New England Lobster Rolls

Paying tribute to the king of sea meats the New England way: Lobster Roll on a homemade squishy bun.

--RECIPE--
LOBSTER ROLL FILLING:
▪600g/1.5lbs lobster meat (two 2-2.5lb whole live lobsters)
▪120g or 1/2c mayo
▪20g or 1/2c minced chives
▪10g or 2tsp kosher salt
▪4g or 1.5tsp black pepper
▪Zest 1 lemon
▪15g or 1Tbsp lemon juice

To cook lobster, freeze lobsters for 15mins. Add a generous amount of salt (about 3 handfuls) and 2 halved and juiced lemons to a large pot of water and bring temp to 185F/85C. Add lobsters to pot to poach for 8-9min for large lobsters or closer to 6min if using smaller lobsters. When done, internal temp of tail meat should read 150F/65C. Remove from water and allow to cool. If using lobster tails, cool in an ice bath. Remove meat from shells.

Cut meat into large rustic chunks and place in bowl. Add mayo, chives, salt, pepper. Lemon zest & juice. Gently stir to combine.

--
BUN:
(makes 10 buns)
*I HIGHLY recommend using measurements in grams to make this recipe. Volumetric measurements are less accurate.

▪200g or 3/4c warm water (86F/30C)
▪70g or 1/3c sugar
▪1 large egg
▪75g or 5 1/2Tbsp melted butter (not hot) + extra for brushing
▪8g or 2 1/2Tsp instant yeast
▪15g or 1 3/4Tbsp dough conditioner
▪150g riced baked potato (or about 1c of baked potato before it’s riced)
▪625g or 5c all purpose flour
▪12g or 2tsp salt
▪Egg wash (1 egg + splash of water)
▪Melted butter (to brush on top)

Add ingredients to mixing bowl and mix with dough hook on medium speed for 8-10min. The dough will look loose at around 4-5 minutes before it comes together into a nice ball that’s no longer extremely sticky.

Use a soaking wet hand and a grab and round in a 10 & 2 motion to tuck the dough into a taught ball. See video burger bun video @3:18. Cover and ferment at room temperature for 30min.

The dough should have gassed up quite a bit. Aggressively degas the dough so that you can perform a strength building fold (as shown in burger bun video @3:50). After the strength building fold and another 10-2 rounding, cover the dough again and allow to ferment at room temp for another 30min.

It will have risen a lot again after the second ferment, so aggressively degas it. Divide into 10, 150g pieces. Preshape each into loose round balls as shown @8:09. Cover with a towel and rest for 10min.

To shape the buns, see video @8:29. Line each up on a parchment lined half sheet tray, cover, and proof at room temp for 60-90min. Buns should have doubled in size and spring back when poked. Brush each with egg wash (1 egg with splash of water). Load into preheated 400F/205C oven, spritz oven with 12-15 squirts of water and bake for 15-17min. Brush with melted butter.

MAYO:
▪1 large egg
▪20g or 1Tbsp water
▪25g or 1.5Tbsp white vinegar
▪5g or 1tsp salt
▪325g or 1.5c neutral oil (i like light olive)

Place ingredients except oil into a high sided container and spin with an immersion blender to combine. Slowly stream in oil while blending. Use a regular food processor if you don’t have an immersion blender.

PUTTING IT TOGETHER:
Spread butter on sides of roll and toast until golden brown. Cut bun top down, line with lettuce, and load with generous portion of lobster salad. Garnish with black pepper and minced chives.

LINKS:

🎧MUSIC:

#lobsterroll #poachedlobster #sandwich

CHAPTERS:
0:00 INTRO
0:23 Cooking the lobster
3:55 Picking the lobster meat
6:19 Misen knife ad
7:19 Making the bun
10:12 Dressing the lobster meat
11:58 Putting it together
13:13 Let’s eat this thing

**DISCLAIMER: Some links in this description may be affiliate links. If you buy any of these products using these links I'll receive a small commission at no added cost to you. All links are to products that I actually use or recommend. Thank you in advance for your support!

[GaryT]

I'm from Gloucester MA where lobsters are abundant and landed everyday. You are one of the few YouTube chefs who got it right...fresh lobster, a little mayo (Hellmann's in MA) minimal seasonings, no celery and a top split grilled NE style bun...Perfection! Five stars Brian...⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

[GoodForYou]

I'm from Maine and I have boiled a lot of lobsters in my life. Thank you for showing a better and less cruel way. I'll pass it on. Nice to see how we progress, my grandfather just raked lobsters up off our beach and fed them live to the pigs.

