Maine Lobster Roll

Ingredients

• 2 live lobsters, about 700g each, or 450g cooked lobster meat
• 4 New England split-top hot dog buns
• 60g unsalted butter, softened
• 5 tbsp good mayonnaise
• 1 celery stick, very finely diced
• 1 tbsp finely snipped chives
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp celery salt
• Black pepper, to taste
• 4 large lettuce leaves, such as little gem

Before you cook

• Fill a large stockpot with heavily salted water and set it over high heat
• Very finely dice the celery so it disappears into the salad
• Snip the chives and squeeze the lemon
• Soften the butter for the buns

Steps

1. Bring the salted water to a rolling boil and lower the lobsters in head first.
2. Boil the lobsters for 9 minutes, until the shells are bright red and a leg pulls away easily.
3. Lift the lobsters into a bowl of iced water and leave them for 5 minutes to stop the cooking.
4. Twist off the tails and claws and crack the shells, pulling the meat out in the largest pieces you can manage.
5. Cut the tail meat into 2cm chunks and leave the claw meat whole, then chill it for 15 minutes.
6. Fold the mayonnaise, celery, chives, lemon juice and celery salt through the cold lobster, using a light hand so the meat stays in pieces.
7. Season the salad with black pepper and taste it, adding a little more lemon if it feels flat.
8. Spread the softened butter thickly on the flat outer sides of each bun.
9. Griddle the buns in a dry skillet over medium heat for about 90 seconds per side until deep golden and crisp.
10. Tuck a lettuce leaf into each toasted bun to keep it from going soggy.
11. Heap the lobster salad into the buns so it mounds well above the top and serve straight away.