Its become a tradition in our house to kick off Summer with a Memorial Day trip to Yankee Lobster for what Yelp reviewers consider the best fresh lobster rolls in Boston. However, what was once a rare treat for me has become a more frequent (read: expensive) craving; I think I am on my third lobster roll of the season, having enjoyed #2 at Sullivan’s on Castle Island and #3 in the Ikea Cafeteria (obviously lowering my standards). I figured it was time to learn how to make them myself…

I consulted with my aunt, a long time Cape Cod dweller, for her personal recipe. She confessed that the recipe is embarrassingly easy as there are only four ingredients: lobster, chopped green onions, mayo, and a few turns of a pepper mill. I must admit that I had the grocery store do the dirty work by steaming (and killing) my lobster for me. I did, however, remove the shell myself. This nice man from Nova Scotia instructed this process as I extracted the meat with my bare hands. The (dead) lobster didn’t go down without a fight as I ended up with juices all over me (now I know why people wear bibs) and a scratch on my wrist. The amount of onions and mayo to add depends on the amount of lobster meat; my 1.5 pound lobster yielded about 1.5 cups of chopped meat. I added 1/3 cup of green onions and a heaping tablespoon of Miracle Whip (my aunt’s secret ingredient instead of mayo).

The lobster salad is traditionally served in hot dog buns. Not just any hot dog buns, but the ones that don’t have crust on the sides. Along with a side of Cape Cod potato chips, these lobster rolls made a delicious light dinner with my husband.