Maine Lobster Roll Recipe (Mayonnaise) (2024)

FAQs

Do Maine lobster rolls have mayo? ›

It's as simple as this: If the meat is cold, it's a Maine lobster roll. In most cases, the meat is tossed with mayonnaise, tarragon and celery or scallions before it's piled into a bun.

Instead of the chilled lobster touted by the Maine roll, the Connecticut-style lobster roll is served warm. It's packed with warm, thick cuts of meat from the tail and claw, tossed with just the right amount of indulgent butter and—you guessed it—tucked inside that delicious split top bun.

The two most common styles of lobster roll are known as Maine and Connecticut, based on where they originated and where each style is most popular. You may also come across a Manhattan-style lobster roll, which is less common but worth noting.

Opting for chopped tail meat will also work, but we'd recommend saving the tails for a more authentic experience. It's almost as if lobster knuckle and claw meat were made to be used in lobster rolls and the soft, succulent consistency makes 'em the best choice around.

Serve at Room Temperature

Whether you choose to serve lobster rolls hot or cold depends on whether you prefer butter or mayo. A traditional Maine-style lobster roll is mayonnaise-dressed and served cold. As New Englanders know, a cold, creamy lobster roll can hit the spot on a summer day.

It is made of lobster meat served on a grilled hot dog–style bun. The filling may also contain butter, lemon juice, salt, and black pepper, with variants made in some parts of New England replacing the butter with mayonnaise.

Morander pointed to many reasons for the price hikes (the current cost of a Lobster Landing roll is $26.50), but emphasized three: the quality of the meat, sourcing challenges, and the labor-intensive nature or roll-making.

Traditionally, the best Lobster Roll have been found in the states of Maine, Massachusetts and Connecticut and in seaside hotspots like the Cape Cod peninsula.

You must use fresh, Maine lobster. And if you want an overflowing lobster roll you can eat with a fork, plan on one 1¼ pound lobster per roll. And if at all possible, make sure you use New England style split-top hot dog buns (with the cut sides) as the roll's flavor explodes when toasted on a grill or skillet.

You can't just stick lobster meat in any old bun and call it a lobster roll! It must be a top-split, white-bread hot dog bun, slowly toasted on both sides in plenty of butter. This is not optional—it's an essential part of the recipe.

How many lobster rolls are in a pound of meat? ›

Of course, lobster is expensive and there is no reason why I needed to make several rolls of each recipe, so I scaled each recipe down to only make one roll. Most of these recipes call for about 1 pound of lobster meat for about 6 rolls per recipe, which means that I used 2.6 ounces of lobster meat for each roll.

There's nothing wrong with pairing a lobster roll with classic french fries, chips or even tater tots. However, if you want to try something different, consider serving other veggie sides like zucchini fries or carrot chips. To make zucchini fries, you'll need breadcrumbs, grated Parmesan cheese, eggs and zucchini.

Seasoning: Maine lobster rolls use lobster meat that is mixed with mayonnaise and, oftentimes, lemon juice. They are sometimes seasoned with Old Bay seasoning, salt and pepper, and/or celery. Connecticut rolls have lobster meat that is drizzled with clarified butter.

Season: Recreational lobster season opens at 6:00 p.m. on the Friday preceding the first Wednesday in October and closes at 11:59:59 p.m. on the first Wednesday after the 15th of March. Recreational Bag and Possession Limit: Seven lobsters per person.

North American buns are attached so that they are white on the outside and you toast the outside of the bun while we have regular hot dog brioche buns for this so we butter and toast the inside. Both are good and just as tasty as each other.

There's nothing wrong with pairing a lobster roll with classic french fries, chips or even tater tots. However, if you want to try something different, consider serving other veggie sides like zucchini fries or carrot chips. To make zucchini fries, you'll need breadcrumbs, grated Parmesan cheese, eggs and zucchini.

There are an estimated three million lobster traps along Maine's coast at any given time, so it's no surprise that the state produces some of the best lobsters in the country. And while there might be some debate on the best way to enjoy Maine's favorite crustacean, the lobster roll is a top contender.

With the addition of mayonnaise and lemon or warm butter, lobster rolls have a salty, briny flavor with a touch of sweetness. Lobster is a meaty crustacean that lacks a “fishy” taste if it's fresh. Fresh lobster has a sweet, light taste and melts in the mouth.