If you’ve ever visited New England or Eastern Canada in the summertime, you’ve probably found that it’s nearly impossible to hit a restaurant without finding a classic lobster roll offered on the menu. What most people don’t realize is that locals are accustomed to eating these delicious snacks at Christmastime as well, due to a second lobster fishing season in the winter.
Now that it’s easy to get great prices on quality live lobsters and have them shipped just about anywhere in theUnited States year-round, you can also enjoy a delicious lobster roll with incredibly fresh meat at just about any time of year! You may have already started to experiment with new recipes. No lobster lover can be considered a true aficionado, however, until they’ve perfected their own version of the lobster roll. Just in case your looking for a few new ideas, here’s our top five classic creations.
The Classic
Tourists and locals alike will tell you that the pure, unadulterated version of the lobster roll comes on a toasted white New England hot dog roll – though the odd chef might argue for a more flamboyant type of bread. While many consider lettuce to be prohibited from a true Maine lobster roll, we say go with your tastes – this is a list designed to give you ideas after all. That’s about all you need to know to get started on the classic – but when it comes to preparing the lobster meat filling, things start to get more complicated.
Maine Rolls
The various schools of thought on how to prepare the meat filling for your roll depend mostly on where you hail from. Lobster rolls enjoyed by those from the great state of Maine tend to include claw, tail and knuckle meat mixed with a dash of mayonnaise – just be sure to go light on the mayo! Typically, there’s no lettuce allowed and, importantly, the bun opens on the top rather than the side. This may result in a lobster roll that seems plain, but there’s a lot to be said about allowing the full flavor of the lobster to work its magic.
Connecticut Rolls
If you thought the Maine roll was plain, you may be in for a surprise from the Connecticut roll, which allows for no mayonnaise at all – just delicious melted butter. Despite being the less popular variety overall, the Connecticut lobster roll is said to be the origin of original recipe – perhaps because it so closely resembles a lobster dinner! While this roll contains only the most basic ingredients, it does offer one satisfying key difference: it is served hot instead of cold. Again, the emphasis here is on allowing the flavor of the lobster to shine through.
New England Lobster Rolls
Otherwise known as the lobster salad roll – and famously favored by New Yorkers – the mark of the New England lobster roll is that it opens the door to more interesting recipe combinations. Not only is lettuce allowed on the New England roll, but it typically consists of a salad of lobster meat, chopped celery, chives and mayonnaise. After you’ve experimented with this one, you can take your lobster rollideas almost anywhere.
The Avocado Toast Roll
Millennials are controversially praised and blamed for their love of avocado toast, but perhaps that’s why this newer concoction has been getting so popular lately. Surprisingly, the delicate tropical fruit makes a delicious pairing with our favourite shellfish from the cold Atlantic waters! To make this variety, simply add a generous helping of ripe avocado to your favourite version of the classic roll. Just be sure to start by toasting and buttering your bread – we find a bit of lettuce doesn’t hurt this version either!
Now that you’ve had an overview of the most popular varieties of lobster roll, why not experiment by substituting some of your favoriteingredients? The choices are endless, but whatever you settle on for your personalmasterpiece, always be sure to follow one strict rule – that it be made to suit you. Well, perhaps two rules – make sure you’ve includedsome claw meat in there as well!