Recipes

Mini Lobster Rolls

Marc Murphy

Benchmarc Restaurants by Marc Murphy (Landmarc and Ditch Plains), New York City

Marc Murphy served his version of this New England classic at Chefs & Champagne. Don’t skip roasting the garlic—this step is worth the effort.

Ingredients

  • 1 head garlic, outer papery layers removed
  • 5 ribs celery, divided
  • 2 cups white wine
  • 1 lemon, halved
  • 1 onion, halved
  • One lobster, about 1 1/2 pounds
  • 1 1/4 cup mayonnaise
  • 2 scallions, chopped
  • 10 tarragon leaves, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
  • 6 top-split soft dinner rolls
  • Butter as needed

Method

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Cut the top off the head of garlic, exposing the cloves. Wrap in foil and roast in the oven for 40 to 45 minutes, until the garlic is soft and fragrant. Remove from the oven and let cool. Discard the foil and remove all of the garlic peel. Set aside.

Roughly chop 3 of the celery ribs. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the chopped celery, white wine, lemon, and onion. Add the lobster to the pot and boil until bright red, about 7 to 10 minutes. Prepare an ice bath while the lobster cooks.

Use tongs to remove the lobster from the water and place in the ice bath to stop the cooking. When the lobster is cool enough to handle, break apart the tail and claws and remove the meat. (Reserve the rest of the lobster for another use.) Slice the tail in half lengthwise and slice each half in half lengthwise. Chop the four tail slices. Cut each claw in half and chop the halves. Place the lobster meat in a large mixing bowl and set aside.

Chop the two remaining celery ribs and add to the lobster meat. Mix in the mayonnaise, scallions, tarragon, mustard, salt, pepper, Old Bay, and 1 tablespoon of the roasted garlic.

Spread butter on the insides of the dinner rolls. Place the rolls on a baking sheet and toast in the oven until golden, about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Fill the toasted rolls with the lobster mixture.

Yield

6 servings