
2 TBLS flour
1 stick unsalted butter
1 tsp worcestershire sauce
3-4 drops tobasco sauce
1/2 pint cream
1/2 cup diced scallions
ground pepper to taste-NO salt needed
paprika
olive oil

Pre-heat oven at 350 degrees




Melt butter and pour over crumbs into a bowl. Reserve the other half. In a separate bowl mix together all the ingredients and seasonings.. adding seafood lastly, mixing in well. Make a layer of blended crumbs in the bottom of a greased baking pan or brownie pan. Spread mixed batter next layer. Sprinkle remaining buttered crumb mixture on top. Drizzle with a bit of olive oil and a few shakes of paprika. Bake uncovered 20-25 minutes or until there are no liquids remaining. Allow to set before serving. Enjoy!

Lobster Risotto

Hard or soft, unmistakably delicious.. Maine lobster.





It’s hard to believe that at one point in time, lobsters were considered nothing more than a poor man’s dinner at best.. even used as bait by local fishermen. But once lobsters finally stumbled into the gourmet spotlight in the urban centers of Boston and New York, they are now hailed as one of the ‘must have’ foods when visiting Maine. With their bright red color and unmistakable flavor, lobsters are now forever linked with traditional Maine dining.
Nothing but the harder shelled variety is available during coolor months here, but with the dog days of summer bring lobsters with a much softer touch…

Ayup, soft shelled lobsters are now here. Which is better? Arguably,I think it is a draw. And one that can be boiled down to one of quality vs. quantity. Most visitors enjoy the summer prices, sometimes as low as $4 per pound.. tough to argue at these prices. The thing about soft-shells for a tourist is that it’s very easy to eat.. no crackers needed! But for the first time eaters, the soft shelled lobster is not all it’s cracked up to be. The reason they cost so little.. there’s not nearly as much meat. The new shell hasn’t had enough time to fill up, as opposed to our hard shelled lobsters overflowing with succulent meat. Flavorable as ever.. you bet! Yes, molting season does have it’s advantages and disadvantages. Dollar for dollar and pound for pound, I’ll take hard shelled lobsters anyday. But when you have a lobsterman friend, who generously shares his trappings with his good friends, especially on certain birthdays and holidays, I’ll gladly take either :) The menu could be anything from steamed, to lobster stew, or chowder to baked & stuffed, or lobster rolls… but this week I wanted to try something a little different, at least for me. So after a celebratory birthday steamed lobster dinner this week, I ‘knuckled’ :) two tails along with a few cups of broth and decided to try my hand at lobster risotto. I could easily eat risotto every night of the week. But this dish I think I’d save for special occasions.. unless of course you have your own lobsterman friend too!. Creamy, rich and absolutely marvelous flavor. Thanks John for such a great gift.

Cooked lobster meat
3 cup seafood broth
2 TBLS white truffle oil
2 carrots, grated
¼ cup shallots, minced
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 TBLS salt free butter
zest of one orange
1 cup arborio rice
sprig of fresh thyme
1/2 cup white wine
2-3 cups low sodium chicken broth
pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
fresh parsley
ground pepper

Simmer chicken broth and keep warmed. Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add shallots and carrots and sautee for a few minutes. Add arborio rice & stir around cooking for two minutes more until all the rice is well coated. Add white wine and reduce heat to low. Simmer until wine is fully absorbed, stirring constantly. Add 2 cups chicken broth and 1 1/2 cup seafood broth. Simmer on low until the rice becomes creamy, adding the rest of the seafood stock and broth by ladleful until it is gone, stirring often about 20 minutes or so. Add lobster meat, fresh thyme, orange zest, butter, and red pepper flakes, stirring until heated through. Remove from heat. Stir in truffle oil,parsley and ground pepper. Allow it to rest a few minutes and then give it one last good stir and serve. This is one risotto I wouldn't consider adding any cheese to. I wanted the lobster and truffle oil to shine through.. and it surely did! Enjoy.