New England Lobster Roll

Yield: 10 Portions

Making a great lobster roll is about balance of flavor, texture, and temperature. Our dressing is made with crème fraîche, flavored with tarragon and lemon, which gives the lobster salad a lighter flavor than the traditional mayonnaise dressing. Then we take a split-top hot dog roll, enriched with egg and butter, that is produced at a local bakery in Rhode Island. We toast that bun over low heat, to achieve a crisp, golden brown exterior, while still maintaining a soft interior. We make sure to keep our lobster salad ice cold, and serve it on the warm bun. Lastly, we add a garnish buttermilk-fried onion strings on top for some added crunch.

Your beverage of choice should be as delicate and fresh as the dish itself – but still strong enough to stand up to the robust buttered bun. We like a sancerre, such as Lucien Crochet. This sauvignon blanc is not as fruity as its southern hemisphere counterparts, but instead has a chalky minerality which sets a great stage for the sweet lobster meat. In this case, it should be served as cold as possible on a hot summer day.

Ingredients:

• 7 1 ^1/2 lb Lobsters (or 2.5 lb cooked lobster meat)
• 10 split-top brioche style buns (or hot dog rolls)
• 2 tbs unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 1 ^1/2 cups shredded romaine
• 5 tbs finely diced celery
• 3/4 cup crème fraîche
• Zest and juice of 1 lemon
• 6 sprigs tarragon, chopped fine
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 yellow onion
• 2 cups ap flour
• 4 cups of canola oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Procedure

For the lobster salad:

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
2. Add the lobsters to the pot, two at a time, and cook them covered for ten minutes. To check for doneness, lightly pull on a leg of the lobster. It should pull off the body with no resistance when the lobster is fully cooked.
3. Once cooked, submerge the lobsters in ice water to stop the cooking process.
4. Using lobster crackers, remove the meat from the shell, and roughly chop.
5. Dress the lobster meat with the crème fraiche, lemon juice and zest, celery, and tarragon. Season to taste with salt & pepper, and reserve cold.

For the onion strings:

1. Peel the onions, and slice them into rings, 1/16 of an inch thick.
2. Coat them with the buttermilk, and a pinch of salt and pepper.
3. In a deep pot using a candy thermometer, preheat your oil to 335 degrees. (Do not fill the pot more than 1/3 of the way) Season your ap flour with salt and pepper, and add your sliced onions, making sure they are evenly coated. Be sure to shake off any excessive flour.
4. Carefully add the onions to the hot oil, Fry the onion strings until golden brown, about 1 minute. The onion strings will float in the oil, so once they are golden brown, use a mesh strainer to skim them out of the oil. Season immediately with salt and pepper, and allow them to drain on paper towels.

To Serve:

1. Spread a thin layer of butter on the outside of the buns, and toast them on all sides over low heat, until golden brown.
2. Fill the buns half way with shredded romaine, and then fill each roll with lobster salad, and top with onion strings.