Moreton bay bug roll

okay, so given I live in Queensland there aren’t too many Maine lobsters getting around, there are however a ton of moreton bay bugs - ( also known as Balmain bugs in Australia they are essential a re slipper lobster. ) Moreton bay bugs are amazing, not expensive and can be prepared a thousand different ways. Moreton bay bug rolls are just one of those ways.

Let me just say though, I’m a huge lobster roll fan, if there’s one on a menu somewhere i’m ordering it - so here’s my homage to the lobster roll.

Usually the bugs come cooked from the fisho’s - but obviously you can DIY that part if you want.

Just boil a pot of sea water / or salted water and drop them in for 5 minutes. Let them them steam off and then refrigerate, overnight is best, alternatively grab some ice and and make a ice water bath to chill them.

To remove the meat from the tail - either twist the tail off or stick a knife in between the tail and body and cut through. Then split the tail in half and dig out the meat.

You want to chop the meat up into cubes - not too big , but not super small either. maybe 2 cm and throw into a bowl.

Next up add some mayo - yes you can make mayo from scratch - i didn’t, i used kewpie mayo, you want a fair bit of mayo, enough to increase the volume of the meat, but too much so all you taste is mayo. Chop up and add some fresh chives and celery, then add salt and pepper and a dash of lemon juice, mix it up and return to the fridge.

Traditionally lobster rolls are served in a toasted new england hot dog bun, we don’t have them, so you can use either a brioche hot dog bun or something else that’s soft and slightly sweet. If you want to make your own that’s another option, i’ve never made brioche bread so probably not the person to tell you how to do it.

Slice the sides off the rolls and butter before toasting, get them nice and golden before slicing 3/4 way through the middle.

Grab you bug mix and spoon it in to the middle of the rolls. Sprinkle some more chives over the top and your done.

Really easy and super quick to make, also they look impressive. I used 4 Moreton bay bugs for 8 rolls, so use that as a guide.

In the video i make and use a Japanese style Deba knife, it’s a heavy duty fish knife with a single bevel. you can watch the whole process below.

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