How to Make Lobster Rolls At Home
Lobster rolls are another one of my favourite seafood dishes ever! There is no better dockside experience than grabbing a warm, buttery roll from a sea-side stand and indulging in fresh lobster next to the ocean. It's summer on a bun.
Lobster rolls have been a New England pastime for decades - but, weirdly enough, their popularity really hasn’t gained much traction outside of those east coast states. (Why is everyone else sleeping on lobster rolls?!)
The origin of the lobster roll can be traced back to Maine. Beginning in 1970, lobster was served from food stands on buttered hot dog buns. Today, nearly every seafood restaurant in New England serves lobster rolls.
Now, at first glance a lobster roll might seem like a simple dish: lobster + bun, right? In fact, there is much more nuance to this east coast delicacy and a little bit of controversy as well.
Maine style vs. Connecticut style
There are two main ways to make lobster rolls: Maine-style and Connecticut-style.
Maine lobster rolls are served with cold lobster dressed in mayo, whereas Connecticut style is served warm and the lobster meat is doused in butter.
Generally speaking, if you hear “Maine-style,” expect the lobster roll to be chilled, with mayo; “Connecticut-style”, warm with butter.
But, the details don't stop there. There are multiple layers of complexity to perfecting this New England specialty.
Split-top hotdog buns
Split-top hotdog buns are the traditional choice for Maine Lobster Rolls because of their flat sides, which make them perfect for toasting. The real key to a perfect lobster roll is a warm, crispy, buttery bun. 🤤
If you enjoy bread baking, you can actually make the buns yourself at home using a New England Hot Dog Bun pan.
Fun fact about lobsters:
Sometimes growing to lengths of 60 cm and weighing over 18 kilograms, lobsters cangrow to be among the largest marine crustaceans. They are also the longest-living crustaceans, capable of reaching ages of up to 50 years! 🦞
Lobster Sustainability
I purchase my lobster meat from Caudle's Catch. Those who've been following me for a while know that Caudle's is my favourite seafood market ever. They source their fish sustainably from all over the world and they ship all across Canada! Caudle's lobsters are sourced directly from Canada's east coast, which happens to be a very sustainable lobster fishing area.
There are about 45 lobster fisheries in Atlantic Canada where over 10, 000 fishermen harvest lobster using baited traps. Canada’s lobster fisheries are incredibly well managed - arguably some of the best-managed fisheries in Canada. Strict regulations and management policies in place by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada and the provincial governments of Canada's eastern provinces have supported Canadian lobster landings in reaching the highest levels recorded in 100 years.
Lobster is also Canada’s most valuable seafood export. The iconic, high-value luxury species is exported around the world and contributes $2 billion to the Canadian economy.
Quick and Easy At-Home Maine Lobster Roll Recipe
*For this recipe, I used lobster meat that was already cooked and cut up. If you're starting from scratch with a whole lobster, check out this post for more information on how to cook lobster.