This is my 50th blog post, which is a big deal for me! I told myself when I started that I had to do at least 50 and I would see how I feel. See where I was at in life. Now that I’ve accomplished my goal, I feel like I haven’t lost one ounce of passion for this project. A synthesis of many of my passions. Art, writing, food. So, I wanted to celebrate with an epic (and expensive) recipe. Being from Maine, I knew I had to cook lobster. Being a world traveler who spent formative time in Southeast Asia, I decided to make a mashup of my favorite Maine food, lobster rolls, and my favorite Asian street food, bao. This is my lobster bao recipe!

Growing up in Maine + Eating Lobster

I grew up in southern Maine. So eating lobster was standard for a lot of holidays. I have memories of a squirming plastic bin with overflowing antennae dancing on our front porch. My dad’s lobsterman friends would drop off 10-20 pounds of lobsters, caught that morning, with no warning. My dad would steam them in a massive restaurant style silver pot as I watched from a step stool. Always terrified yet relieved when the shaking stopped. We would eat our crimson-red crustaceans at the dinner table with nutcrackers and a roll of paper towels. The news would hum quietly in the background as we cracked claws and splashed lobster liquid on our clothes.

When I was little, I would patiently wait as my dad picked my lobster with herculean hand strength. He would tell me how to get the knuckle meat out. Where to crack the claw. And I would pretend to listen as I salivated at the meat on my plate. Once he was done, he would start on his. He would eat last. My mom’s job was to microwave cups of butter.

Summer Dinners

She would hurriedly place each on our placemats while clawing the sides, muttering “hot hot hot.” I would take my fork and spear a lobster claw first, dunking it into the hot golden butter. Letting it drip for a moment onto the other lobster meat on my plate. I remember it being so soft, melting on my tongue with butter and a slight salty ocean flavor. We would marvel in the delicious silence as we ate. 

My dad would go back and microwave the rest of the lobsters, one at a time, when we finished eating our first. Then, he would crack mine open again and diligently pick the meat. We would recoil at the heads and the “poop sack” in the tail and the green tamale. And after a rich, slow meal, we would settle in the living room in front of a summer fan. My dad would stay in the kitchen to clean and linger over a bowl of legs and knuckle pieces, excavating every last piece of meat. He would box it up and save it for our lunch the next day. I’ve spent many Easter Sundays, birthdays, fourth of July’s, and random Saturdays this way. 

My 50th Blog Post

When my cousins would visit in the summer, we would go to the co-op by the ocean where they would steam heaps of fresh seafood in front of you. We would eat on the pier and fight off seagulls and giggle at silly-looking tourists wearing lobster bibs with no idea how to crack their claws. I would eat mussels with my mom and dunk them in butter. On special occasions we would get lobster rolls for dinner. A simple buttery toasted hot dog bun stuffed and overflowing with cold, mayonnaise-coated lobster meat. From lobsters that were swimming the day before. Some places would sprinkle on a touch of salt and pepper. Some would line the bottom of the roll with lettuce. My favorite, and the best, classic Maine roll recipe is just a bun and lobster salad. 

I knew I wanted to make a lobster recipe this week to celebrate my 50th post. 50 unique recipes that mean a great deal to me and carry specific memories, anxieties, victories, and moments of my life. 50 paintings under midnight lamplights and morning suns. I brainstormed. A miso butter lobster roll recipe inspired by Eventide. Ravioli. Pizza. Curry. Something unique. Fancy. But nothing stood out to me. Then, I decided to just make lobster rolls. I was feeling weighed down by other responsibilities and tired from lack of sleep. So I said hey, I have a lobster roll painting already, I can skip painting this week. But the more I thought about it, the more I wanted to paint. And how could I not paint for my 50th recipe?

My Love of Bao

I stayed on the idea of a lobster roll recipe, but I couldn’t stop thinking about bao. Bao is something very special to me. I first tried bao filled with char siu in Hanoi, Vietnam, with my friend Hayley. I followed her around like a puppy dog that day on a free day during my gap semester. She led with fiery confidence and wonder. She led us into a small shop near a history museum on a cobblestone street. There were yellow-orange walls. I could smell them the second I walked in, and Hayley decisively ordered a bundle of bao for us to share. We sat on a picnic bench in front of a pond and devoured them. It was probably the best bite of food I’d ever had. And it was a wonderful, special day. 

So, I make and eat bao whenever I can. Thanks to a local store in my college town, I’ve been able to buy high-quality char siu bao frequently. I decided to make a lobster bao with lobster salad to combine my love of Maine and Southeast Asia. I started by sketching my idea, and I realized the folded circle of red bao looked like a lobster claw. So, I brought out a bunch of bowls and my flour jar and began mixing my liquid ingredients with a blend of natural food dye (made from beets and peppers). It wasn’t dark or vibrant enough, so I added food coloring. Then I suddenly was kneading a bright crimson cooked-lobster-colored dough. I was ecstatic. I let it rise for 2 hours.

Red Lobster Bao Claws

Then, I lightly floured my counter and rolled out my lobster bao dough as thin as I could get it. I stamped out circles with a 3 1/2” cookie cutter and sprayed them lightly with oil. Then, I folded them into half moons and placed them on rectangles of parchment paper. I let them rest again in the bamboo steamer basket. After another hour, I heated up hot water in a random pan that fits my steamer basket perfectly. It began to boil and bubble and I placed my two-layered steamer on top. I set a timer. And I waited. To my delight, I lifted the lid after 13 minutes and saw puffy, bright-red lobster bao. Beckoning for lobster salad filling. I let them cool a little and stored them in a leftover container. 

