Celeriac + Lobster Rolls topped with Fennel + Apple Slaw
I’ve come up with lots of great recipes over the years (I might be a little biased?).
But this one really takes the cake—or the roll.
There's the fresh, yet hearty, caramelized celeriac that perfectly compliments the lobster, and then the crisp apple and fennel slaw with a hint of orange...
It hits every high note.
This is the kind of dish I make for company, or when I need to do something nice for my husband.
It’s really special, but not so fancy where you won't want to devour the whole thing in two bites.
Okay, four bites.
See? I’m dainty.
Celeriac + Lobster Rolls topped with Fennel + Apple Slaw
makes: 4 sandwiches
Fennel + Apple Slaw:
- 1 small fennel bulb, very thinly sliced (about 1½ cups)
- 1 Red Delicious apple, cut into long, thin strips
- 1 jalapeño chile or Fresno chile, seeds and ribs removed, minced
- Juice of 1 lemon
- Juice of ½ orange
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Basil + Lemon Aioli :
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 small garlic clove
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Finely grated zest of ½ lemon
- Juice of 1 lemon
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- ¼ cup coarsely chopped fresh basil leaves
Celeriac + Lobster Rolls:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 celeriac (1½ to 2 pounds), peeled and cut into ¼-inch cubes
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 split-top hot dog rolls
- 9 ounces fresh lobster meat (equivalent to one 3-pound lobster), coarsely chopped
Fennel + Apple Slaw:
- Mix the fennel, apples, jalapeño, lemon juice, orange juice, and salt in a large bowl, stirring until well combined. Set aside on the countertop to let the fennel and apples soften while you prepare the rest of the sandwich.
Basil + Lemon Aioli :
- Add the egg yolk, mustard, and garlic to a blender and blend on high for 10 seconds. Add the vinegar, salt, lemon zest, and lemon juice and blend again for 10 seconds. With the blender running, very slowly drizzle in the oil, starting with a few drops at a time. After you have added 2 to 4 tablespoons of oil and the aioli has emulsified and you see no separation, you can add the remaining oil in a faster stream as the blender continues to run. Scrape the thickened aioli into a small bowl and stir in the basil. Set aside.
Celeriac + Lobster Rolls:
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in the celeriac, sprinkle with the salt, and stir again. Cook until the celeriac is tender and browned on all sides, 10 to 12 minutes.
- Meanwhile, melt the butter in a second large skillet or a griddle over medium heat. Add the rolls and cook until browned on the sides, 2 to 4 minutes.
- As soon as the celeriac is cooked, reduce the heat to low and stir the lobster into the skillet. Cook until warmed through, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat. Add the aioli and stir until well combined.
- Spoon the lobster mixture into the rolls, dividing it equally. Top each roll with one-quarter of the slaw.
Notes:
- If you’re not in the mood to make your own aioli, skip it and use ¾ cup mayonnaise instead, adding the basil, a squeeze of lemon juice and a little grated garlic.
- Fennel has a nice licorice flavor, but can be replaced with a small red onion or cabbage in a pinch. If you have some tarragon on hand add it when using these substitutes.
- Go ahead, make the slaw in advance. You’ll get a jump on the prep and the longer it sits, the better it gets.
- For simpler slaw use, ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes instead of the hot pepper, and just lemon juice instead of both juices.
- Make this a meal a bit more accessible by substituting shrimp for the lobster. Or for a different take on things, chopped chicken breast makes for one heck of a tasty sandwich, too!
