Lobster Roll

The Best Lobster Roll

If you’re a fan of seafood and lobster is one of your favorite crustaceans, then you’re going to love this Lobster Roll. The last few years, social media apps and websites like Instagram and Pinterest have featured incredible photographs of these sub rolls over flowing with huge chunks of lobster. Restaurants up and down the coast lines have adopted these sandwich’s and added the lobster roll to their menu. Even one of Gordon Ramsey’s bar and grills features it, and I’ve heard it’s amazing, but I’m going to introduce a way to make them that I don’t think anyone else is doing, yet.

One bag with 2 frozen lobsters and another bag with frozen lobster arms and claws.

How to save Money on Lobsters

It’s not uncommon to spend $20 dollars per lbs when purchasing lobster. Especially if you’re buying it fresh or having it shipped inland. That’s why I’m grateful for large companies that can ship in bulk and cut down the costs that would otherwise pass on to us if we were ordering it ourselves. The shipping is where they get ya. The problem for me, though, is that its difficult to find live lobsters. The only live tank, that I’m aware of in this entire county, is at my local Asian market and, for some reason, they’re only housing Dungeoness crabs.

I purchased two bags of pre-cooked lobsters from Walmart but I’m not so sure I saved that much money. The first bag had 2 lobsters in it, weighing 1 lb 6 oz and it cost $15.98 before tax so, that purchase was definitely a winner; each Lobster weighing approximately 11 oz each. The second bag, however, was right on the money. 1 lb for $20 dollars but this bag had only arms and claws. If you ever wondered what was done with the rest of the lobster when you ordered a tail with your steak, this is it, among other things. The bottom line is, if you want to save real money on lobsters, move to a port city in Maine. Unfortunately, I haven’t figured anything else out.

In this video tutorial, I discover that one of the lobster was packaged over cooked and the meat from the tail and the claws was falling apart like pulled pork. If there is grey discoloration the meat is bad and it should be thrown out. Like crawfish, this is a sign that the lobster died before it was cooked and how long it was dead cannot be determined, indefinitely, and it can cause illness if it’s ingested. Luckily, the meat in from this lobster was still bright and white which suggests that the lobster just hung out in the bottom of a boil or steamer too long so, it was just fine to eat. But, just be aware of this if you ever encounter this issue.

What’s in my Lobster Roll

The most common ingredients in a Lobster Roll are butter and mayonnaise. I like both but I have discovered that there are a lot of folks that don’t like mayo. So, if you’re one of those, you’ll be pleased to know that mayonnaise is not one of the ingredients in this recipe, though, it could be added if you’re wanting it.

Another common ingredient is Coleslaw. The pairing of the two really is quite nice and some just serve it on the side but, in my honest opinion, it seems to be more of a filler than anything. It makes the sandwich go farther with those tiny bits of lobster meat. Some folks like to add celery to the mixture of mayo and lobster, for a little crunch, but keep the coleslaw completely out of the sandwich. Personally, I just want the lobster. Also, most sandwich’s are prepared with cold lobster meat but I prepare mine warm and with entirely different ingredients. In fact I make more of sauce than anything; a cream sauce with Parmesan, Parsley, Chives and my soon to be famous Blackened Seasoning.

One 8″ stuffed Lobster Roll with whole tail and claw meat.

More Lobster Recipes

https://poormansgourmetkitchen.com/lobster-tail-with-claws.htmlIf you haven’t been following me long or this is your first time visiting PMGK, you probably don’t know that I’m a big fan of seafood and I only post the best recipes. My basic Baked Lobster Tail recipe has been #1 on YouTube for years and it’s not even my favorite of my lobster recipes. I have several others that you might be interested in trying here: Stuffed Lobster has shrimp, scallops and crab mixed with the lobster meat and a cream sauce, stuffed into the lobster cavity, then it’s baked with a bread crumb crust. Tempura Lobster Tails are dipped in a Japanese batter then deep fried till they’re golden brown and served with dipping butter, tempura dipping sauce and my secret sauce. My Grilled Lobster recipe teaches you how to humanely kill a lobster and I give you an insanely delicious Garlic Butter Basil marinade. The Lobster Sauce is a cream sauce designed for raviolis but can be used with any Italian past and it’s incredible. Poor Man’s Lobster has been really popular, too. I show you a few tricks to make imitation lobster out of a Cod fillet. My Lobster Bisque is made with Langostino lobster tails which saves a ton of money because they’re about the same price as shrimp per lb. Plus I show you how to cut out a ton of the fat without sacrificing flavor.

Lobster Roll video tutorial by poormansgourmet.

