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!

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

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