Lobster Roll Panzanella

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When I was growing up, lobster was the food of the summer. Every Canada Day, my family would set up picnic tables lined with newspaper and tear into freshly cooked lobsters with wild abandon. With varying levels of dexterity, we’d all wrestle the meat out of their shells and immediately dunk the morsels in melted butter. We were never more ambitious than that. Just simple fresh lobster and hot butter. But now that I have the annoying responsibility of buying my own food, I’ve been searching for ways to make this admittedly pricey treat stretch further. This Lobster Roll Panzanella is my current favourite solution.

Bring up the subject of lobster rolls to a born-and-bred East Coaster, and you’ll get some strong opinions. The bun must be split top and the sides must be buttered and toasted – that is something we can all agree on. The lobster meat should be plentiful and dominate the bun – simply non-negotiable. But then you have mix-in preferences. Some people are purists who believe a lobster roll should be just that: lobster in a roll. Others won’t recognize it unless butter lettuce is present. And others still enjoy a little more adventure and are open to a kaleidoscope of additional ingredients such as shaved fennel, dill, celery, and tarragon. But the hottest of hot-button lobster roll issues is butter or mayo?

Some folks only have time for lobster dosed in clarified butter; others need a creamy coating of mayo to get into it. And if you’re an either-or person, it will be a snap decision when it comes time to order, and you will always be certain you made the wrong call. I belong to the latter camp, and I have to say, it’s no picnic. Now, the passion behind this question cannot be understated. But I can honestly say, I am agnostic. I see the unique charms of both and don’t particularly feel the need to pick a side.

So, with this debate in mind, it was important to me that I pay homage to both sides of the divide in this Lobster Roll Panzanella. And how did I achieve that? Well, I dosed the croutons in a rich tarragon-garlic butter and dressed the lobster in a light coating of mayo spiked with sambal. I suppose some could view this as an attempt to mend fences. But really it’s just further evidence of my indecisiveness.

But before we get to those buttery croutons, we must first discuss the fennel. The fennel is central to my lobster-stretching plans. Not only is fennel delicious and beautifully complementary to the rich sweetness of the lobster meat, but it also takes up a fair amount of real estate. But having said that, the fennel is not just filler; we’re going to make it taste nice, I promise.

The first thing we’re going to do is remove the fronds from a bulb of fennel. Hold on to them; you’re looking at the finishing touch of our Lobster Roll Panzanella. Shave half of the bulb into ribbons on a mandolin. Place them in a bowl and add a thinly sliced shallot. Next, we’re just going to add a pinch of salt and the juice of two limes. Let everything hang out while we make the rest of the recipe. This is essentially a very light pickling.

Now, we can move on to those butter croutons. Tear some split-top buns into bite-sized pieces. You don’t have to use split-top buns; I’m using them for authenticity’s sake. But you could use a rustic loaf or brioche or really any sort of stale bread you have hanging around. Pile the pieces into a bowl and coat them with melted salted butter. Add a few cloves of minced garlic and some finely chopped tarragon. Toss to coat and bake them in a 350°F oven until golden.

And now all that remains is the lobster. Wrestle your meat out of a can or shell. I used claw and knuckle meat, but you can use tail or any combination of the two if you prefer. To the lobster, add some mayo, a little sambal oelek for heat, and a dash of rice wine vinegar. Stir to combine before adding the croutons and the drained fennel. Finally, toss everything together until evenly dispersed.

We’ve arrived at the plating portion of this recipe, and you’re free to listen to your heart, but this is how I approached things. Line a platter with butter lettuce leaves and spoon the salad into the centre. Garnish with additional tarragon and the fronds you reserved earlier. I also added some wood sorrel because it’s been going crazy in my garden, but that is very much optional.

So all that remains is to serve your dish and enjoy. This is best eaten after everything is tossed together, but feel free to prepare the fennel, croutons, and lobster meat in advance. Just make sure they don’t interact until you’re ready to serve.

Enjoy!