A non-traditional lobster roll can be elevated by extracting lobster meat while warm, toasting the bun unconventionally in brown butter for maximum flavor absorption, and using a bloody mary-inspired dressing instead of mayonnaise.
Next Level Chef is an American culinary reality competition television series that premiered on Fox on January 2, 2022, with judges Gordon Ramsay, Nyesha Arrington, and Richard Blais. The video transcript appears to be from this show, featuring Gordon Ramsay demonstrating a non-traditional lobster roll preparation technique.
The recipe centers on a "Bloody Mary lobster roll" that diverges from traditional New England preparations in several key ways. Traditional Maine-style lobster rolls are served cold and lightly dressed with mayonnaise, while Connecticut-style lobster rolls are served warm and drenched with butter. Ramsay's version uses a dressing inspired by the Bloody Mary cocktail. A Bloody Mary is a cocktail containing vodka, tomato juice, and other spices and flavorings including Worcestershire sauce, hot sauces, garlic, herbs, horseradish, celery, olives, pickled vegetables, salt, black pepper, lemon juice, lime juice and celery salt.
Regarding lobster cooking, the transcript claims an 8-minute cook time in court bouillon. When steaming, count 8 minutes for a small lobster of 450 to 500 grams once maximum steaming temperature is reached, which aligns with the video's claim. Court-bouillon is a quickly-cooked broth used for poaching other foods, most commonly fish or seafood, and translates from French as "short broth" because the cooking time is brief. The technique of extracting meat while warm is sound—cold lobster meat becomes more difficult to remove from shells.
The beurre noisette (brown butter) technique for toasting buns is authentic French culinary practice. Beurre noisette is a type of warm sauce used in French cuisine where unsalted butter is melted over low heat and allowed to separate into butterfat and milk solids, with the milk solids naturally sinking to the bottom and turning deep brown. This adds nutty flavor that traditional lobster roll preparations don't typically incorporate.
Old Bay seasoning is a mix of 18 herbs and spices including celery salt (salt, celery seed), red pepper and black pepper, and paprika, making it a popular seafood seasoning, particularly in the Chesapeake Bay region. The transcript's use of Old Bay on chips is regionally appropriate and commonly done.
Gordon Ramsay elevates the classic lobster roll by extracting meat while warm, toasting buns in brown butter, and replacing mayonnaise with a Bloody Mary-inspired dressing.