Lobster Roll Ingredients:

2 Lobsters, Steamed and shelled
2 Sub Rolls, 8″

1 Clove Garlic, chopped
1/4 cup Whipping Cream
1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese, grated
1/4 tsp Blackened Seasoning
1/4 tsp Parsley, dried
1/4 tsp Chive, dried
1 tbsp Butter
Salt and Pepper to taste

Be sure to watch the short video tutorial and I’ll show you exactly how to make this amazing Lobster Roll.

Grilled Lobster and Secret Sauce

The Best Grilled Lobster

This is, absolutely, hands down, the Best Grilled Lobster that I have ever had and it is so easy to prepare and grill. The hardest part is dispatching a live lobster, if that sort of thing bothers you, but I show you the most humane way to do it and the quickest way to to clean and sanitize your lobsters, before grilling. But, this tutorial isn’t just a how to, I give you the best secret sauce recipe to saturate the meat and it makes the lobster more savory and succulent than you could’ve ever imagined.

3 Pound Grilled Lobster

I’ve been waiting a long time to show you how I cook a Grilled Lobster. The reason being that, up until now, there wasn’t anywhere near by selling live lobsters. A while back I filmed and posted about my local Oriental Market. Well, right next door, another Asian market, about the size of Walgreen’s, opened with a large variety of seafood options, including live crab and lobster tanks. I was so excited. The only problem was, they only had dungeness crabs. I talked to the owner and checked back weekly for several months but they were really having a hard time finding a vendor with reasonable prices that would deliver to this area. Long story short, they found one. I’m still not ecstatic about the price but at least, now, they are available. And thanks to my Patrons, I was able to walk in there last week and say, “Give me the biggest one!”

How much does a 3 lbs Grilled Lobster Cost?

This Grilled Lobster ain’t no joke and at these prices, who’s laughing? I mean, if this is the market price, can you imagine what a 3 pound lobster would cost in a Restaurant. The basic philosophy and justification behind restaurant cost is basic biz 101;supply and demand, overhead and employment cost and of course profit. The easiest way to calculate this equation is to take the cost of the product and times that price by 3. I paid $46.03, American, for this lobster. So, in a nutshell, a restaurant would charge you close to $160!

YouTube Trolls often comment, “Poor Man’s my Ass” on my videos because they don’t grasp or understand this concept. Also the fact that there is a time and a place for everything. I don’t buy expensive food and cook and eat like this all the time. That’s just ridiculous. But, occasionally, for holidays or a special dinner, with my wife and family, I make an exception. And the more of you that choose to get involved with my work, can help me make this happen, for you, more often.

Also, ironically, if you google, “lobster food history”, you’ll find that lobster was considered “Poor Man’s” food and served only to people and families in poverty.

Dispatching a Live Grilled Lobster

It’s always best to cook fresh and the only way to cook a fresh Grilled Lobster is to dispatch a live one. This isn’t for the faint of heart but I strongly believe it’s for the greater good.

The last 100 hundred years or so we’ve gotten away from such practices and we no longer appreciate what we are eating. We live in a world of instant gratification and all of the work that goes into the hamburgers we all love to eat so much is taken for granted. We need to get more hands on and stop filling our heads with delusions that it’s wrong to do it or that it’s okay as long as someone else is doing it.

That being said, I show you the most humane way to dispatch a live lobster in the video. The only thing I didn’t mention, however, is the fact that I placed the lobster in a more dormant state before doing so. A lobsters normal habitat and water temp can vary between 45 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit, depending on where it’s from. So, you can place the lobster in colder temperatures, like a sink full of ice water or a freezer, for 20 to 30 minutes, and the lobster will become more calm and docile. This hibernation like state is considered, by many, to be the more humane way to take a lobsters life with a quick plunge of a sharp knife to the back of the head. It’s quick and virtually painless.

Now all you have to do is clean the cavity and harvest the goods.

Grilled Lobster Tomalley and Roe

Before you cook your Grilled Lobster, you have to clean it. Technically you can just throw them on the grill without doing so but there are a few things you should know about. First is the Tomalley, which controls the digestive glands in the lobster. Second is the Roe and it’s more or less lobster caviar. Both are considered a delicacy but in truth, I don’t care for either. The picture above is the Roe and it can be served raw or cooked. Generally you just mix in some salt. The Tomalley can be used as a spread, like butter but it’s best to just leave it alone and wash it down your sink, like I do in the video. There are health risks associated to eating Tomalley, so proceed with caution. Also, the same way you devien shrimp, you can devien lobster.

Eating Grilled Lobster

You’re Grilled Lobster can, technically, be baked if you prefer or if you just don’t want to grill. In all honesty the grill just adds that smokey flavor which can be achieved with liquid smoke if you’re cooking in the oven, but still want the grilling taste. The secret sauce recipe I give you below is more of a paste or a “topping”, if you will, that should be applied towards the end of the cooking. Make sure the meat is well moisturized with some olive oil, beforehand, so the lobster doesn’t dry out and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 1 1/2 minutes per ounce before applying the butter paste topping. If any of the topping mix is left, when it’s done, just add a few tbsp more of melted butter for dipping.

