Lobster Rolls

Arriving back to town on Friday- I couldn't tell if it was actually a pleasantly cool day or if it just felt cooler in comparison to New Orleans. As it turned out, it was actually a cool-ish day for July in Charleston with a nice breeze. John and I played some tennis (or should I say chased tennis balls around the court) and then decided to do dinner at home on the porch versus battling the crowds that would likely be overflowing the patio dining spots in town. The cover of July's Gourmet magazine has a scrumptious looking Lobster Roll on it which immediately reminded me Pearl Oyster Bar, of one of my FAVORITE restaurants in NYC. My friend Kate took me there years ago and now I have to visit every time I'm in the city. (I know my mom is whining right now about going back as she reads this.) Their lobster roll is the most amazing sandwich (and probably the most expensive) I've ever had. http://www.pearloysterbar.com/

The recipe is actually online and I think the beauty of it is the simplicity and the secret is the quality of the lobster itself. I did have access to some lobster tails which were good, but didn't exactly measure up to the North East lobster. I boiled four tails, removed the meet and chilled it while I prepared the dressing. I used about 1/4 cup of mayonnaise, juice from half a lemon, one teaspoon of fresh dill, one tablespoon of finely diced red onion, a pinch of kosher salt and some fresh cracked pepper. I mixed it together and tossed with the lobster meat. Pearl uses top opening Pepperidge Farm hot dog buns which my Harris Teeter did not have, but we found some very similar that were unsliced. I melted one tablespoon of butter in a frying pan on medium heat and toasted the buns very slightly before slicing them on the top and filling with the lobster meat.

Pearl serves the sandwich with house cut shoestring fries, we opted for some frozen sweet potato fries which we love and a simple green salad with tomatoes and a champagne vinaigrette.

I actually love to order a glass of champagne with my lobster roll at Pearl (if you're going for it, might as well go all out right?) but John made some fresh margaritas last night that were a very nice touch. He used the 3-2-1 recipe (three parts Patron silver, two parts lime, and one part triple sec) and served over ice in a salt rimmed glass. Luckily we sipped while I cooked because if I'd had the whole glass before dinner, I might have fallen asleep in my plate! They are so refreshing and delicious but definitely pack a punch. Cheers to summer!