Lobster Rolls with Crispy Ginger & Scallions
Rating
We know that messing with classic eats is not always the best idea, but we hit a home run with this Asian-inspired Ginger Scallion Lobster roll!
Ingredients
- 2 live lobsters
- (1¼ to 1½ pound each)
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 3 scallions (finely julienned, divided)
- 2 tablespoons fresh ginger (finely julienned, divided)
- 2 tablespoons butter (divided)
- 1½ teaspoons soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons rice vinegar
- ½ cup mayonnaise (or to your taste)
- 2 teaspoons chives (chopped)
- 2 large or 4 medium brioche rolls
Instructions
- Keep the lobsters refrigerated until they are ready to be cooked. When it's time to cook, bring 2 to 3 quarts of water to a rolling boil in a large covered stock pot (it should be about 3 inches of water). Rinse the lobsters thoroughly, and remove the rubber bands around the claws.
- Place both lobsters in the pot, with tails curled, belly side down. The lobsters should be sitting upright in the pot when you place them, and they should not be fully submerged in water. The lobsters should be placed quickly in the pot, which should then be covered immediately. After 11 minutes, carefully remove the cover and verify that the lobsters are bright red. There should not be any dark spots on the shells; if there are, that means the lobsters aren’t yet cooked through.
- Remove the lobsters from the pot with a pair for tongs, and place them into your sink. Give them a good rinse with water to help them cool down and to stop the cooking process.
- Prepare a large bowl of water, which you’ll need to rinse the lobster after you extract the meat. Next, transfer the lobsters one at a time to the cutting board. Extract the meat from the lobster tail and claws (see post for more detailed instructions). Chop it up into large chunks.
- Now you are ready to put together the lobster roll.
- Start by heating three tablespoons of oil in a small pot using low heat. You can test the temperature by adding in a sliver of ginger, which should sizzle and bubble. Add 1 tablespoon of the finely julienned ginger and let fry slowly until golden brown, which should take about 2 to 3 minutes. Use a slotted spoon or strainer and transfer the crispy ginger to a plate lined with paper towels.
- Fry ⅓ of the julienned scallion in the same way, and transfer the scallion crisps to a plate. Watch the heat closely, and turn the heat down during frying if needed so you don’t burn them.
- Pour off the excess oil, leaving about 1 tablespoon in the pot, and add the remaining ginger and scallion. Stir for about 30 seconds until sizzling, and add 1 tablespoon butter and soy sauce. Once the butter is melted, remove from the heat.
- Once the scallion ginger mixture is cooled completely, transfer to a bowl with the mayonnaise, rice vinegar, and half of the chives. Mix until everything is thoroughly combined. Fold in your lobster meat until everything is well coated. Add salt and pepper to taste and set aside.
- Brush the brioche rolls with your last tablespoon of butter and lightly toast them in a skillet or cast iron pan. Split them open on a plate, and fill each one full of your Asian lobster salad. Garnish with the fried ginger and scallion and the remaining chives, and serve.