You can eat the Claws, Arms, Tail and you can use a rolling pin to squeeze meat out of the legs. There’s more meat at the base of the legs and in the body than most people realize, so be sure to check every nook and cranny.

Other Lobster Recipes: Lobster Tail with Claws, Tempura Lobster Tail, Lobster Bisque, Lobster Sauce, Stuffed Lobster, Poor Man’s Lobster

Grilled Lobster Ingredients:

2 lobsters
2 tbsp Olive Oil
3 Garlic Cloves
5 Fresh Basil Leaves(do not use dried)
2 Green Onions
4 tbsp Butter
Salt and Pepper to taste

Water for steaming

After the lobsters have been cleaned, steam them in a couple inches of water for 5 to 10 minutes, depending on their size.
Then Grill as instructed in the video for an additional 5 to 10 minutes before applying the Garlic, Basil, Onion and Butter paste.
Use half the butter for the paste and the other half for dipping the Grilled Lobster meat.

Frozen Crawfish Boil – How to cook Frozen Crawfish

The Best Crawfish Boil

If you’re a fan of Crawfish, you’re going to love this recipe. The problem is that there are a lot of places that don’t have access to live Crawfish, if they have access to them at all. If you’re lucky, you can at least find them frozen in your seafood department at your local grocery store. “Lucky” may be a loose term because any good cook knows that any pre-cooked anything, let alone frozen, is a recipe for disaster. But, if you consider the fact that King and Snow Crab legs don’t get shipped, practically, any other way, then believe me when I say, you’re in good hands with this post. The trick is to reconstitute and reheat these mud bugs without over cooking them and to be sure to add enough flavor. When it’s done right, no Cajun will ever know the difference.

How to Season Crawfish

Just to be clear, this recipe can be used for both Live or Frozen Crawfish. It will flavor and season them both, properly. The only difference will be the amount of time live Crawfish need to cook before they soak and to get good flavor into either/or you definitely need to soak. Frozen crawfish are the easiest to prepare because the cleaning and purging have already been done for you. All you need now is the right ingredients and they’ll get the re-heat they need, along with a good soak, and all of the flavor you would expect great Crawfish to have in just a matter of minutes.

So, you need to make a broth that is out of this world and it’s generally made with a ton of spice. The good news is that these ingredients can be purchased in an all in one product, so you don’t have to dive deep into your pockets for every individual spice. Companies like Slap Ya Mama, Zatarain’s or Old Bay have put together excellent Crab, Shrimp and Crawfish Boil Seasoning packages that are great for this sort of thing. And you can buy the liquid too, if you prefer. My only complaint is that the suggested water to seasoning ratio amount is generally way to spicy for most folks. I mean, it’s too spicy for me and I even like foods hot. A simple solution would be to add less seasoning but then you loose to much flavor. So I came up with the idea of adding bouillon and, let me tell you, it makes all of the difference in the world. It’s got the right heat, with a nice medium kick and all the flavor you need from a good Crawfish Boil.

I use Knorr Tomato Bouillon, because it just makes sense. You should know that I’m not affiliated with them in any way, I just like their product. Why Tomato, and not Chicken, Beef or Vegetable? Well, I have found that some of my favorite recipes that have a good spice usually have a tomato base. Mexican and Indian food are both great examples of this so, you’re just going to have to trust me. Besides, I add an Onion and full stick of butter as well. Crab Boil seasoning has Onion, Garlic, Paprika, Cayenne, Pepper, Lemon and Salt so you really don’t have to add anything else, unless you want to. Ginger is a nice addition if you want more of an Asian flavor. But, what’s great is you can really control the flavor and the heat by seasoning your Crawfish Boil this way and preparing them the way I show you in the video.

And, what ever you do, be sure to strain and save the broth for other recipes. It can be used in sauces, soups and many recipes that require broth. And if you’re looking for more Cajun recipes, be sure to check out my Crawfish Etouffee, Jambalaya, Oysters Rockefeller, Bourbon Chicken or Boudin Recipes. I have more Cajun recipes than this and, if you’re interested, you can search for them by category on this website or just watch and flip through this Cajun Playlist I have on YouTube.

Crawfish Boil Ingredients:

5 lbs Crawfish
1 Gallon Water
1 Onion
1/3 cup Tomato Bouillon or more
1/8 cup Crawfish Boil Seasoning
1 stick Butter

Be sure to watch the short video Tutorial and I’ll show you just how easy this boil is to make.