Faux Lobster Rolls

Last month it seemed every time I picked up the recipe section of the Times Magazine, it featured lobster in some guise. Lobster rolls in particular make my taste buds prickle, but lobster is pricy in these parts, and it takes a lot of effort to yield enough lobster meat for an authentic lobster roll.

So here’s my blatant, no apologies, rip-off of this classic New England sandwich. I brought it to a “Girl’s Night” party; the salad in one container and lettuce leaves washed and ready for stuffing in another. I designed the rolls to suit my needs for less fat, less cash and less hassle.

I used a package of langostino tails, which have a meaty-lobsterish taste and texture, which I purchased in the frozen seafood department at Trader Joe’s. You could, however, substitute them with cooked shrimp.

According to Wikipedia,”… Langostino is a Spanish word with different meanings in different areas. In America, it is commonly used in the restaurant trade to refer to the meat of the squat lobster, which is neither a true lobster nor a prawn. It is more closely related to porcelain crabs and hermit crabs.”

Whatever its meaning, langostino was good in this recipe. I imagine the salad would be really good in a toasted and buttered big, fat bun!