In this archive photo from 2010, Gordon and Carolyn Smith are shown selling lobster cakes and lobster rolls from their cart on Commercial Street in Portland. Gregory Rec/staff photographer

As a Maine native, I feel fortunate to have access to fresh seafood any day of the week, any time of year!

A simple and delicious staple during our warm season is lobster salad – the ingredients inside a lobster roll. A Maine lobster roll is served in a New England style hot dog bun (yup, with enriched white flour). In the early 2000s, my husband and I operated a lobster food cart on Commercial Street in Portland and at Portland Head Light in Cape Elizabeth. We served thousands of lobster rolls and lobster cakes throughout summer and fall to locals and tourists. With so much lobster meat available, we created other recipes for ourselves as entrees and sandwiches.

It all begins with lobster meat. Picking lobsters need not be solitary work. If you cook them yourself, they’ll last a few days in the fridge. I recall sitting outside with my daughter at our picnic table as we chit-chatted and cracked claws and tails, tossing lobster meat into one bowl and lobster shells into another. Nothing was wasted as we plucked meat out of joints and bodies. And yes, we took a few bites throughout the process. Of course, you could buy lobsters already cooked, or you could buy packaged meat, like my husband and I did when we operated our cart. But if you’re not selling to the public, you can pick lobsters in the comfort of your backyard with family and friends.

One of my favorite creations using lobster salad is the Continental Lobster Sandwich.

The Continental Lobster Sandwich. Photo by Carolyn Clyfton Smith

Lobster Salad

The following ingredients are per serving and are approximate, so use as much or as little as you like. This is very easy to double, triple, etc.

Combine the following 4 ingredients in a bowl, then mix using a fork:

Lobster meat, approximately 4 oz. per serving, torn into pieces about ¾-inch long
Half a stalk celery, chopped
Dash of celery salt
Mayonnaise, about ½ – ¾ teaspoon per serving, depending on preference

Continental Lobster Sandwich 

2 slices sourdough or white bakery-style bread
Half an avocado
Lobster salad
A fresh basil leaf
2 strips cooked bacon

Toast the bread. Smash and spread the avocado over each slice. Top with the lobster salad, basil and bacon. Eat open-faced. Or, if you prefer, make a standard sandwich, putting the ingredients over 1 slice of toast and topping it with the other.

VOILA! Enjoy!

THE COOK

Carolyn Clyfton Smith: “I grew up in Cape Elizabeth as the youngest of five children, back when kids spent hours outdoors riding bicycles without helmets, exploring woods before some became subdivisions, and experimenting in the kitchen on rainy days when my mother wasn’t home. There are few things I wouldn’t eat or try. My favorite food is cheese – the moldier the better. My second favorite food might be butter. My cooking style seems influenced by French cuisine. I enjoy cooking dinner and breakfast; I can make an excellent omelet, mixed and served in just five minutes.”