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Recipe Detail Page
Lobster & Radish Rolls on Buttered Buttermilk & Black‑Sesame Buns
Early Summer 2023
Go above and beyond for these creamy East Coast–inspired seafood rolls by baking your own salty, squishy sesame-topped brioche buns. They require a mixer with a paddle attachment and some babysitting during the rising. But what deserves the full treatment more than lobster?! If you’re going to the effort to make homemade buns, it doesn’t seem right to just make a handful. This recipe makes 12 rolls, so you can up the filling or tuck leftover ones in the freezer for the next time you’re grilling sausages or hot dogs.
Makes 4 to 5 servings (and 12 buns)
BUNS
1/4 cup (60 mL) water, lukewarm
2 tsp (10 mL) granulated sugar
1 pkg (8 g) active dry yeast
3 cups (750 mL) all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp (2 mL) kosher salt
1/2 cup (125 mL) buttermilk
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
3/4 cup (175 mL) room-temperature unsalted butter, cut into 1-tbsp (15-mL) cubes
1 egg, beaten with a few drops of water for brushing
2 tsp (10 mL) black sesame seeds
1/2 tsp (2 mL) flaked salt
LOBSTER FILLING
2 East Coast lobsters, shelled, about 1/2 lb (225 g) lobster meat in total
4 to 6 radishes
1 tbsp (15 mL) lemon juice
1 1/2 tbsp (22 mL) chopped chives
1 tsp (5 mL) finely chopped tarragon (optional)
4 to 6 tsp (20 to 30 mL) mayonnaise
Salt and pepper to taste
1 to 2 tbsp (15 to 30 mL) salted butter
1. To prepare the buns, pour lukewarm water into a measuring cup. Check temperature. It should be 110° to 115°F (43° to 46°C). This is important to activate the yeast. Pour into the bowl of a stand mixer. Add sugar. Sprinkle with yeast. Let stand until it begins to bubble, 8 to 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, stir flour with salt in a medium bowl.
3. Add flour mixture and buttermilk to yeast mixture. Using the paddle attachment, mix on low just until dough comes together. It will be raggedy. Add eggs one at a time, beating until incorporated, then add each yolk, scraping down sides of bowl occasionally. Continue beating on low, adding butter 1 tbsp (15 mL) at a time and beating well after each addition. This will take 6 to 8 minutes. Continue beating on medium-low until dough comes together and is smooth, soft and a bit sticky, about 8 minutes. Occasionally, stop beating and scrape down sides of bowl and paddle. Toward the end of beating, the dough should begin to form a mound and creep up and around the paddle.
4. Remove dough to a greased or oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm spot until doubled, about 1 to 2 hours.
5. Remove to a lightly floured counter. Using your fingers, press down into a small square. Cut square into 12 pieces. Shape each piece into a log, about 4 1/2-inches (11 cm) long. Set on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm spot for 1 hour. Don’t worry if the dough begins to stick together. The buns will pull apart after baking.
6. Just before you’re ready to bake, preheat oven to 400°F (204°C).
7. Brush tops of buns with beaten egg. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and flaked salt.
8. Bake in centre of preheated oven until lightly golden on tops and bottoms, 12 to 14 minutes. Set on a wire rack to cool.
9. To prepare the filling, cut lobster meat into 1/2-inch (1-cm) pieces. Cut radishes in half. Place cut side down then thinly slice. Stir lobster with radishes, lemon juice, chives and tarragon in a small bowl. Stir in mayo until moistened. Season with salt and pepper.
10. Cut a slit into the top of each bun without cutting all the way through. Spread a little butter on either side of each bun (not the top or bottom). Set buns buttered side down in pan. Heat over medium. Cook until golden, about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Serve stuffed with lobster mixture.
Makes 4 to 5 servings (and 12 buns)
