Barrister Bites

BARRISTER BITES By: Angelia Morie Nystrom, JD, LLM

UT Foundation – Institute of Agriculture

LOBSTER: IT’S HOW WE ROLL

Growing up, extra special occasions were celebrated at “the fish place,” also known as the Red Lobster. I was always a shrimp and cheddar biscuit kind of girl, but I am also a sucker for good marketing. When I was around 10 years old, I decided to be brave and order the Lobster Extravaganza that was prominently advertised on television and was featured, front-and-center, on the menu. With the first bite, I was hooked. My favorite at the time was the lobster tail. I loved the sweetness of the lobster paired with the drawn butter. At the time, I didn’t know what drawn butter was—I just knew that it tasted a little bit like Crayola crayons (which, sadly, I knew from firsthand experience) or candle wax. However, eating lobster dipped in drawn butter made me feel like a grown-up, which every 10 year old wants. For me, lobster has always been a special occasion food—something to be consumed at a fancy restaurant to commemorate a really special event. That changed about twelve years ago. Hugh, Trace and I were visiting Boston for an ABA Conference, and we purchased tickets for a Boston Red Sox game. The concierge at the hotel said that we needed to try the lobster roll at the game. Lobster at a baseball game? Who knew?!? The lobster roll at Fenway was absolutely amazing, and I have been in search of great lobster rolls ever since. I was pretty excited to see the lobster roll on the menu at Neyland stadium early in the football season this year. While it was not the Fenway lobster roll, it was quite good. It was loaded with plenty of lobster and was not overly-heavy on the mayonnaise. In October, Hugh and I decided to venture to the Northeast. We flew into Boston, rented a car, and drove up the coast to Maine. As a part of our adventure, we booked at trip on a lobster boat. I wanted to trap lobsters, cook them and learn how to make the perfect lobster roll. While we were able to trap lobsters, we were not allowed to keep them. I did, however, try the lobster roll every time I saw it on a menu. I had the lobster roll at the Sea Glass restaurant at our hotel, at Luke’s Lobsters in Portland (note: they will ship lobster to your house), at the Harraseeket Inn in Freeport, and at a small restaurant on the coast called The Lobster Shack. The lobster roll at each restaurant was different… but all were fantastic. The lobster roll at the Sea Glass was huge and had very little mayonnaise; the lobster roll at Luke’s was heavy on the herbs; the lobster roll at the Harraseeket Inn had more mayonnaise than the others but was still great; and the lobster roll at The Lobster Shack was just lobster steamed with Old Bay – and included a dollop of mayonnaise dusted with Old Bay on top. While each were different, all of them had lots of flavorful lobster, and all of them had a perfectly toasted, buttered bun. For many Maine-lovers, a heap of sweet lobster meat piled onto a soft, buttery bun is one of life’s great pleasures—especially when eaten with a beautiful coastal view. I could easily see why. There are a lot of ways to make a lobster roll, and in Maine, it is a point of much debate. Too many flavors and too much mayonnaise can overwhelm the subtle flavor of the lobster. I made it my mission to replicate the best of the lobster rolls that I tried. This recipe comes pretty close. This lobster roll recipe is straightforward, so you really taste the fresh lobster. You need the following ingredients: 2 pounds cooked lobster meat (roughly chopped), 3 TBS chopped parsley, 3 TBS chopped celery leaves, about ¾ cup mayonnaise, 2 TBS unsalted butter, 6 New England-style hot dog buns, and 6 pieces Boston (bibb) lettuce. In a medium bowl, combine the lobster meat, parsley, and celery leaves. Add half the mayonnaise and taste; the mixture should have just enough mayonnaise to hold the ingredients together, but the lobster should be the predominant flavor. Add more mayonnaise if necessary. Generously butter the buns on all sides. (I like the brioche hot dog buns from Kroger. True Maine lobster rolls are served on New England rolls, which have flat sides that can be buttered and then grilled or toasted. I get that same effect by trimming the top layer off the brioche bun.) In a medium saute pan over medium-high heat, brown the rolls on both sides. Lay 1 piece of lettuce in each bun and evenly divide the lobster mixture among the hot dog rolls. Serve with crispy French fries. If you love lobster, I would encourage you to try the lobster roll at home. While I always considered lobster a “special occasion” food, a wise tour guide at Chandon in Napa once said that every day that you wake up is a special occasion. So, enjoy lobster every chance you get!

Start your New Year with LRIS

Want a better 2023?

LRIS offers an excellent return for your marketing dollar. In the last two years, panel attorneys earned over $2.2M from LRIS-referred cases.

Contact Tracy Chain, LRIS Administrator, at (865)522-6522, email tchain@knoxbar.org, or visit www.knoxbar.org/joinLRIS.

Join for 1/2 off the annual membership fee for referrals through June 30.