Make your own lobster rolls

Several area restaurants offer lobster rolls on their menus. They're pretty good, but I haven't yet found any as delicious as the ones I remember from our family's summer vacations in Maine. To satisfy my recent hunger for a lobster roll, I decided to make my own.

The first challenge was finding lobster meat. You can buy whole lobsters at most local groceries and seafood markets, but I was only interested in claw and tail meat, and not interested in fuss and bother. For this, my option was the freezer section, where I could buy a box of chopped pieces or entire tails sold individually. But I wasn't sure what exactly I was buying - there's an important difference between cold- and warm-water lobsters.

Lobsters from the warm waters of the Caribbean, the Mediterranean and the coast of Asia are sometimes called rock lobster or spiny lobster. Since they don't have claws, their only meat is found in the tails. You can recognize warm-water tails by the black spots on the shells.

Lobsters from the cold waters off the coasts of Maine, Massachusetts and Connecticut grow more slowly, resulting in sweeter and tastier meat. You can usually recognize cold-water lobster tails by their higher price tag, or you can ask the vendor where they've been sourced. Some prefer the softer warm-water lobster meat, while others relish the combination of claw and tail meat from the cold-water variety.

I opted for the box of frozen pieces of lobster, since the label said it was from Maine. What I didn't expect was that the chopped pieces were still firmly attached to their shells, something not mentioned on the label. That turned out to be a good thing: as I stripped the meat from the shells, I was able to see most of it was from the tail with a few chunks from the claw.

By the time I finished removing the shells, the meat had almost completely defrosted and was ready for the steamer. After about 5 minutes, the meat was cooked through and had turned a bright white with sections of signature pinkish-red color. The meat was firm and the piece I sampled was very tasty.

Another feature of lobster rolls is the style: Maine or Connecticut. I prefer the former: chilled lobster meat, dressed in just enough mayonnaise to hold it together with a bit of chopped celery and parsley. The latter style is completely different: hot lobster meat is doused with melted butter and tossed in the roll.

And we can't overlook the roll - although it resembles a hot dog roll in size and shape, its sides are flat, so the outside can be lightly toasted. I found some in Weis Market at Five Points. These are cut down the middle from the top (sometimes opened and grilled on the inside) then filled with the chilled or hot lobster mixture.

The tiny amount of cooked meat from that 8-ounce box of shell-on pieces was barely enough for a single sandwich (see photo). Next time, I'll either buy whole lobster and have it steamed in the store or purchase individual tails, one for each sandwich.

No matter which type of lobster you buy, do not even consider what is labeled as "imitation" lobster meat. It is not lobster at all, but cheap white fish that is flaked, then treated with preservatives, flavorings and colorings before it's formed into pieces and packaged in plastic.

If you're interested in trying your hand at homemade lobster rolls, I've included instructions for Maine-style and Connecticut-style, both of which are delicious.

Maine-Style Lobster Rolls

2 steamed lobsters (1 1/2 lbs each)
1/3 C mayonnaise
1/4 C finely diced celery
1 T minced parsley
1 T lemon juice
1/4 t lemon zest
salt, to taste
4 split-top rolls
1 t softened butter

Rinse freshly steamed lobsters under cold water until cool enough to handle. Remove the meat from the shells and roughly chop. Place the lobster meat in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes. Combine mayonnaise, celery, parsley, lemon juice and zest in a mixing bowl. Season to taste with salt; set aside. When the lobster is chilled, grill the outside of the rolls. Open them from the top and lightly butter the inside; grill the inside of the rolls. While the rolls are heating, gently toss the chilled lobster with the dressing. Fill the rolls and serve. Yield: 4 lobster rolls.

Connecticut-Style Lobster Rolls

2 steamed lobsters (1 1/2 lbs each)
1/2 C unsalted butter
juice of 1 lemon
1/2 t paprika
salt, to taste
4 split-top rolls

Rinse freshly steamed lobsters under cold water just until cool enough to handle. Remove the meat from the shells and roughly chop; set aside. Grill the outside of the rolls; remove to 4 plates. Melt butter in a small saucepan; stir in lemon juice and paprika. Decant 2 T of melted butter into a small bowl; set aside. Remove pan from heat and add lobster meat; stir to combine. Add salt, to taste. Divide the lobster meat among the rolls and serve with reserved butter for dipping. Yield: 4 servings.

Steamed Lobster

Fill a steamer pot with about 2 inches of water and 1 T salt. Bring to boil. Place the lobsters in a steamer basket in the pot. Cover and steam until the shells are bright red, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the lobster and proceed with recipe.