Summertime…. glorious Summertime!! Next to Fall this is my favorite time of the year. A time when the hustle and bustle of the school year has ended and there are no more activities and commitments on a weekly basis. A time when we’re scheduling our family vacation in our beautiful motor home. A time when our pool is open for the grandchildren to enjoy and a time when our outdoor kitchen has replaced the inside one for the most part. I adore Summertime on Cape Cod and I am blessed beyond measure that Cape Cod is my playground throughout the summer for some amazing day trips and some incredible food along the way!! We have amazing towns to visit: Provincetown, Truro, Chatham, Yarmouth and Sandwich just to name a few. All of these beautiful oceanside towns boast amazing restaurants where you can get some of the best Surf and Turf you’ve ever had. One item you can find on just about ANY restaurant menu on Cape Cod in the Summer is the infamous lobster roll sandwich. If you’ve never had one, well… you need to rectify that quickly! Lobster is not for everyone, which I honesty find strange because of my love for it, but it’s a seafood delicacy that can be quite expensive but oh so worth it. You can spend anywhere from $25.00 – $65.00 for a lobster roll on Cape Cod. It depends on the market price, which as we have all seen is going up on every realm you can think of. But nonetheless it is something I look forward to each and every Summer. Especially on Memorial Day. That’s our kickoff to the impending Summer and the start of many a lobster rolls to enjoy!
There are so many options for dining on Cape Cod and if you’re planning on visiting this Summer than you’ll definitely want to check some of them out. I adore a great restaurant, but honestly, I prefer to purchase our lobsters from our local seafood specialist and steam them ourselves. It’s much cheaper that way. My father-in-law owns a lobster boat located in Steuben, Maine and my husband is a premier Poissonnier. Elite with his craft, he can shell a lobster and pick it clean before you could finish an ear of corn. He taught me ways to shuck shellfish that I never knew of. He showed me places inside that lobster where some of the most tender and sweet meat is located… and I have to say I had no idea there was anything beyond the tail and the claws. But I was wrong… oh so wrong.
If you would like to see how to shuck a lobster, you can view that on my channel by clicking here. The video will also show you how I prepare our lobster rolls in case you would like to watch the process. There are two specific ways that are classic Cape Cod versions of the lobster roll made famous on these stomping grounds, and we adore them both. In the video I show you how to prepare the two versions: One is a sauteed butter version and the other is created using real mayonnaise and sour cream. Both equally delicious but being the Queen of Butter, my preference gravitates towards the sauteed butter version, while my husband prefers the mayo/sour cream one. It’s literally a matter of preference as to which one you’d want.
Now before I include the printable recipes for both versions on this blog, there are some rules of thumb that you must follow when enjoying a lobster roll.
- A TRUE lobster roll contains lobster meat caught off the coast of Maine. They’re hard-shell lobsters and in my opinion (as well as several others) the absolute Creme de la Creme of lobsters and the ONLY way to go.
- The roll used to contain the lobster meat MUST be toasted. It cannot be cold and soft. It must be toasted and quite buttery! I believe there is a law somewhere in the history books on this….
- A lobster roll is served with either fresh, hot, crispy french fries OR corn that has been grilled in their husks with the silk removed and slathered in mayonnaise and salt before grilling. If you have never tried your corn this way with or without a lobster roll, you’re truly missing out on a game changer. Please try it. You can thank me later.
- You could also have coleslaw or potato chips in place of the corn or fries.
I hope you’ll pop over to my YouTube channel using the link above and see for yourself just how delicious these delicacies truly are!! Everyone needs to try one at least once in their lifetime, and if you haven’t than you need to add that to your Bucket List for sure. And if coming to Cape Cod for an authentic one isn’t in your cards for whatever reason, then rest assured you can just make it at home like we do! You don’t need to be on Cape Cod to enjoy an authentic Cape Cod delicacy! Below are the printable recipes for your files. Comer!!!
[recipe title = "Sauteed Lobster Roll" servings = "2" time = "30 minutes" difficulty = "Easy Peasy"]- 1 1/4 – 1 1/2 lb. Lobster, Steamed and Shucked
- Butter…. the more the better
- Paprika
- Salt & Pepper to taste
- Toasted Hot Dog Roll
- Parsley for Garnishing
Preparing the Lobster: Start off by putting 2″ of water in a very deep pot with a lid. You can also add a little beer to the water. Once the water is steaming add the lobsters. Make sure the steam is still coming and then start your timer for 15 minutes. Once the lobster is done, remove from the pot and allow to cool slightly for handling. Remove all the meat from the shell and set aside.
Preparing the Roll: Butter both sides of the hotdog roll and grill until toasty. For a healthier alternative, brush both sides of the roll with avocado oil before grilling. Both ways are delicious.
Melt 5 tbsp. butter in a skillet. Once hot, place the shucked lobster meat in the melted butter and sauté. Add salt and pepper to taste. Once hot, place inside the grilled roll. Overstuff the roll and garnish with parsley. Serving Suggestion: Serve with grilled corn for an authentic Cape Cod delicacy.
[/recipe] [recipe title = "Creamy Lobster Roll" servings = "2" time = "30 minutes" difficulty = "Easy Peasy]
- 1 1/4 – 1 1/2 lb. Lobster, Steamed and Shucked
- 1/4 c. Mayonnaise
- 1/4c. Sour Cream
- Dash of Paprika
- Dash of Garlic Powder
- Salt & Pepper to Taste
- Toasted Hotdog Roll
- Parsley for Garnishing
Preparing the Lobster: Start off by putting 2″ of water in a very deep pot with a lid. You can also add a little beer to the water. Once the water is steaming add the lobsters. Make sure the steam is still coming and then start your timer for 15 minutes. Once the lobster is done, remove from the pot and allow to cool. Remove all the meat from the shell and set aside.
Preparing the Roll: Butter both sides of the hotdog roll and grill until toasty. For a healthier alternative, brush both sides of the roll with avocado oil before grilling. Both ways are delicious.
Combine the mayonnaise and the sour cream in a small bowl. Add the paprika, salt & pepper and garlic powder to taste. Mix well. Add the lobster meat. Break it up a bit but also leave some nice chunks in there and mix to coat all the lobster pieces. ***SIDE NOTE*** I like to mix the ingredients together in one bowl and then gradually add them to my shucked lobster meat. That way it allows me to control the amount of mayo mixture I want on my lobster roll. Sometimes you just don’t want it all in there.
Place the creamy meat mixture inside the grilled roll. Overstuff the roll and garnish with parsley. Serving Suggestion: Serve with grilled corn for an authentic Cape Cod delicacy.
[/recipe]