Lobster Rolls Recipe

For the lobster:

• 1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
• 2 (1-1/2-pound) whole live lobsters
• 3 whole black peppercorns
• 1/4 bay leaf
• 1 cup water, plus more for steaming the lobsters
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter (3/4 stick), cut into 1/2-inch cubes and chilled
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped tarragon leaves
• 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• Freshly ground black pepper

For the buns:

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (1/4 stick), softened
• 4 top-split hot dog buns

1. Fill a large pot with a tightfitting lid with 1 inch of water and stir in the measured salt. Add a steamer rack to the pot. (If you don’t have a steamer rack, lightly bunch a long piece of foil so that it looks like a rope. Then make a figure eight out of the foil rope and set it in the pot.)
2. Bring the water to a boil over high heat. Add the lobsters to the pot head first, cover, and return the water to a full boil. Reduce the heat and cook at a gentle boil until the lobsters are bright red, about 14 minutes from the time they go into the pot. Check their doneness by pulling on an antenna: If it comes out with no resistance, the lobster is done. Remove the lobsters to a rimmed baking sheet and let them sit until cool enough to handle.
3. Using your hands, twist and separate the tail from the body. Twist and remove both of the claws where they meet the lobster body; set the claws aside. Discard the head and torso.
4. Starting with the tail, remove the small, wispy flippers on the underside of the shell. Using a fork, pierce the exposed tail meat and slowly twist and pull it out of the shell in one piece. Rinse any white debris off of the tail meat and set it aside on a cutting board. Reserve the shell of the tail.
5. Twist the claws and separate them from the legs; set the legs aside. Gently wiggle and pull the smaller part of the pincer shell off each claw. Using a seafood cracker, gently crack the claws, remove the meat, and set it aside on the cutting board. Crack the legs, remove the meat, and set it aside on the cutting board. Reserve the shells from the claws and the legs. Repeat with second lobster.
6. Check the meat for any cartilage or shell and discard it. Coarsely chop the reserved meat and place it in a medium bowl. (You should have about 2 cups.)
7. Place the reserved lobster shells, peppercorns, bay leaf, and measured water in a medium saucepan over high heat and bring to a boil. Boil until reduced to 1 tablespoon. Discard the large shells and strain the lobster broth through a fine-mesh strainer set over a small saucepan.
8. Place the small saucepan with the lobster broth over medium-low heat and whisk in one piece of the butter at a time until all of the butter is incorporated. Add the tarragon and lemon juice and stir to combine. Fold in the reserved lobster meat and cook until just heated through. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed. Remove from heat and set aside.

For the buns:

1. Spread the butter on the outside of the buns. Heat a large frying pan over medium heat until hot, about 3 minutes. Place the buns in the pan butter-side down and toast until golden brown, about 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. Flip and toast the second side until golden brown, about 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. Divide the warm lobster salad among the buns and serve immediately.