[Hellboy]

This is by far the best video on lobster rolls, relying on the lobster, not filler (potatoes or celery), or spice. Excellent advice on the most humane way to kill a lobster. I appreciate you saving the carapace for bisque, Brian. I think it's important for people to learn not to waste any part of the animal.

[doctorteethomega]

12:00 If you've never eaten in new england, you can't understand how important this step is. A top-split bun grilled on the sides gives texture and flavor to the whole thing.

[kantemirovskayalightninga]

I feel sorry for you folks who are not in northern New England or eastern Canada. After watching this, I picked up some lobster tails, 4.99 each. And Brian, snap those legs off cut them in half and use your rolling pin, it’s the easiest way to squish all that tasty leg meat out and that way you get every bit of it of course, still save those leg shells because that’s the best bisque bass there is! And awesome coverage of a recipe. Lots of people try to add too much stuff that’s unnecessary to… you did it right-

[Thebular.]

I know this is an old video Bri, but you should try this cool method for putting lobsters to sleep before dispatching them. You turn them on their heads and slowly rub up and down the line where you eventually put your knife. The ganglia are all based in that spot and when you rub over it while they're on their heads, they fall asleep and then you can quickly dispatch them without them suffering more than necessary. Cool trick I learned from one of our chefs in culinary school

[ADirtyEwok]

Hey Brian! I have a folder in my google drive dedicated to recipes that I really like and want to make sure I don't lose, and as I was looking at them over the weekend, I was struck by the fact that a nice meaty chunk of them are yours!

In an internet full of cooking blogs, channels, and streams, I really think you are one of the best around both in terms of style and straight up content. Thanks and much love!

[michaelchernjawski]

I worked at a restaurant in Portland ME that specialized in lobster rolls, and you might have the perfect interpretation. From extracting the meat to the top split bun, this looked absolutely fantastic. It makes me happy that there are means by which people on the interior can enjoy lobster rolls! Cheers and keep up the amazing work.

[traceybradshaw]

Aussie here with sweet lobster memories of 5 weeks spent in CT and on The Cape years ago. Would love to get back one day 🥰

[AirrowRocket]

Kudos for the humane killing the correct way. The rolls look awesome.

[issi]

I'm from connecticut, we love a classic lobster roll, but we also do a version thats butter instead of mayo and its served warm, so delish.

[EricZhangMusic]

Lobster roe is really good! Yours is fully raw which is why the color hasn’t changed - it should be a bright orange like the shell when done, and be savory and nutty - but not as intense as crab tomalley.

[scottdelong]

From a native Mainer, props for using good mayonnaise instead of butter, and for the authentic split-top buns! You had me scared at first when I saw the celery come out. I agree that it distracts too much–the lobster meat should have no competition as the dominant texture here. Well done!

[scottchandler]

Hi... Cape Codder here. The only thing I would suggest is to get a pair of tin snips and dedicate it to cutting lobster shells. It's foolproof and much more controlled than the back of a knife or (shudder) a hammer. Scissors are fine for some parts of the shell, but if you are getting truly hard shell 2-3 pounders, the scissors could definitely be challenged. Definitely going to try making the buns!
Let's eat this thing!

[physicsfan]

Huge fan of the celery flavor, even if you don't have the celery crunch. Two ways I use to do this - add in some celery leaves as garnish (same way you'd do cilantro on a taco), and add some celery seed to the mix. Gives the flavor without altering texture.

[jvallas]

Something I appreciate a lot: despite the extra recipes (rolls, mayo) being on different videos, you include their written instructions with this one’s so we have the whole package. That’s an unusual move, and I thank you.

[buffy]

I made this yesterday. The homemade buns were the star of the show, but the whole recipe is awesome! ❤

[StinsFilms]

Idk if you’ve ever tried it…but this bread recipe pulled apart, buttered, toasted, eaten just like that; tastes just like raising canes toast. This bread is seriously incredible and shouldn’t be overlooked. So beautiful dense, yet so incredibly soft. 😋

[judyt]

I’ve looked for years for a good recipe for top split buns. I’m from Boston originally but now living on the west coast. Top split buns are like unicorns here. Can’t wait to make my own now.

[kennethyoder]

Finally made this (with tails - thanks for including). Awesome recipe. Thanks Bri!