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Whether you’re in the Northeast or not, lobster rolls are on the summer menu. Not only can you take advantage of cheaper lobster meat prices in the summer, but you can also level up your lobster rolls with another classic summer seafood: crab meat. Often compared to each other, both crab meat and lobster meat exhibit a nice balance of sweet, briny, and umami.
Lobsters are meaty yet tender, while crab meat is juicier with a flaky texture. Lobster meat is the buttery complement to the more delicate and sweeter crab meat. Both blend perfectly with a mayo-based sauce, as indicated with the mayo-based mixture used to make these crab cake sliders, for example. Of course, both lobster and crab meat lend well to being cooked in a simmering pan of butter with fresh herbs. So, whether you’re craving Connecticut-style hot lobster rolls or cold Maine-style lobster rolls, a crab-meat addition is more than welcome. Plus, lobster meat tends to be more expensive, on average, than crab meat. So, swapping a portion of the lobster meat with crab meat is both economical and more decadent. If you really want to save big, try Trans Ocean’s Crab Classic Imitation Crab Meat.
Being the larger, sturdier, and chewier of the two, lobsters can still be the star of the show. You can try substituting a third of the lobster meat with crab meat. You’ll get large meaty lobster meat chunks surrounded by flaky crab meat for the ultimate textural contrast.
Tips for making a crab and lobster roll
Many of the same tips to assemble lobster rolls apply to an upgraded crab and lobster roll, starting with choosing fresh, high-quality seafood. An initial step you shouldn’t skip when cooking your lobster and crab meat is seasoning the water you boil them in with salt. Salt will bring out their trifecta of umami, brine, and buttery sweetness.
Another assembly tip is to create the flavorful foundation of herb-infused butter for a hot lobster roll or herb and aromatic-infused mayo for a cold lobster roll first. Then, add the lobster and crab to the sauce, folding the seafood into the sauce gently to maintain those large meaty chunks of lobster. If you’re making a mayo-based Maine-style lobster roll, you don’t want to overdo the mayo or mustard component. You can prepare the sauce in a bowl, then transfer half of the mixture to a separate bowl before adding the crab and lobster; it’s easier to add more sauce than to remove an excess.
Adding a wealth of crunchy ingredients like celery and fresh jalapeño or diced bell pepper will bring a nice crunch, while fresh herbs, tangy, mustard, and a squeeze of lemon juice will complement the umami-richness of the seafood with a bright, tangy, spicy, and herbal flavor. Of course, you want a sturdy yet fluffy foundation with the lobster roll bun; we like a brioche hot dog bun. To prevent a soggy lobster roll bun, we’ve compiled these simple steps.
