Bryan Voltaggio’s makes his lobster rolls with a flavor-boosting soak

Bryan Voltaggio’s makes his lobster rolls with a flavor-boosting soak 1 of 2 | This image released by Voracious shows a recipe for lobster rolls from the cookbook “Home” by Bryan Voltaggio. (Ed Anderson/Voracious via AP) 2 of 2 | This image released by Voracious shows the cookbook “Home” by Bryan Voltaggio. (Voracious via AP) 1 of 2 | This image released by Voracious shows a recipe for lobster rolls from the cookbook “Home” by Bryan Voltaggio. (Ed Anderson/Voracious via AP) 1 of 2 This image released by Voracious shows a recipe for lobster rolls from the cookbook “Home” by Bryan Voltaggio. (Ed Anderson/Voracious via AP) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share 2 of 2 | This image released by Voracious shows the cookbook “Home” by Bryan Voltaggio. (Voracious via AP) 2 of 2 This image released by Voracious shows the cookbook “Home” by Bryan Voltaggio. (Voracious via AP) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share Updated [hour]:[minute] [AMPM] [timezone], [monthFull] [day], [year] I’ve never been to Maine for a lobster roll, but the ones I’ve had in other places have been so good that I knew I needed to make one myself. This version is from my cookbook “Home” and is made with perfectly cooked lobster meat that is plump, juicy, and tender but also firm, and slightly chewy. The trick to this recipe is soaking the lobster meat in the cooled cooking liquid to give it an extra burst of flavor and to rinse away any residue from the surface, leaving nothing behind but sweet, briny lobster meat.Lobster RollsMakes 6 to 8IngredientsTRINITY SAUCE:1 cup mayonnaise (I prefer Duke’s)1 tablespoon sriracha1 teaspoon soy sauce1/2 teaspoon fish sauce1/8 teaspoon sesame oil1 tablespoon finely sliced fresh chives1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro leaves___OUR BAY SEASONING BLEND:1 dried shiitake mushroom1 tablespoon black peppercorns4 bay leaves1 tablespoon coriander seeds 1/8 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds½ teaspoon red pepper flakes½ teaspoon piment d’Espelette2 teaspoons onion powder2 ¼ teaspoons paprika2 ½ teaspoons celery seeds½ teaspoon garlic powder2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon fine sea salt___LOBSTER SALAD:8½ quarts water ¾ cup white vinegar½ cup plus 2 tablespoons fine sea salt¼ cup Our Bay Seasoning Blend6 1 ½-pound lobsters3 celery ribs, peeled and thinly sliced½ head fennel, cut into small dice3/4 cup Trinity Sauce1 ½ tablespoons fresh lemon juice6 to 8 Hot Dog Buns (homemade) or store-bought, for servingUnsalted butter, room temperature, for griddling the bunsPotato chips, for serving DirectionsMake the Trinity Sauce: Put all of the ingredients in a medium bowl and stir well to blend. Transfer to a covered container and refrigerate until needed. Trinity Sauce will keep for up to 10 days in the refrigerator.Make the Our Bay Seasoning Blend: Place all of the ingredients except the salt in a spice grinder and grind to a fine powder. Transfer to a bowl and whisk in the salt. If you have weighed the ingredients correctly, the mixture should be in between orange and brown in color, and will be so delicious you’ll want to put it on everything. Our Bay can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one year.Cook the Lobster: Put the water, vinegar, salt, and Our Bay Seasoning in a large stockpot and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and submerge the lobsters in the pot. Bring the mixture back to a simmer and cook for 12 minutes. Take out the lobsters and transfer to a large platter to cool. Reserve the cooking liquid. Once they are cool enough to handle, use kitchen shears and a lobster cracker to remove all of the meat. Put the lobster meat in a large container and pour over just enough of the cooking liquid to cover the meat. Let the lobster meat macerate in the cooking liquid for 30 minutes.Make the Lobster Salad: Drain the lobster meat, pat dry, cut into bite-size pieces (roughly 1-inch dice), and put in a large bowl. Add the celery, fennel, Trinity Sauce and lemon juice. Mix gently with a spatula to blend. Reserve the lobster salad in the refrigerator.Prepare the Lobster Rolls: Split open the hot dog buns and spread butter on the insides. Set a large nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot, place the buns, butter side down, in the pan and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until the insides of the buns are crisp and golden brown. You may need to do this in batches. Transfer to a large platter and fill generously with lobster salad. Serve with potato chips alongside. Bryan Voltaggio is the executive chef and owner of restaurants Voltaggio Brothers Steakhouse, Showroom, and Wye Oak Tavern at Visitation Hotel in Maryland. He was a finalist on Top Chef Season 6 and Top Chef Masters Season 5, the first chef to compete on both programs.Excerpted from “Home,” by Bryan Voltaggio. Copyright (copyright) 2015 by Bryan Voltaggio. Used with permission of Voracious, an imprint of Little, Brown and Company. New York, NY. All rights reserved.