Eds Lobster Roll Recipes

LOBSTER ROLLS

Steps:

• Lightly butter the insides of the buns or rolls and line with lettuce leaves. Set aside.
• In a medium bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, lime juice, hot pepper sauce, salt and pepper until well blended. Mix in the green onion and celery, then lightly mix in the lobster so it just gets coated without falling apart.
• Stuff the lobster filling into the buns and sprinkle parsley, basil or tarragon lightly over the filling.

ED MCFARLAND'S LOBSTER ROLLS

Steps:

• Fill a very large stockpot 3/4 full with cold water. Place over high heat and bring to a rolling boil. Plunge lobsters, one at a time, headfirst into the water. Cook, uncovered, until they float, 12 to 14 minutes.
• Meanwhile, prepare an ice-water bath. Remove lobsters from boiling water and immediately transfer to ice-water bath until chilled.
• Remove rubber bands from claws. Twist claws with their knuckles from the body. Separate knuckles from claws. Crack knuckles open; remove meat and set aside. Grasp "thumb" and bend it back to snap it off. Crack claw in half; remove meat and set aside. Pull of legs. Twist tail from the joint where it meets the body. Pull off tail fins. Bend tail backward to crack off end of shell. Use your fingers to push tail meat out opposite side; remove with fork and set aside. Discard any remaining lobster.
• Roughly chop lobster meat into about 1/4-inch pieces. Place in a large bowl, along with mayonnaise, lemon juice, and celery; season with salt and pepper.
• Place a griddle or large skillet over medium heat. Butter hot dog rolls and place on the griddle or in skillet. Toast until golden on each side; transfer each roll to a serving plate. Divide lobster mixture between the 4 rolls; garnish with chives and serve with pickle mix.

LOBSTER ROLLS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the celery, mayonnaise, lemon juice and dill weed. Gently stir in lobster. Serve on rolls.

PERFECT LOBSTER ROLL

Steps:

• Steam Lobster: In a large pot lined with a steamer basket, bring 1 inch of water to a boil. Drop the lobsters headfirst into the pot and cover. Reduce heat to a simmer and steam until the shells just turn bright red, 12 to 14 minutes. To check for doneness, pull on an antenna; if it releases from the shell with little resistance, the lobster is properly cooked. (Many seafood markets will do the steaming for you -- just ask.)
• Extract Meat: Hold the tail in one hand and the body in the other; twist and pull to separate. For claws and legs, twist and pull where they're attached to the body. Use lobster- or nutcrackers or a mallet to crack the shells. To get all the meat out in one swift motion, insert a fork into the underside of the tail and push up. Then chop into bite-size pieces.
• Mix, Toast, and Fill: In a bowl, stir together mayonnaise, lemon juice, and salt. Fold in chopped lobster meat. Heat a large skillet (preferably cast-iron) over medium. Generously brush top and sides of buns with butter. (Top-split are narrower than side-split, so you get a greater ratio of lobster to bread.) Place buns, flat-side down, in skillet and toast, flipping halfway through, until crisp and golden on both sides, about 3 minutes. Divide lobster meat among buns and serve, with lemon wedges and potato chips.

ULTIMATE LOBSTER ROLLS

Steps:

• Crack the lobsters open using the back of a chef's knife or a lobster cracker. Do this carefully so the shells don't break into a lot of small pieces. Or, ask your fishmonger to remove the shells. Pull out the lobster meat and discard the shells. Roughly chop the meat into 2cm pieces, then put in a bowl, cover and chill until needed.
• Mix the mayonnaise, lemon juice, celery, most of the chives and cayenne together in a small bowl. Taste for seasoning, adding more lemon juice if needed. Toss the lobster with the dressing.
• Slice a thin piece off the sides of each bun, then split them open, being careful not to cut all the way through. Melt the butter in a frying pan and fry the buns for 1-2 mins on the cut sides until golden and toasted. Pile the lobster filling into rolls, then sprinkle with another pinch of cayenne and the reserved chives. Eat alongside some ready salted crisps, if you like.