“A classic New England Lobster Roll is to die for, really, it is very special!  A famous upscale chain store advertised something new on their menu… a New England lobster roll, for mega bucks too.  Well, it looked so tempting and I was in the mood for it… but yuck, I said, this is not a New England Lobster roll! I couldn’t even finish it.  It was really awful! It was way too spicy and it was floating in mayonnaise.  Where was the celery?  What kind of roll was this?  It was split, but not a New England roll.   Wasted my money on this one for sure!   I grew up in New England so I know what it is supposed to be like!     Keep it simple, not super spiced-up, and not too much mayo either to give it  a huge fresh shellfish taste.

My recipe here is for a combined version of shrimp and lobster to keep the cost down for large home parties without sacrificing that wonderful New England taste.  You really have to search for the New England rolls that are split on top. It makes a huge difference!  These rolls come in mini sizes too.  You can toast the sides of the rolls on a buttered grill if you’d like to get really traditional!  For large parties I skip that step.  Also for tea parties, I use the extra small rolls, or you can use this five-inch size and cut them in half.  These makes really delicious tea sandwiches and everyone loves them! 

If you can’t take a trip to Maine to get my chef cousin’s famous authentic New England lobster roll, or any other state in New England, this is really good!  It is  low-calorie too!  The ingredients are simple, and it’s all in the technique. Enjoy!”

serves: 12

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 ½ pounds extra-large shrimp
• ½ – ¾  pound raw lobster tail, in shell
• 1/3 cup mayonnaise
• 1 celery stalk
• ½ tablespoon parsley
• 3/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ½ tablespoon lemon juice
• 4 tablespoons butter
•  ½ head of iceberg lettuce
• 12 five-inch mini New England rolls

DIRECTIONS:

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the shrimp and lobster tail and boil them for 5-8 minutes. Drain.  (Or I would save that luscious shellfish stock for a bisque, a sauce or another fish dish!)  Do NOT rinse the shellfish with cold water.   
2. Let the shrimp and lobster tail cool down enough to handle, about 3 to 5 minutes. They will cook more while they are cooling and that is what you want because you did not over-boil them.  Nothing is worse than tough shrimp or lobster meat.  Remove the shells.    Set aside about ½ pound of the shrimp meat.  You will add that in to the mixture later.
3. Put the remaining shrimp and lobster meat in a food processor, along with the celery and parsley. Grate this for a few turns only, you want the meat chunky and the celery crunchy.
4. Put this mixture into a large bowl and with a Foley Fork or spatula, mix in the mayonnaise, salt, black pepper, cayenne, and lemon juice.  (I love my new Foley Fork!  It is an old-fashioned 5 or 6-tined blending fork that is making a comeback!  It works great for hand-blending everything!)
5. Hand chop the reserved shrimp into very large chunks and add to the mixture. ( These chunks should be larger than the ones in the mixture.)
6. Spread a thin layer of butter on each inside of the New England rolls then line both buttered sides with a large lettuce leaf.
7. Add the filling. Sprinkle with additional chopped parsley if desired.

Nutritional Information

Shrimp and Lobster New Engand Roll

Amount Per Serving
Calories: 128
Calories from Fat: 82

% Daily Value *
Total Fat 9g 13%
Saturated Fat 3g 17%
Cholesterol 88mg 29%
Sodium 617mg 26%
Total Carbohydrates 4g 1%
Dietary Fiber 0g 1%
Protein 7g 13%
Sugars 1g
Vitamin A 3%
Vitamin C 0%
Calcium 1%
Iron 2%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.