“Cold lobster rolls are a classic summer meal,” Garten captioned the Instagram video, “but when I discovered Connecticut lobster rolls, there was no going back. It consists of warm lobster that has been sautéed in butter and herbs—you can’t go wrong with that! They’re also incredibly easy to assemble when you use store-bought, cooked lobster.”
The recipe she uses is from her cookbook, Cook Like a Pro: Recipes & Tips for Home Cooks. “For a Fourth of July celebration, I like to make lobster rolls,” she says in the video while rounding up key ingredients. “But I make one worthy of a celebration. They’re warm lobster rolls, and they’re so easy to make.”
For the uninitiated, allow me to explain. When you think of a lobster roll, you likely picture a New England (or Maine) variety, which comes cold with a mayonnaise-based dressing. But Garten is preparing a Connecticut lobster roll, which comes warm and dressed in melted butter instead of mayo. Personally, I’ve had my fair share of both, and the warm one is miles ahead of its cold, perhaps overrated cousin.
“First thing I do is melt some butter in a pan,” Garten continues. “I’ve got cooked lobster that I got at a seafood shop, and I cut it up. I’m just gonna put it right in the pan. Some celery—it’s not that different, it’s just warm—salt and pepper, and just cook it for like, 2 to 3 minutes, just until it’s heated through,” she adds. Finally, she stirs in fresh dill, fresh parsley and lemon juice.
Once the filling is complete, she heats two tablespoons of butter in a large pan to toast the rolls. She browns the sides, lines them up on a long platter, fills the split-top buns with the lobster, then garnishes with more dill and lemon juice.
Find the full recipe here—and you’ll want to make a double batch, trust me.
