Southwest Lobster Roll Recipes

LOBSTER ROLLS

Steps:

• Lightly butter the insides of the buns or rolls and line with lettuce leaves. Set aside.
• In a medium bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, lime juice, hot pepper sauce, salt and pepper until well blended. Mix in the green onion and celery, then lightly mix in the lobster so it just gets coated without falling apart.
• Stuff the lobster filling into the buns and sprinkle parsley, basil or tarragon lightly over the filling.

GRILLED SOUTHWESTERN LOBSTER ROLLS

Steps:

• Make the habanero butter: Combine the butter, garlic, habanero, shallot and capers in a small saucepan over medium heat; season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook until the shallot is translucent, about 5 minutes. Deglaze the pan with the wine; add the lime zest and juice and cook until the wine has reduced and the pan is almost dry, about 4 minutes. Divide the butter between 2 small bowls; set aside.
• Make the garlic butter: Combine the butter and garlic in a separate small saucepan over medium heat; cook until the garlic is soft and fragrant, 5 to 6 minutes. Add the parsley and mix well. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.
• Make the cilantro-lime slaw: Combine the mayonnaise, buttermilk, cilantro and lime zest and juice in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper and whisk to combine. Add the cabbage and mix well to coat. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
• Make the lobster rolls: Preheat a grill to medium high; oil the grates. Brush the lobster meat with half of the habanero butter. Place shell-side down on the grill. Cook 3 minutes, then flip the lobsters and cook until the tails are curled and the meat is opaque, 4 to 6 more minutes. Remove from the grill and set aside to cool slightly. Remove the meat from the shells and roughly chop; toss with the remaining habanero butter.
• Brush the hot dog buns with the garlic butter. Grill until golden and crisp, about 30 seconds. Fill the rolls with avocado, tomato, the lobster and slaw.

SOUTHWEST LOBSTER ROLL

Steps:

• Preheat the grill to medium-high heat.
• For the Habanero Butter: Combine the butter, garlic, habanero, shallot and capers in a small saucepan over medium heat. Season with salt and pepper and cook until the shallots start to turn translucent. Deglaze the pan with the white wine, lime juice and zest, cook the mixture until the white wine has reduced and the pan is almost dry. Transfer to a small bowl and reserve to the side.
• For the garlic butter: Combine the butter and garlic in a medium saucepan and cook over medium heat until the garlic becomes fragrant and softened, 5 to 6 minutes. Add the parsley and mix well. Transfer to a small bowl and reserve to the side.
• For the cilantro-lime mayonnaise: Add the mayonnaise, buttermilk, cilantro and lime zest and juice to a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper and whisk to combine. Add the cabbage and mix well to coat. Refrigerate until serving.
• For the Southwest lobster roll: Prepare a grill to medium-high heat. Brush the lobster tail pieces with the habanero butter. Place the tails shell-side down on the grill. Cook for 3 minutes, flip the lobster over, baste liberally with more habanero butter and allow the tails to cook in the butter and their own juices until the tails are curled and the meat is opaque, 4 to 6 minutes more. Remove from the grill and reserve to the side.
• Brush the hot dog buns with the garlic butter. Grill until golden and crisp, about 30 seconds.
• To assemble the southwest lobster roll: Place the avocado slices in the buns. Remove the lobster tails from the shells. Place 2 pieces of lobster tail in each bun. Top with 2 slices of the tomato, followed by 1/4 of the cabbage mixture. Place the Southwest lobster rolls on a large platter and serve immediately.

NEW ENGLAND STYLE HOT DOG ROLLS/BUNS (FOR LOBSTER ROLLS ETC.)

Steps:

• Combine the yeast and sugar with 1/4 cup of the warm water in a large bowl, or in the bowl of an electric mixer. Let stand for 5-10 minutes until the mixture becomes frothy. This allows the yeast to "bloom.".
• Add the salt and flour.
• Lightly beat 2 of the eggs with the milk and add this mixture to the bowl.
• Melt 3 tablespoons of the butter, and add this as well.
• Have the remaining 1/4 cup warm water ready.
• If you are mixing by hand, add some of the water and begin to mix, adding the water as needed.
• If using an electric mixer, attach the dough hook and jog the machine (turn it on and off) until the dough begins to form. This prevents the flour from jumping out of the mixing bowl.
• Add the remaining warm water as needed. The dough usually takes the full amount.
• When a soft dough has formed, knead for 5 minutes by machine, or about 8 minutes by hand.
• This is a soft bread and does not require as much kneading as chewier types. The finished dough should be soft but dense, and should not be sticky.
• Shape the dough into a ball and lightly oil it with the salad oil. Place it in a large bowl.
• Cover with plastic wrap or a slightly damp towel, and let rise in a warm place for about 1 hour, until doubled in bulk.
• Punch the dough down and move to a work surface. Lightly dust the work surface with flour.
• Shape the dough into a square.
• Using a knife, cut the dough into 13 equal pieces. This is best done by cutting 12 pieces and using scraps to make the thirteenth. If there is not enough dough for the thirteenth piece steal a little pinch off the others.
• With the remaining 1 tablespoon butter, lightly grease a baking sheet that is at least 15" long.
• Shape the dough into uniform 7" long tubular pieces, (or buy a New England Hot Dog Roll pan from the site above). It is important that all the pieces be the same length.
• Place the tube in a line, side by side, down the center of the baking sheet, leaving a 1/2" gap between them.
• Put the pan in a warm place, and let rise a second time.
• Prepare a thick egg wash by mixing the remaining egg with 2 tablespoons water.
• After 15-20 minutes, the tubes of dough will have risen enough that they will be touching.
• Generously brush the tubes with egg wash, return the pan to the warm spot, and let the dough rise until almost doubled in size, 10-15 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• Place the buns in the oven, and bake for about 30 minutes, until deep golden brown.
• Let the buns cool on the baking sheet for at least 15 minutes, then run a spatula under them to make sure they are not sticking to the pan.
• Using 1 or 2 spatulas, carefully lift the baked dough in one piece onto a rack to cool. It is crucial that you NOT let the buns break or tear apart.
• After 1 hour, when the baked dough is completely cooled, move it in one piece to a cutting board.
• Using a serrated knife, slice down the center of each tube. You will lose half a tube on each end (which is why you need 13 tubes to make 12 buns). The place where the tubes met is now the center of each bun.
• They will open naturally when it comes time to stuff them, but you can make a small incision to ensure that this happens.
• Wrap the buns in plastic wrap until ready to use. If you do not intend to use all 12 buns, freeze the extras, and defrost when needed.
• Note:.
• To infuse the dough with the delicate flavor of saffron, chop 1 teaspoon saffron threads and add to 1/4 cup water in a small pan.
• Bring the mixture to a boil over med-high heat, then remove from the heat.
• Let cool to lukewarm, and substitute for the 1/4 cup water added for mixing.
• Since the dough will be golden to start with, look for a dark brown top before removing from the oven.