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The Sandwich 100 · make it at home

Maine lobster roll (butter or mayo)

40 min · 4 rolls

Sweet lobster meat, barely dressed, in a split-top bun toasted in butter. Warm with melted butter (Connecticut style) or cold with a little mayo (Maine style); either way, don't hide the lobster.

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The real one

You need

• 2 live lobsters, about 700 g (1 1/2 lb) each, or 450 g (1 lb) cooked lobster meat
• 4 New England split-top hot dog buns
• 3 tbsp soft butter for the buns
• For warm: 60 g (4 tbsp) butter, melted, a squeeze of lemon
• For cold: 3 tbsp mayonnaise, 1 tsp lemon juice, 1 tbsp finely diced celery, 1 tsp chopped chives
• Salt, a pinch of paprika, lemon wedges

How to make it

1. Cook the lobsters (15 min): Bring a big pot of heavily salted water (like the sea) to a rolling boil. Put the lobsters in head first, cover, and cook 9 to 10 minutes from when it returns to the boil. Plunge into ice water 5 minutes.
2. Pick the meat (15 min): Twist off the claws and tail. Crack the claws and knuckles and pull out the meat; cut the tail shell down the belly with scissors and lift it out. Cut into 2 cm (3/4 in) chunks; keep the claws whole.
3. Dress (2 min): For warm, toss the meat in a pan with the melted butter over low heat just to warm, 1 minute, and add lemon. For cold, fold the meat with the mayo, lemon, celery and chives. Season lightly.
4. Toast the buns (3 min): Butter the outside flat sides of the buns and toast them in a skillet over medium heat until golden, 1 to 2 minutes a side.
5. Fill: Open the buns and pile in the lobster, a claw on top. Dust with paprika and serve with lemon and chips.

Tips

• Split-top buns are the right shape; a brioche bun works if you can't find them.
• Over-dressing is the most common mistake.

Chef Amazing's own home version, in our words; not any shop's recipe.