Pull-Apart Lobster Rolls from ‘Martha Stewart’s Appetizers’

Every week, Yahoo Food spotlights a cookbook that stands out from all the rest. This week’s cookbook is Martha Stewart’s Appetizers: 200 Recipes for Dips, Spreads, Snacks, Small Plates, and Other Delicious Hors d'Oeuvres, Plus 30 Cocktails by Martha Stewart. Read more about Yahoo Food’s Cookbook of the Week here.

Photograph by David Malosh

Pull-Apart Lobster Rolls
Makes 12

You don’t have to live on the coast to make lobster rolls from scratch. Lobster is shipped to markets all over the country, and you can even buy it shelled and cooked—although boiling lobster takes no time and, with the right tools, the meat is easy to extract (see notes, below). Buttery pull-apart rolls are the right size for holding the sandwich in one hand and a drink in the other, and they make a fun display.

1 pound cooked lobster meat (from 3 lobsters; see notes, below) (2 ¼ cup)
½ cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons minced fresh chives
1 tablespoon fresh chervil, plus more for serving
1 teaspoon coarse salt
¼ teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
? teaspoon cayenne pepper
12 pull-apart rolls, such as King’s Hawaiian sweet dinner rolls or Martin’s potato rolls (do not separate rolls)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350°F. Gently stir to combine lobster meat, mayonnaise, lemon juice, chives, chervil, salt, Old Bay, and cayenne in a bowl.

Split buns across top, then brush generously with some of melted butter. Heat on a baking sheet until warmed through, 3 to 5 minutes.  Divide lobster salad amongst rolls, drizzle with remaining butter, sprinkle with chervil, and serve.

Lobster How-To

To cook live lobsters

Fill a large stockpot three quarters of the way with cold water; bring to a rolling boil and add a generous amount of coarse salt. Plunge 3 lobsters, one at a time, headfirst into the water, and cook (uncovered) until they turn bright red, 8 to 14 minutes. Use tongs to remove them from the pot, and transfer to a platter. When cool enough to handle, snip tips off claws and let liquid drain out. Remove rubber bands.

To extract the meat

Pull claws from bodies, completely separating. Twist each tail from joint where it meets the body. Use kitchen shears to slice down centers of tails. Open sides of tails apart to release the meat. Use your fingers to pull meat from tails. Separate knuckles from claws. Crack knuckles open, and remove meat with a small fork. Grasp “thumbs” from claws, and bend back to snap off. Place claws on their sides on a work surface. Holding with one hand, and using back (dull edge) of a chef’s knife, whack several times to crack shells without cutting into meat. Twist to open and then pull out the meat with your fingers. Cut all meat into ½-inch pieces and finely chop.

Reprinted with permission from Martha Stewart’s Appetizers: 200 Recipes for Dips, Spreads, Snacks, Small Plates, and Other Delicious Hors d'Oeuvres, Plus 30 Cocktails by Martha Stewart (Clarkson Potter).

More seafood recipes for your next party:

Vegetable Paella with Chorizo + Prawns

A Spicy Lobster and Clam Boil to Finish Summer Strong

Grilled Clams with Garlic Butter from ‘Feeding the Fire’