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New England Style Lobster Roll
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To me lobster rolls are the epitome of summer. I think of hot summer days, the humidity hanging heavy in the air, and time spent lounging by the pool at my family’s house in New Jersey, only moving from my lounge chair to venture briefly between the pool-yard and the air-conditioned house. We all gather around the outside bar area and my dad makes plenty of lobster rolls to feed everyone with the leftovers from the lobster boil the day before.
Whenever we buy lobsters we make sure to buy enough that next-day lobster rolls are a guarantee. My dad has been making lobster rolls ever since I can remember and I favor his to any other I’ve tried.
Classic New England Lobster Roll
Table of contents
New England vs. Connecticut Lobster Roll
With mayonnaise a lobster roll is considered New England style, but when melted butter is subbed for the mayo, it is considered Connecticut style. Melted drawn butter creates a simple, creamy roll. For Connecticut style lobster rolls I like to keep the lobster in larger chunks.
In this New England-style recipe, my dad keeps his lobster salad recipe simple, adding only some salt and pepper with a little cayenne to season the filling. He uses just enough mayonnaise to make it creamy. It’s simple but it lets the sumptuous and delicate flavor of the lobster shine, piled high into a butter-toasted top-cut roll.
What’s in a New England lobster roll?
This lobster salad is made with:
- Maine lobster meat
- mayonnaise
- celery
- onion
- lemon juice
Cooking with Lobsters
Lobsters are harvested in New England year round though they are primarily considered to be “in season” during the summer months starting in June. During the summer I usually buy live whole lobsters and cook them myself for dishes such as this. During the cooler winter months I frequently opt to have the fishmonger boil or steam them so that I can just pick them up. But if you are buying your lobsters whole, it takes about 4½ pounds of live lobsters to get 1 pound of meat.
If using fresh lobsters, buy them as close to the time you plan on cooking them as possible. They can be purchased a day beforehand and kept in the refrigerator, wrapped in damp paper towels or newspaper to ensure they remain alive until just before cooking.
Easier still, you can find lobster meat already cooked, broken down and removed from the shell at some specialty seafood markets.
How to Make New England-Style Lobster Rolls
Step 1: Mix the ingredients for the lobster salad.
In a large mixing bowl combine the lobster meat, mayonnaise, celery, onion, lemon juice and cayenne. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Step 2: Chill the lobster salad.
Chill the lobster salad in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes to an hour.
Step 3: Toast buns in butter.
Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat, add the butter and allow to melt. Add the rolls and toast until golden brown on both sides, about 2 minutes each side. Remove and set aside on a platter.
Step 4: Assemble and serve.
Fill each roll with about ½ cup of the lobster salad (more if you’re feeling generous). Serve with lemon wedges on the side.
Tips and Tricks for This Recipe
How to cook whole lobster
Bring a large pot of salted boiling water to a rolling boil. Add the lobsters and cover the pot then lower heat to low. Cook (working in batches if needed depending on the size of the pot), until the lobsters are bright red, about 10 to 12 minutes for a 1½ pound lobster.
Swaps and Substitutions
- If you can’t find New England style top-split buns, you can use hot dog buns and carefully slice about 1/4″ off each side so they lay flat when toasted in a skillet.
- If you don’t enjoy mayonnaise, simply pour drawn butter over the lobster meat.
- While I chop up all the fresh lobster meat the claws can be saved or left whole as an impressive garnish for the rolls.
How to Prep Lobster Rolls Ahead
The lobster salad can be made a day in advance. Butter and toast the rolls then fill them just before serving.
Other Recipes to Try
If you enjoy this lobster roll recipe, I recommend checking out some of these:
Some of my Favorite Lobster Rolls Recommendations (from Restaurants!)
- Saltie Girl – Boston, MA
- The Clam Bar – Montauk, NY
- LUNCH aka The Lobster Roll – Montauk, NY
- The Clam Shack – Kennebunkport, ME
- Eventide – Portland, ME
- The Landing – Clinton, CT
- Ford’s Lobster – Noank, CT
Classic New England Lobster Roll
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Ingredients:
- 1 pound cooked lobster meat, chopped
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup finely diced celery
- 3 tablespoons finely diced yellow onion
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- Pinch cayenne pepper
- kosher salt, to taste
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 top-split New England-style brioche rolls
- Lemon wedges, for serving
Instructions:
- In a large mixing bowl combine the lobster meat, mayonnaise, celery, onion, lemon juice and cayenne. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Chill the lobster salad in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes to an hour.
- Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat, add the butter and allow to melt. Add the rolls and toast until golden brown on both sides, about 2 minutes each side. Remove and set aside on a platter.
- Fill each roll with about ½ cup of the lobster salad. Serve with lemon wedges on the side.
Nutrition:
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I am obsessed with this recipe. The hardest part about it was hiding the lobster from my family so they won’t eat it before I could make it into Lobster rolls! I love the simpleness of the recipe. Sometimes people try to get too fancy and use too many spices. This is perfect and I love the top split rolls toasted to perfection!
Always hard to not eat the lobster meat while you’re cooking!
We made these lobster rolls for Memorial Day weekend and they were amazing! The diced celery gave it a little crunch that I loved. All the flavors together made it so fresh and the toasted top split rolls were the perfect combination with the lobster. I can’t wait to make these again!
Always a favorite!!