Picking Lobsters

Then, I set out on a pilgrimage to our local seafood market, which is right by my old high school. Lobsters were $9.99 a pound and I put my request in for 3. Cooked to order. The difference between the price for cooked lobsters and raw lobsters is minuscule, so I like to make my life easier and avoid killing them if I don’t have to. For my little step stool self afraid of the antennae sticking out of that silver pot in the early 2000’s.

When I got home I took the steaming lobsters out of their bag and slid off the yellow claw bands, nearly burning my hands. Then, I got to work on picking the meat. There were many cracks and splashes and a mountain of ragged bodies on a discard plate. I felt like my dad after our lobster dinners, handling the metal claw crackers like a surgeon. When I was done, I sifted my hand through the meat to check for shells and placed the meat in the fridge to cool. Then I spent the next hour cooking lobster stock for another day with the bodies. 

Crispy Buttery Bao

I contemplated making a fancy mayonnaise for this unique lobster roll recipe, but I wanted to honor the authenticity of the cold Maine lobster roll with mayonnaise. The uniqueness came in the addition of scallions, fresh from the farmers market, and a splash of lemon on top. I simply mixed my picked lobster meat with store-bought mayo and set it in the fridge to chill. I also seasoned it with salt and pepper. Then, when it was dinner time, I decided to toast my lobster bao in a pan with butter. Just like the golden, crispy edges of my favorite childhood lobster rolls. I know the exact color and crunch of a buttered hotdog bun cooked on a griddle. It’s one of my favorite things.

Lobster Salad Bao

After they were toasted, I propped my toasted bao on a baking sheet and stuffed them each with my lobster roll filling. I sprinkled them with sea salt, scallions, and squeezed on a little lemon juice. And that was it. A perfect appetizer-turned-main. If you’ve never had bao, it’s probably the fluffiest bread you can make. Like a pillow that makes the perfect vessel for flavor. Crunch. You can often find them paired with spiced fried chicken and flavored mayo at trendy fusion restaurants, or stuffed with meats or red beans in China and Southeast Asia. I like to dip them plain in hot sauce.

I was so happy to see the vivid red of the lobster bao come to life in the way I imagined after fiddling with the dough color. They remind me of cartoon lobster claws. When I finally tasted them, I recognized the filling – the classic lobster roll recipe with a punch of citrus and salt. Crunch and garlic notes from the scallions. You can add anything to the mayonnaise; gochujang, hot sauce, lemon. Ponzu. There’s so many combinations that would be incredible.

But for now, I fell in love with the marriage between my favorite Asian street food and the dish of my summers in Maine. Lobster roll bao. The toasted edges of the buns are lightly caramelized and crunchy. Warm and buttery. The filling is cold and refreshing. They’re hard to stop eating, and they made a perfect recipe to celebrate my 50th post. If you’ve been here from the start or you’re just joining – thank you! I’m so excited to continue creating.

If you like my recipes and art, be sure to check out Etsy for 100’s of my watercolor art prints and recipe cards! Use code THEFORKEDRING for 25% off. 

Print Pin

Lobster Roll Bao

A mashup of my favorite Asian street food and a classic Maine sandwich

Course Appetizer

Cuisine American, Chinese

Keyword bao, lobster, lobster roll

Prep Time 4 hours hours

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 16

Author theforkedring

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup sugar halved
• 1 tbsp active dry yeast
• 20-30 drops food coloring 80% red 20% yellow
• 3 cups AP flour
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 whole Maine lobsters cooked
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped scallions
• 4 tbsp salted butter
• Lemon for garnish

Instructions

• Start bao dough by mixing water with milk in a heat-proof microwave-safe bowl.
• Microwave mixture for 30-45 seconds until warm to the touch. Let cool slightly.
• To the milk mixture, add half of your 1/4 cup sugar, vegetable oil, and yeast. Mix to combine and let sit for 5-10 minutes until frothy.
• In a stand mixer with a dough hook, combine flour with baking powder, salt, and other half of the sugar. Mix on low for a few seconds to combine.
• To your yeast and liquid mixture, add food dye until you achieve a bright, vibrant lobster claw color.
• Add wet ingredients to the stand mixer and mix on medium for 5-10 minutes until a ball of dough forms that springs back when touched.
• Remove bowl from stand mixer and cover with a damp towel. Place in a warm spot to proof for 3 hours, or until 2-3 times larger.
• In the meantime, pick your lobster meat and chop into diced pieces. Mix with mayonnaise, salt, and pepper, and a little bit of lemon or seasoning of your choice. Place in the fridge to chill.
• When your bao dough has rested, punch down the dough and scrape it out onto a lightly-floured work surface. Roll into a large rectangle about 1/4″ thick.
• Cut small circles from the dough using a cookie cutter. You should be able to cut 14-16 circles. Reserve rest of dough and let proof another 30-60 minutes before using.
• Brush each dough circle lightly with oil or cooking spray to prevent sticking. Then fold each circle over on itself like a half-moon and press down to secure.
• Transfer your dough moons to a parchment-lined baking sheet and cover with a damp towel, placing in a warm spot to proof again for 20 minutes.
• While you wait for your dough, heat a large wok over high heat with about 4 cups of water until boiling.
• Place a bamboo steamer basket on top of wok, making sure that it doesn’t touch the water. Place your proofed bao moons in the steamer on parchment paper and cook for 12-14 minutes until puffed and fluffy.
• Remove bao from steamer. When ready to eat, heat butter in a sauté pan and lightly crisp both sides of your bao moons.
• To serve, place a spoonful of lobster salad in each bao moon and top with additional scallions, salt, and a squeeze of lemon juice.