The lobster roll goes upscale, crisp-crusted, and bite-size with these elegant lobster puffs appetizers.
Yield:
40-50 puffsFor the Pastry Puffs
Ingredients
1 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons butter, at room temperature, cut into several pieces
1 cup flour
4 large eggs (not extra-large or jumbo)
Instructions
Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with foil, shiny side up.
Place water, salt, and butter in a large, heavy saucepan and bring to a full rolling boil. Dump in the flour all at once, remove the pan from the heat, and stir madly with a wooden spoon until you have a smooth shiny mass of dough that leaves the sides of the pan.
Allow the dough to cool until it is very warm but not scalding hot, about 4 minutes. Add an egg and beat until it is completely mixed in. Add the next one at once and repeat until all eggs are used and the dough is very smooth and shiny.
Using 2 spoons or a pastry bag with a 1-inch tip, drop dough onto foil, making mounds roughly 1 inch in diameter about 2 inches apart. There should be room for about 50. (You may have a bit of dough left over.) Gently smooth tops with a dampened fingertip.
Bake until puffed and well browned, about 20-25 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake 15 minutes more. Remove from oven and cut a small slit in the top of each puff so steam can escape.
Cool on racks and store airtight in a dry place until wanted. (Puffs can be made in advance, if desired. They’ll store at room temperature for a day or in the freezer for about 3 months. Do not store in the fridge; plan to re-crisp the frozen ones.)
For the Filling
Ingredients
7 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 tablespoon grated onion
1 heaping tablespoon minced fresh basil
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 pound cooked lobster, about 2 1/2 cups, chopped into roughly 1/2-inch pieces
Very small basil leaves for garnish, optional
Instructions
Combine filling ingredients, taste, and adjust seasoning.
Slice tops from puffs and remove any soft material inside. (If necessary, re-crisp shells for 5-8 minutes in a 325 degree oven.)
Spoon filling into the shells. Garnish with basil leaves if desired. (Be sure they are very small so they don’t overpower the lobster.)
