When Maine meets Spain
Lobster rolls “a la Donostiarra” are a fun way to dress up a New England classic
My friends, nothing says summer like a lobster roll, especially if you are from the Northeast U.S.. On Monday, I talked about the special Cap de Creus lobsters from Spain, and I would love to give you a Catalan recipe starring these delicious, spiny creatures! But it’s very difficult to find them in the U.S., and, people…Maine lobsters are amazing too (and they have claws!). So today, we are bringing Maine and Spain together to give you an amazing new lobster roll recipe that is easy to prepare.
Traditionally, for most lobster rolls, simplicity is important…the lobster should be the star, with warm butter or just a little mayonnaise to enhance its natural sweetness. For this recipe, we make it with a sauce typically used in a Basque fish preparation…Donostiarra! The sauce dances with the delicate lobster meat, with just enough heat from a chile de árbol and a little acid from sherry vinegar. I think it is a new and perfect partner for the lobster! In New England, they are usually served in a split-top hot dog but, which you can do if you can find them, but a brioche hot dog bun will hold up a little better to the amazing sauce for this recipe.
Also, if you don’t want to cook the lobsters at home, you can usually get them steamed wherever you buy them. But make sure you have the right tools to shell them properly, because you want to make sure you get as much of that delicious meat as you can. Of course, you can always buy pre-shelled lobster meat, but it will taste fresher if you do it yourself (and be a little less expensive, too!). And that can be your workout for the day.
I promise these will be a hit at your next barbecue or summer celebration.
Lobster Rolls “a la Donostiarra”
Serves 4