Hi!
Sorry I’ve been a little MIA. I’ve been busy! I’m catering a dinner party tomorrow, and tonight I’m cooking dinner for my brother’s girlfriend’s birthday. There are a couple of delicious birthday cakes in my future. If you haven’t already, check out my private chef services page.
Also, how is it already August?! To me, August is like an entire month of “Sunday Scaries.” Summer is by far my favorite season, and I really don’t want it to end! Wow did we really need summer this time of year or what?! I hope everyone is staying safe and healthy out there. The warm weather and ability to distance at a beach really helped improve my morale from the month’s of March and April, not sure if anyone feels the same way.
You know what also improved my morale, LOBSTER ROLLS. Ok real talk, I have never been a huge fan of lobster. I love shellfish, but I would say lobster is probably on the bottom of the list for me when it comes to shellfish. But then we made lobster rolls for the wedding, and all of the sudden I was like “omg give me all the lobster rolls!” In the wedding post I gave a rough “how to” on making the lobster rolls but figured that I’ve changed the recipe enough into my own to post the full thing.
We went to Maine right after the wedding and honestly, these lobster rolls are better than any I had in Maine. Yup, I said it! They are truly the best! I like a lobster roll to have a lot of delicious flavor while still tasting the freshness of the lobster meat. To make the lobster salad, I started off by mincing some celery, chives, and fresh dill.
This salad recipe is really simple, especially if you buy pre-cooked lobster meat. It’s a little on the pricey side but it’s worth not having to go through the effort of cooking whole lobsters and shelling the meat yourself. Unless you’re into that, then by all means!
In the mix went 1.25 pounds of lobster meat, chives, dill, celery, old bay seasoning, calabrian chili paste, mayo, lemon juice, capers, salt and pepper.
Season to taste, always. Then it’s ready to go! I like to keep the salad nice and chilled until I have the buns toasted. For me, there’s no better bun for a lobster roll than a brioche bun. Give me all the buttery flavor! Brioche is a real guilty pleasure of mine.
I like to buy the rolls that are not pre-cut yet so I can cut my own lobster filling center. I just make a “v” indentation with a bread knife that almost goes down to the bottom of the roll but not quite. That way there’s a lot of room for the lobster salad.
Maju (the chef boyfriend of mine) taught me the best way to toast the buns. In a skillet over medium high heat I add a combination of olive oil and butter. Then toast the buns on all sides for about 30 seconds a side until they get nice and brown.
Once they are nice and brown on all sides its time to fill them. This recipe either makes about 6 regular sized lobster rolls or 12 mini lobster rolls. I actually prefer the mini size but it can be hard to find mini rolls.
These are seriously so delicious. They are a must make before summer is over, trust me!
Lobster Rolls on Toasted Brioche
Makes 6 regular sized rolls or 12 mini rolls
Ingredients:
- 1.25 pounds of cooked lobster meat, roughly chopped
- ΒΌ cup celery, minced
- 3 tbsp fresh dill, minced
- 2 tbsp chives, chopped (plus a bit extra for garnish)
- 2 tbsp capers, drained
- 1 tsp old bay seasoning
- 1 tsp calabrian chili paste (or tabasco)
- 2 tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
- 1 (heaping) cup of mayo
- Salt and pepper to taste (start with about 1/2 tbsp of salt and 1 tsp of black pepper)
- 6 brioche rolls
- Olive oil and butter for toasting
Instructions:
- Mix together the lobster meat, celery, dill, chives, capers, old bay, calabrian chili, lemon juice, mayo, salt, and pepper. Season to taste.
- In a medium skillet or on a griddle, coat with enough olive oil and butter to coat the pan. I do about 75% olive oil and 25% butter. Slice the buns so that each side is flat, and if necessary, cut a wedge in the center of the bun. Toast the buns for about 30 seconds on all 3 sides until golden brown.
- Fill the buns with the lobster salad and top with chives for garnish. Serve immediately.
It’s safe to say I’m officially a fan of lobster. But preferably these just lobster rolls. The picture above is when I made the mini rolls. I found these buns at BJ’s of all places and they were to me, the perfect size. I hope you give these a try! Everyone will be your biggest fan.
XX Chelcie
