It’s Labor Day. Wow. Where did this crazy summer go? Since we’re in Hong Kong, US Labor Day is not a thing for us, but we did actually do a family staycation this weekend. It felt really strange to pack, but it was wonderful to have some carefree time together, exploring the K11 space in Tsim Tsa Tsui. I had “won” a 2-night stay in a two bedroom suite at the K11 Artus residences in an auction back in March that was expiring next week. We had been hoping for Covid restrictions to be lifted enough for the pool to be open and dining to go above two people at a time, which didn’t happen, but it was actually perfect to have family time together on a different couch. 😉 We enjoyed the not one but two balconies with fantastic views of Hong Kong, and ordered food from three different places for dinner from our TV! I highly recommend the experience to anyone looking for something a bit more special than a typical staycation. The attached mall is quite spectacular and a tourist destination in itself! Midday snacks of A Happy Pancake and Baekmidang Korean Ice cream (get the chocolate!) kept us well fed between meals, too.
Usually, summer for us means time in the US, which didn’t happen this year for obvious reasons. Last week, I was feeling a bit nostalgic for all the missed food at our favorite places and on trips. (Ice cream! Seafood! Mexican food!) Last summer, Keelin and I spent some time in Maine, and as a family, we also traveled to Boston. Lobster Rolls have always been my favorite summer treat, but the ones on that trip were particularly memorable.
There are two types of lobster rolls – butter based warm ones and cold ones that have mayonnaise. Maine definitely comes to mind when you think of them, but you can find them throughout New England and in many other places in the summer. While butter based ones probably have the slight edge for me, I have never met a lobster roll I didn’t like, and since lobster isn’t the easiest thing to find in Hong Kong, I decided to do a mayo based one for this post.
Coleslaw is the side I tend to think of when it comes to both of my summer favorites – lobster rolls and crab cakes. This Chopped Apple Coleslaw is one I created with my favorite one from Sweetwater Tavern in Northern Virginia in mind. It has been a tradition for years that when we arrive to visit my parents, the first night is at Sweetwater, and I ALWAYS get the crab cakes with skinny fries and coleslaw. I’m not sure how close I got to the actual taste, but it looks pretty good (see the original below) and it transported me back to the experience of our many delicious meals there.
I don’t make fries at home, so roasted Aleppo potatoes were what we had. There really isn’t a recipe for this. You’ll need about 2 pounds of the smallest potatoes you can find (M&S has my favorites in Hong Kong and I use two small 500g bags). I cut in half any that are on the larger side. Place them on a foil lined baking tray and toss them with a little olive oil, salt, pepper and 1 tsp (or to taste) of Aleppo pepper flakes. Don’t have Aleppo? Feel free to use Old Bay, Cajun seasoning or 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes instead. Roast at 425 degrees F (220 C) for 35-45 minutes, stirring halfway through. We like ours really soft so I tend to go to the 45 minute point.
So if you have been missing some of the meals you usually enjoy when you travel but haven’t gotten due to being more homebound, I encourage you to try to recreate them at home for your family. You might be surprised how close you get!
I didn’t cook the lobster this time because I happened to find already cooked frozen lobster (from Maine!) in City Super. It was crazy expensive, but it made the meal a lot easier to make. There are many ways to cook lobster, though, and it is generally more cost effective to do that. Here are a few ideas on how to do that from The Spruce Eats. I can’t get split top buns here either, but the M&S brioche hotdog buns worked pretty well toasted with a slather of butter.
Have a great week and please try to enjoy a few more weeks with a summer mindset!
Lobster Rolls with Chopped Apple Coleslaw
Ingredients
Chopped Apple Coleslaw
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise preferably Hellman's (light is okay)
- 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 Tbsp whole grain mustard
- 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 4 cups chopped cabbage approximately 1/2 medium cabbage (10 oz)
- 1 tart apple peeled, cored and cut into small dice
- 1/4 cup finely chopped green onions mixture of green and white parts
- 3-4 Tbsp chopped parsley or to taste
Lobster Rolls
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise preferably Hellman's (light is okay)
- 2 tsp grated lemon zest from 1-2 lemons
- 1-2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1/4 tsp Kosher salt
- dash sweet paprika (to taste)
- 2 Tbsp finely chopped green onions plus more for garnish, if desired
- 1 1/2 lbs cooked lobster meat, cut into bite sized pieces
- 1/2 cup finely chopped celery
- 6 hot dog buns preferably split top, potato or brioche
- 3 T softened butter
Instructions
Chopped Apple Coleslaw
- Make the dressing: Combine mayonnaise through black pepper in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk until smooth.
- Chop (or shred) the cabbage and peel and finely dice the apple. Place in a medium to large bowl. Add the chopped green onions and parsley and stir to combine. Add the dressing to the bowl and stir until all the cabbage is evenly coated with dressing.
- Cover and place in refrigerator until ready to serve. (Preferably about one hour.)
Lobster Rolls
- Wash lemon and use a microplane to remove the zest. Roll the zested lemon on the counter to help release the juice. Slice it in two and use a reamer or citrus juicer on one half of it to get the necessary 1-2 tablespoons.
- In a medium bowl, combine the mayonnaise, lemon zest, lemon juice (start with 1 T), dijon mustard, 1/4 tsp Kosher salt and a dash of sweet paprika. Stir with a whisk to combine.
- On a cutting board, chop lobster meat into large bite size pieces. Finely chop the celery. Add both to the large bowl with the sauce. Using a spatula, toss gently to combine all the ingredients, making sure to get all of the sauce off the bottom. Taste and season to taste with additional lemon juice, mustard salt and/or paprika. Gently stir in green onions. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
- Split buns (if needed) and spread both cut sides with softened butter. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Toast buttered sides in the pan until desired degree of golden brown and crispy. Set aside on a platter. Repeat with remaining buns.
- Divide the lobster salad between the buns. Garnish with a sprinkle of green onions and paprika if desired. Serve with coleslaw.