I spent the weekend in Newport, Rhode Island for my friend’s birthday. Naturally, I had to indulge in at least one lobster roll. Around here, they’re about $20-$25 each, but it’s worth every penny. Although Maine is the lobster capital of America, these Rhode Island lobster rolls were still delicious. So delicious, in fact, that they inspired me to come home and cook up some of my own! The key to the perfect lobster roll: Minimal ingredients. Feel free to add lettuce and tomato if you’d like, but the most important part is fresh lobster and a little bit of mayonnaise.

Ingredients: Makes 3 medium or 2 large lobster rolls
2, 1.5-pound steamed lobsters
1/4 cup mayonnaise
Salt & pepper
2 or 3 New-England-style rolls
Butter
Lemon juice

Directions:
Remove meat from lobsters. (The meat is in the claws and the tails. Detach the claws and break open with a mallet to remove meat. Then, detach the tail by pulling it backward from the lobster. Slice down the middle of the underside of the lobster tail with a sharp knife, then break apart to remove the meat. You might need to rinse the top of the lobster meat to remove any unwanted insides.)

Then, in a bowl, break up the meat into bite-sized chunks. Combine lobster meat and mayonnaise. Season with salt & pepper and set in the refrigerator to chill. Next, butter the sides of the rolls and toast in a pan. When rolls are toasted, remove from pan and stuff each with lobster. (Add lettuce and tomato if you’d like.) Drizzle with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and serve immediately.