BUTTER-POACHED LOBSTER ROLLS WITH CELERY FENNEL SLAW

Butter-Poached Lobster Rolls with Celery Fennel Slaw image

Provided by Eric Greenspan

Time 1h30m

Yield 6 servings

Number Of Ingredients 16

Ingredients

Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
Three 1 1/2- to 2-pound live Maine lobsters
2 tablespoons neutral cooking oil
1 white onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 fresh bay leaves
1 cup vermouth
1 cup heavy cream
1 pound unsalted butter, cubed, plus 2 tablespoons for toasting buns
1/4 cup yellow mustard seeds
1 cup red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 head celery
1 head fennel, fronds reserved
1 ounce mustard oil
6 top-sliced hot dog buns

Steps:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
Remove the claws and tails from the lobsters. Boil the tails for 1 minute and the claws for 4 minutes, then remove from the water. Immediately remove the meat from the shells and set aside.
Add the oil to a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add and sweat the onions, garlic and bay leaves until the onions are translucent, about 3 minutes. Carefully add the vermouth and reduce until dry, about 2 minutes. Add the cream, then reduce by two-thirds, until thick. Slowly whisk in the pound of butter little by little until fully emulsified. Add the lobster tail and claw meat to the butter cream sauce and poach over low heat at 165 degrees F until cooked through, 7 to 10 minutes. Remove the lobster from the pan and allow to cool just to the touch. Rough chop and set aside.
Add the mustard seeds, vinegar, sugar and 1 tablespoon kosher salt to a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Meanwhile, separate the celery into stalks. Using a Japanese mandoline, slice the celery into paper-thin strips. Cut the fennel bulb into quarters. Using the Japanese mandoline, slice the fennel bulb paper thin.
In a medium bowl, toss the celery slices, fennel slices, mustard oil and 2 tablespoons pickled mustard seeds. Taste and adjust as desired with more mustard seeds. Keep cool until ready to serve.
In a 12-inch cast-iron pan, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and griddle the buns, top side-down, over medium-high heat until golden brown.
Open the buns and fill with spoonfuls of the lobster mixture. Top with a handful of the slaw and garnish with the reserved fennel fronds.