The Neelys: Lobster Salad Roll

Every time I walk by the seafood counter, I look longingly at the bowl of cooked lobster meat.  Longingly.  But, I knew it was not to be, at least for quite a while.  I finally gave in to my desires, though, and bought myself a half of a pound.  Even that amount nearly gave me heart palpitations, but I persevered, pointedly looking away from the price tag.  Then I came home and made this super awesome lobster salad roll with it, and the lobster sang beautiful songs on my tongue.  If you need a treat, this is it.

Note: The Neelys originally made this into a sort of seafood cocktail in a martini glass, and you can definitely do that, too, but I wanted a butter-toasted sammich.

Lobster Salad Roll
Adapted from The Neelys, as seen at Food Network

⅓ cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon lemon zest
Juice of 1 lemon
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

¼ teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
1 stalk finely chopped celery
1 finely chopped shallot
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh tarragon leaves
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh chives
1 pound lobster meat, very coarsely chopped

4 butter lettuce leaves

4 top-split hotdog buns

Salted butter, for toasting buns

Combine mayonnaise, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt and pepper, celery, shallot, tarragon and chives in a bowl.  Add lobster meat to mayonnaise sauce and combine.

Toast hotdog buns on the exposed sides in butter until golden brown.  Let rest briefly until slightly cooled, then place one butter lettuce leaf in each bun.  Top each lettuce leaf with ¼ of the lobster mixture.

Makes 4 servings