A lobster roll is a simple construction, but as our search for the best roll proved, good technique and quality ingredients can make the difference between a stellar roll and a mediocre one.
By Amy Traverso
Jul 01 2017
McLoons Lobster Roll Recipe
Photo Credit : Mark FlemingThis article originally appeared in the July/August 2017 issue of Yankee Magazine and may have been slightly updated for inclusion in this collection.
A lobster roll is a simple construction. Take some meat, a little mayo or melted butter, and a split-top bun, buttered and griddled. But as our exhaustive search for the best roll proved, good technique and quality ingredients can make the difference between a stellar roll and a mediocre one.
For the ultimate recipe, I went straight to our winning lobster shack, McLoons, in South Thomaston, Maine. Bree Douty is the general manager of this family business, which includes the lobster shack, the wharf next door (one of the oldest working buying stations in Maine), and a wholesale business out of Portland. “The secret to the quality of the meat is cooking the lobsters in small-enough batches that the meat can be cooked, immediately iced (so it doesn’t overcook), and picked, all in a short time frame,” Douty says. “Keeping the meat iced ensures that it stays fresh and juicy. And in summer, we cook mostly soft-shell lobsters. They’re much sweeter and more tender than hard-shell.”
Food Editor Amy Traverso oversees the Yankee Magazine Food department and contributes to NewEngland.com. Amy's book, The Apple Lover's Cookbook (W.W. Norton), won an International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) cookbook award for the category American.
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