This New England classic is the perfect way to say so long to summer with its spicy and smoky flavor kick. I know this may be a total shock, but even though a slew of pumpkin-flavored products seemed to have already reached their peak, I have yet to sip my first pumpkin spiced latte.
I haven’t been able to. Last week, temperatures were soaring here in Connecticut! My kids have had more emergency early dismissals due to heat extremes than full days of school. I was still sporting my summer shorts and flip-flops and looking for ways to cool down.
Fall is my favorite season of all and I look forward to blue jeans and crisp, cool autumn breezes. But until the calendar and my wardrobe tell me so, I just am not ready for pumpkin-flavored anything. When our unique nearby market, Stew Leonard’s, had their lobster tails on sale, we decided to enjoy these last days of summer and cool off with some lobster rolls.
We also brought home this cooked lobster. He was the only one there and he just seemed so lonely. (We really just wanted some additional claw meat.) With simple, fresh ingredients, the prep for this lobster roll is actually quick and easy. We thawed the tails in a bowl of water while I mixed up a Sriracha and cilantro loaded mayo sauce.
Then we used kitchen shears to cut the lobster tails down the center. Sprayed with a little olive oil and sprinkled with pepper, we tossed them on the grill for about 5 minutes until the meat was opaque and the brilliant red shell caught our eye. We removed the meat from the shell (including the whole lobster too), cut it into chunks and stirred it into my sauce. All that was left to do was toast the light buttery brioche rolls over the flames and pile on the meat. We were still sweating from the heat (the cold chardonnay helped), but that didn’t stop me from basking in that glorious lobster meat.
The roll soaked up all the spicy sauce giving us a perfect punch of flavor. And the sweet chunks of meat combined with crunchy celery was an ideal texture. I’m not trying to hold on to summer weather, but with a meal like this, it made it easy to accept last week’s lingering heat. And really, I’d be happy to enjoy this dish any time of year! I’ll be ready for that latte soon though. The temperatures are dropping and September 22 is just around the corner.
Have you tried a lobster roll yet?
This New England classic is the perfect way to say so long to summer with its spicy and smoky flavor kick.
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 2 stalks celery roughly chopped
- 3 tsp Sriracha adjust for taste if desired
- 1/2 tsp lime zest
- 2 tsp fresh lime juice
- 1/3 cup cilantro chopped plus more for garnish
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 4 top sliced Brioche buns
- 1 1/2-2 lbs lobster meat (about 6 lobster tails) thawed
- olive oil for drizzling or spraying on tails before grilling
- pepper to taste on lobster
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Heat grill to medium heat.
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Combine first 8 ingredients in a bowl. Stir and set aside.
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Using kitchen shears, cut thawed lobster tails down the center vertically, making sure to keep the halves symmetrical.
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Spray or brush tails with olive oil and sprinkle with pepper.
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Place lobster tails meat side down for 2 minutes. Flip and continue grilling for about 3 minutes meat side up or until the meat is white and the shell has turned red.
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Transfer to a platter and let cool.
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Pull meat out and cut into large chunks.
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Stir into sauce.
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Grill buns for about 1 minute.
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Top with a heaping spoonful of lobster salad. Garnish with extra cilantro and serve immediately.
You can ditch the bun and serve this over lettuce for a lovely salad option.
Try substituting shrimp for a delicious and easy alternative.
Erin @ Her Heartland Soul says
So this looks fantastic!!
Brittany says
This sounds fresh and so so delicious! My family would love this!
Olive Jude says
All smiles when I make this easy dish!
Hillary Grüner says
these look insanely good!
Marina says
Never ate one in my life…
Jennifer says
This looks so amazing! As all of your wonderful recipes do! I love lobster and traveled to Maine a few years ago to eat all that is fresh Lobster. We had Lobster Rolls, Lobster Bisque, Lobster pie, and Lobster. Best ever trip!
Olive Jude says
Thanks, Jennifer! Hard to get enough of lobster. I definitely don’t eat it often but when I see it on sale like I did, I jumped on it.
Jersey Girl Cooks says
Wow that sure looks delicious! Lobster Rolls are my favorite meal!
Olive Jude says
Thanks! They are the best!
Lia says
Yummy!! I’ll definitely be printing this one out!
Olive Jude says
Love that! Thanks!
Belle says
Yum! That looks fantastic! I need to try this!
Olive Jude says
Thanks, Belle!
Diane@worthbeyondrubies says
This looks so amazing! I have to give it a try!! I never used to like lobster but in the past few years I have developed an obsession with it!! My husband is really going to love this recipe!! Thank you for sharing it!!
Olive Jude says
I had been craving it lately and this hit the spot. Lucky to have found those tales on sale! Thanks for popping by!
jenna | the urben life says
I’ve never tried a lobster roll but this sounds so fresh and flavorful! I have some egg-free mayo I’ve been meaning to use up… 🙂
Olive Jude says
That’ll be perfect! Enjoy!
Megan says
It’s 9:31 in the morning and now all I’m thinking about are lobster rolls!
Olive Jude says
lol! Happens to me all the time!
joy abou zeid says
I hate seafood but the sandwich looks so good!!
Olive Jude says
Sorry…but thanks for the compliment anyway.
Marysa says
I’ve never made something like this, but it looks good. It would be a good dish to make for when we have visitors. I love cilantro too!
Olive Jude says
Yes! It is really fun in lettuce cups too when serving to guests. Enjoy!