Maine Lobster Roll Recipe (Mayonnaise)
This Maine Lobster Roll Recipe features large chunks of lobster mixed with mayonnaise, lemon, and celery served on a toasted split-top bun.
Ingredients
- 2 1 ½ pound live lobsters, or 12-16 ounces of cooked lobster meat
- 3 tablespoons to 1/3 cup mayonnaise, depending on how much or how little you like mayo. The goal is just enough to coat.
- 2 ribs small diced celery
- Juice of ½ lemon about 1 to 1 ½ tablespoons
- coarse salt to taste
- 2 tablespoons softened unsalted butter
- 4 split top buns
Instructions
- When using live lobsters, add them on a tray and place them in a freezer for 20 to 30 minutes.
- In the meantime, bring a large pot of water to a boil. There should be enough water for the lobster to easily be submerged.
- Once the water is boiling add enough salt so that the water tastes as salty is the ocean. No, the salinity does not need to mimic the ocean, it only needs to taste as such.
- Place in the lobsters head first, cover the pot, and cook for 4 minutes per pound.
- If you want to steam them, add 2 inches of water to the bottom of a pot with enough salt for it to taste as salty as the ocean and bring it to a boil. Next, add in the steamer basket, place in the lobster, add the lid and steam for 8 minutes per pound.
- Once the lobster is done cooking, the shell will be bright red. Immediately submerge them in an ice bath to shock them. Don’t let the lobster sit in the water for more than 10 minutes so that they do not get waterlogged.
- Remove the lobster and extract the meat from the tails, claws, legs, and body. See the video for how to do this.
- Place the meat into a colander over a bowl to help drain off any excess liquid as you remove the meat from the shells.
- Cut the meat into large bite-size pieces. I personally like to leave the claw in-tact.
- In a large bowl mix together the mayonnaise, celery, lemon juice, and salt until combined.
- Gently fold in the lobster meat using a spatula until evenly coated. Set it aside.
- Brush the split-top buns on both sides with melted unsalted butter.
- Place them butter side down on a griddle or large cast-iron skill at medium heat and toast for 1 to 2 minutes per side or until well browned.
- Generously add the meat between the toasted buns and serve.
Notes
Make-Ahead: You can make this lobster roll up to 1 day ahead for freshness.
How to Store: It’s best to keep the lobster separate from the buns so that they do not become overly saturated. If you do this, cover both and keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. This will not freeze well.
If you aren’t serving this as soon as you’re done making it, you must drain the lobster “salad” and re-toss it with mayonnaise and salt.
When the lobster is overcooked, it will get very chewy.
This is uniquely salty, so taste it first before seasoning it.
If you use live lobsters as I did, or even lobster tails, reserve the shells in the freezer for lobster bisque
Nutrition
Calories: 384kcalCarbohydrates: 22gProtein: 23gFat: 22gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 10gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 164mgSodium: 860mgPotassium: 332mgFiber: 1gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 282IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 166mgIron: 2mg