Lobster Brioche
My introduction to lobster rolls was on a business trip to Nova Scotia over 15 years ago. At the tender age of 25 it was my very first business trip and I remember thinking that I had really made it if the company was willing to fly me half way across the country for a few meetings (oh how the novelty has worn off!).
After a quick tour around the office, my hosts were already discussing lunch and a round of golf (silently I was thinking to myself, was I supposed to bring my clubs?). After an exhausting morning of meetings we were off for a customary (so I learned) lobster lunch at one of the local favourites. This place was the real thing - simple fake wood paneled walls adorned with lobster traps, fishing nets and pictures of proud fishermen and their boats. Quickly I noticed my colleagues were on a first name basis with the waitress and there were lots of jokes going around at the expense of the city boy from Toronto. The orders started to fly in and everyone was ordering up "lobster rolls" - I had never heard of them before and could only envision something that looked like rolled up stuffed fish? Not wanting to expose my cultural ignorance I ordered the same. To my stomach’s delight out came a lobster sandwich – the ah ha moment! I get it …lobster on a “roll” Fresh and simple lobster on a soft hamburger bun. Being a follower in this case actually paid off. I looked up to those fishermen and said a quiet “thanks” for the best damn lobster roll I had ever eaten. My lobster roll memories became just that — a memory. I don’t recall seeing one again for quite some time. Many years later I rediscovered them at Pearl Oyster Bar. This New York City institution serves one fabulous lobster roll with shoe string fries stacked so high they are falling of your plate. On a recent visit I determined that their secret is a buttery brioche type roll and it got me thinking that I would be trying my own version when I returned home.
I started to experiment with a brioche recipe to make the right roll and was pretty pleased with the results. Although the recipe can be made quicker with a Kitchen Aid I prefer the hand-kneaded method as it is an easy dough to work with and when it comes to bread, working with your hands is always more satisfying. The filling is a simple mix of lobster with a little lemon, mayonnaise and fresh herbs. I take a nod to my fellow countrymen in Nova Scotia and serve mine on a paper plate with potato chips — I am just missing the smell of the sea air.
Michael Clark
Michael is a banker with a love for bread. His desire was kindled by morning visits to a local bakery while holidaying in France. He was struck by the passion of the bakers and the simplicity of hand made bread— 4 ingredients; flour, salt, water and yeast. He soon found himself experimenting in his own kitchen, before recruiting a master baker to show him the ropes. Wanting a taste of the real thing, he traded his holidays for midnight shifts in one of Canada's leading artisan bread bakeries. To quote Michael, “there is nothing more satisfying then the solitude of waking up early, hand kneading the dough, smelling the aromas coming from the oven and then slathering a hot piece of bread with some delicious butter”. An avid traveler, he seeks out crusty loaves and the people who make them around world. When not working in The City, Michael can be found in his London kitchen or his local pub