It’s time for lunch, Tartlets. The tastiest lunch. I have no shame in telling you that, immediately after finishing up this photo shoot, I polished off two Lemon Butter Lobster Rolls.
It was awesome.
Why are Lemon Butter Lobster Rolls the book-inspired recipe for Sandwich?
In Sandwich, main character Rocky spends the summer with her family on Cape Cod. Lobster is a New England – and summertime – staple, and making a sandwich featuring lobster felt like the perfect homage to Rocky’s summer vacation.
Now, for those of you who think I should have made New England-Style Lobster Rolls – you’re not wrong. Cape Cod is in New England, where the mayo-dressed New England-Style Lobster Roll reigns supreme.
Sure, you can get Connecticut-Style Lobster Rolls there. But I’m pretty sure the locals look down upon you when you order them.
Since I don’t like mayo – and since I loooooove butter-drenched lobster – I decided to make Connecticut-Style rolls instead. Because it’s my blog, and AI is destroying blogs and creativity and SEO stats anyway, so I’ll do what I want.
What I love about Lemon Butter Lobster Rolls
I loved everything about these Lemon Butter Lobster Rolls. I love how succulent and meaty the rolls are, how the lobster soaked up the citrusy-salty butter sauce, and how easy it was to make restaurant-quality sandwiches in my own home.
I even loved the slightly soggy bun. Those of you who know about my fear of SBE know what a huge deal this is. But that is how good this lobster roll turns out.
Lemon Butter Lobster Rolls really let the flavor of the lobster shine through. I don’t use a ton of butter to make these, and I do use quite a bit of lemon juice. The flavors don’t overwhelm the star of the show and the reason we’re all excited for lunch: THE LOBSTER.
Why make a Lobster Roll at home?
I’m that person who orders a lobster roll at a restaurant – and then just looks at her plate with a sad, sad face when she sees how dinky the lobster roll is that’s set before her. **cries**
Most restaurants give you very little lobster meat. And, if they give you a decent amount, it’s usually not quality lobster meat.
When I order lobster, I want thick tails; plump claws; meaty knuckles. None of this sad “here’s thin, straggly meat mined from the skinny lobster legs” nonsense.
By making this meal at home, I got exactly the kind of lobster roll I want.
How do you get fresh lobster meat without killing a lobster?
I wish this were a sponsored post. Lobster is pricey, and I’m a hobby blogger.
I wanted pre-shelled lobster meat for this recipe. Because I’m not killing a live lobster. Yes, I’m hypocrite. I will happily eat a lobster, but I don’t want to kill it myself. Don’t come at me.
So, I bought lobster meat from Maine Lobster Now. The nice people at that company plucked the meat out of its shell and shipped it to me overnight.
Admittedly, I thought I ordered raw lobster meat. Because, ironically, I have bad reading comprehension skills when it comes to product descriptions. (Don’t even talk to me about my Verbal SAT score. *shudders*)
The lobster meat arrived bright red and pre-cooked, which was a momentary setback that turned out perfectly fine.
This recipe for Lemon Butter Lobster Rolls can be made with either raw or pre-cooked lobster meat. I’ve included instructions for both versions in the recipe below. Really, it’s just a few more minutes cooking time needed if you’re using raw lobster meat.
You could also ask your local fish department or fish store what options they have to purchase shelled lobster meat if you’re a coward like I am.
What you should know about Maine Lobster Now
This blog post is NOT an ad. I paid for 100% of the lobster in this post with my own money. But I wanted to sidestep a bit and rave about the quality of this lobster meat from Maine Lobster Now.
I ordered 1 lb of tail, claw, and knuckle meat, and braced myself for possible disappointment. But I was delighted to see the vacuum-sealed pouch of fresh, pre-cooked lobster meat contained 3-4 full tails and numerous full claws.
All of the meat was flavorful, juicy, and delicious – not a bit of scrawny filler meat anywhere. If you’re cooking with pre-shelled lobster meat, THIS is what you want, people. Take note.
What do you serve with Lemon Butter Lobster Rolls?
Serve Lemon Butter Lobster Rolls with staple summer sides like potato chips, macaroni salad, corn on the cob, potato salad, or a bowl of cubed watermelon. Other great sides would be Caprese Farro Salad or Corn, Basil, and Tomato Salad in the summer, or Apple Butternut Squash Soup or Soupe au Pistou in the fall.
For a decadent seafood feast, serve Lobster Tortellini Salad, Chilled Seafood Salad, Seafood Cioppino, or Spicy Seafood Noodle Soup alongside the rolls.
Lemon Butter Lobster Rolls
Ingredients
- 1 lb of lobster meat either raw or cooked
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- 1 lemon juiced
- 1/3 cup chopped chives
- 1 tsp salt
- ¼ tsp freshly cracked black pepper
- 4 hot dog-style buns I used brioche split-top buns, toasted
Instructions
PREP INSTRUCTIONS
- Chop the chives and set aside.
- Slice and toast your buns, then set aside.
COOKING INSTRUCTIONS
- Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
- When butter is almost melted, reduce heat to low and stir in the lemon juice, salt, pepper, and chopped chives until combined.
- Add the lobster meat to the skillet, along any juices that may have accumulated with the (raw or cooked) lobster meat: --If you’re using RAW lobster meat: cook the raw lobster meat in the butter sauce over low heat, stirring occasionally, until lobster is firm and cooked through, about 4-5 minutes. --If you’re using COOKED lobster meat: stir the cooked lobster meat in the butter sauce over medium-low heat until warmed through, 2-3 minutes.
- Taste a piece of lobster and add more salt and pepper if desired, to taste. Then remove skillet from heat.
- Heap the cooked, buttered lobster meat into the toasted buns. Lemon Butter Lobster Rolls are best when warm, but you could also eat leftovers cold (if you have any!).
