The lobster roll or New England lobster roll - named after their birthplace on the American east coast where lobsters are pretty plentiful (and just a little bit cheaper than here) - has captured the public imagination like few other sandwiches. My version takes a detour into Korean cuisine with the addition of a little kimchi, though you could leave it out.
4 brioche rolls, cut open lengthways
iceberg lettuce, shredded
400g cooked crayfish meat, sliced into 5mm thick medallions
salt flakes
100g kimchi, finely chopped
1/2 lemon
1 tbsp black sesame seeds
1 tbsp white sesame seeds
Sesame mayonnaise
2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
125g mayonnaise
2 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted and ground
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tsp sesame oil
1. For the sesame mayonnaise, carefully lower the eggs into a saucepan of simmering water and cook for six minutes. Lift from the water, refresh under cold water and peel. Chop the eggs and combine with the remaining ingredients in a small bowl.
2. Smother the brioche with the sesame mayonnaise and top with the lettuce and crayfish. Season with salt flakes, then add the kimchi. Squeeze over lemon juice, sprinkle over the sesame seeds and serve.
Edited extract from Karen Martini’s New Kitchen. Pan Macmillan, $44.99
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