A friend of mine came home from a trip to Florida raving about a lobster reuben he had eaten. My mind got going and I couldn’t stop thinking about it.


I had never had a lobster roll until I moved to the Hamptons. In fact, I had never
even had lobster until I came here. Now I love lobster rolls. A lobster roll is pretty simple: lobster meat, mayo, bun.You can use store-brought sauerkraut if you want to go the totally traditional reuben route, but it can be a bit strong next to the mild, sweet lobster meat, so I favor making a simple vinegar slaw instead. You decide!

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Serves 4

You will need:



Slaw:

1 cup Savory or white cabbage, very thinly shredded

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

1/2 teaspoon sugar

salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1/2 teaspoon celery seeds



Sandwiches:

1/4 cup mayonnaise

2 teaspoons ketchup

2 teaspoons sweet pickle relish, well drained

1/4 teaspoon paprika

1 lb cooked lobster meat, coarsely chopped

8 slices rye or marbled rye sandwich bread

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature


  1. Put the cabbage in a small bowl.
  2. Sprinkle the vinegar, sugar, salt, pepper, and celery seeds over the top and toss well.
  3. Let stand, tossing frequently, until the cabbage wilts, about 20 minutes.
  4. In a small bowl, stir together mayonnaise, ketchup, relish, and paprika.
  5. Add 1⁄2 of this dressing to the lobster meat and toss well to combine.
  6. Arrange the bread slices on a work surface and spread a little of the remaining dressing on each slice.
  7. Put a slice of cheese on each piece of bread; divide the lobster meat among 4 of the slices.
  8. Top each sandwich with 1⁄4 of the remaining slaw and invert the remaining cheese-covered bread slices onto each sandwich.
  9. Spread 1⁄2 tablespoon softened butter on the top of each sandwich.
  10. Melt the remaining 1 tablespoon butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat and swirl the pan to coat it.
  11. Arrange the sandwiches—butter side up—in the pan and cook until the bottom is golden, about 5 minutes.
  12. Carefully flip the sandwiches and cook until the underside is golden brown and the cheese is melted, about 5 minutes more.
  13. Remove the sandwiches from the pan and let stand for 1 minute before slicing diagonally.

TIP:

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A friend of mine came home from a trip to Florida raving about a lobster reuben he had eaten. My mind got going and I couldn’t stop thinking about it.
Photography by Alexandra Grablewski

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