Below are the ingredients
Lobster: If you can buy your lobster from a local seafood purveyor and get it fresh-caught, that is the absolute best! It makes such a difference when you’re eating fresh seafood. When you purchase the lobster, it is best to get them alive! You know you are eating fresh lobster when they are active and resist being put into your pot:)
When I was little, my family spent many summers in Cape Cod with our family friends. We used to have huge New England Lobster Bakes, and all the kids would take the lobsters and play “Ring Around the Rosie” with them on the floor before they were cooked.
These lobsters in this recipe are steamed in two inches of water and cooked about sixteen minutes, or until the shells are bright red and the lobsters give off a sweet aroma. After they are cooked, extract all the meat from the shells and give the meat a rough chop while the meat is still warm and toss with the melted butter.
Butter: I always use a good quality unsalted butter for cooking and then add in my salt to taste as needed. I used a local Vermont Creamery unsalted butter and melted it while I chopped the lobster meat.
Baguette: I like to use a baguette, as I feel a hot dog bun is often not sturdy enough to hold all my lobster and often gets mushy with all the drawn butter. For this recipe, the baguette is sliced into two six-inch pieces and then toasted. I cut the baguette pieces in half but, careful not to slice all the way through so it makes a pocket to hold the lobster. Each toasted baguette should get 2-3 spoonfuls of melted butter inside the pocket. Fill each pocket with the chopped warm buttered lobster.
Tri-Colored Potatoes: I love using tri-colored potatoes for this salad to add color and varied texture. The potatoes are boiled in salted water.
The Key to Cooking the Perfect Boiled Potato: Start the potatoes in COLD water and add salt to the water, so the water tastes “salty like the sea” and cook them UNCOVERED. Once the water comes to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer. Two to three minutes after a rolling boil… the potatoes will be completely cooked through.
You want to start the potatoes in cold water to create a uniform cooking platform for the potatoes. If you start cooking the potatoes in warm water, the heat from the water will start cooking the potatoes unevenly. It is best to combine cold potatoes with cold water and together let them come to a boil to produce the best possible texture and taste.
The salt acts as a chemical agent, helping to cook the potatoes from the inside out. The salt should penetrate the potatoes, and thus minimal salt is then added to the vinaigrette.
As potatoes are grown in the ground, they contain certain gasses. These gasses omit an off-putting flavor if the pot is covered and the gasses are contained.
Red Onion: I use a Japanese mandolin to slice the red onion extremely thin for this salad. By doing this, the onions do not overpower the salad. Instead, when they are combined with the apple cider vinegar, they become a bit sweet. The red onion also adds a beautiful pop of color.
Parsley: Adding a fresh chopped herb gives the potato salad an added freshness and provides an additionally needed pop of green. You could substitute parsley with any herb you desire, but parsley is the most traditional for this spread.
Dijon: The mustard in the vinaigrette acts as a binding agent for the vinaigrette. It helps to hold the oil and the vinegar together and keep the dressing emulsified. The Dijon also adds a wonderful earthy note that pairs well with the potatoes.
Maple Sugar: I use a small amount of sugar in the vinaigrette to offset the vinegar’s acidity. Keeping with the New England theme, I often use locally made Maple sugar. The maple sugar becomes a secret ingredient for the success of this salad.
Apple Cider Vinegar: Apple cider vinegar adds a sweet acidic pungency to the vinaigrette. I always use Bragg’s Unfiltered and unpasteurized raw vinegar that contains the “mother.” The “mother” is cloudy sediment at the bottom of the bottle that is essentially good acid bacteria. This bacteria and vinegar have a fantastic list of incredible health benefits. This vinegar is touted to aid in digestion, improve blood sugar levels, is terrific for the digestive system, lowers cholesterol, aids in weight loss, and is a wonderful supplement to healthy skin, hair, and nails.
Olive Oil: Using a good quality oil is pertinent to achieving a fantastic vinaigrette. Generally, I have one olive oil in my pantry for sauteing and searing, and another more expensive (better quality) oil I use for salads or finishing a dish.
New England Lobster Rolls with Tri-Colored Potato Salad
Ingredients
Lobster Rolls
- 2 1/4 lb lobsters (best if they are purchased alive)
- 1/2 lb (two sticks) butter
- 1 French baguette, sliced into two 6-inch pieces
- Salt to taste
Tri-Colored Potato Salad
- 3 lbs potatoes, small and mixed colored
- 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup parlsey, minced
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 2 1/2 tsp maple syrup (you can substitute with any sugar you have on hand)
- 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Lobster Rolls
- Place two inches of water into a large pot and place over high heat. Season the water with salt, so it tastes “salty like the sea.”
- Once the water reaches a boil, place the live lobsters into the pot and cover. Cook the lobsters for 16 minutes or until the shells become a vibrant red, and you smell a sweet, pungent aroma.
- Remove the cooked lobsters from the pot and allow to cool slightly. When they are cool enough to handle, extract all the meat from the shells and rough chop.
- Place the lobster meat into a mixing bowl and add half of the melted butter to the lobster meat and toss to combine.
- Slice the baguette pieces lengthwise, to create a pocket for the lobster meat. Be careful not to slice all the way through the bread.
- Toast the two baguette pockets until crispy and take spoon the remaining butter into each baguette pocket.
- Fill each baguette with the war buttered lobster meat and serve with the potato salad.
Tri-Colored Potato Salad
- Place the potatoes in cold water and season the water with salt, so it tastes “salty like the sea.” Place the pot over moderate heat and cook until the potatoes reach a rolling boil, about 10-12 minutes.
- Once they have reached a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook the potatoes for an additional 2-4 minutes. The potatoes are ready when you insert a knife and have little t no resistance.
- Rinse the potatoes under cold water, slice into quarters, and place in a large mixing bowl with the red onion and parsley.
- In a separate small mixing bowl, combine the Dijon, maple sugar, and apple cider vinegar. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil in a steady stream whisking the entire time. The slow whisking of the oil will help to create an emulsified sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Add the vinaigrette to the potatoes and toss to combine evenly. Serve with the warm lobster rolls.
