Happy Labor Day Weekend everybody! Just in case you haven’t put away all of your white clothes, do it now. I’ll wait.

Good, now you can get all messy with a gluten-free lobster roll! I’ve been missing these things since we moved from the East Coast, and I couldn’t enjoy a hot dog bun normal-style. That’s doubly missing a lobster roll. So I decided to whip one up in my California kitchen. Much easier said than done.

Lobster isn’t so readily available in LA, and finding already cooked and shelled, lobster was impossible. So I had to go all “killing your own food” and bought a live lobster. I have to say, for someone who grew up on a farm bringing home “Fred” as my daughter named him, just so I could put him on a sandwich, was kind of disturbing. Super entertaining for the kids, though.

I’m not sure what kind of lesson we taught the kids, honestly. My daughter just couldn’t wait to see how Fred was going to die, and I kept thinking how I was a horrible person and chanted under my breath, “Someday we’re going to go vegan. Someday we’re going to go vegan.” Anyway.

Bye-bye, Fred! You are now a delicious chunk of meat. (This is where I thank my husband, who basically did all the creepy stuff. Thanks, dude! I owe you one.)

And the g-free part? Kinnikinnik gluten-free hot dog buns. Totally delish. Especially when smothered in butter.

Gluten-Free Lobster Roll

Prep time: 15 minutes Cook time: 7 minutes (with cooked lobster)
Prep time: 35 minutes Cook time: 37 minutes (with fresh lobster)

Ingredients:

1 pound cooked lobster meat, which is probably 2-3 pound live lobster
1/4 cup mayo
1 scallion, diced
1/2 cucumber, peeled, de-seeded, and diced
ground black pepper
sea salt
2 hot dog buns
butter

1. If you buy a fresh, live, lobster you’re going to have to cook it and crack all the meat out of it first. Put large pot of water on stove to boil. Make sure it can cover the entire lobster. Sprinkle pepper, thyme, and other spices in the water as it boils. Throw the live lobster in as it boils, and cook for approximately 25 minutes, or until bright red.

2. While lobster is cooking, peel, de-seed, and dice cucumber. Place cucumber in a colander to drain to get rid of any liquid.

3. Dice lobster meat into 1/2 inch cubes. Mix mayo, diced scallion, cucumber, salt and pepper together. Cover lobster salad, and place it in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

4. Butter both sides of hot dog bun, and cook in a cast iron skillet on both sides until very brown. Remove from heat, add lobster salad and serve.

Makes: 2 lobster rolls