Connecticut-Style Warm Buttered Lobster Rolls

Ingredients

• 4 lobster, about 1 1/2 pounds each
• 1 stick butter
• 8 top-split hot dog buns, preferably Pepperidge Farm brand
• 1/4 cup finely sliced scallion greens or chives
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. To dispatch each lobster, set the point of a sturdy chef’s knife into the seam just behind the eyes, at the middle of the shell. Push down decisively, then cut through to divide the head. With kitchen towels for grip, pull the tail, claws, and knuckles away from the body; reserve the carapace for another purpose. Flatten each tail on the cutting board and run wooden skewers through the full length so they stay straight.
2. Set a steamer basket inside a large stock pot with a lid, then pour in 1-inch of water. Heat it over high until the water boils. Arrange a single layer of lobster claws and legs in the pot, about half the lobster, and cover. Steam for exactly 2 minutes, then move the lobster to the sink and cool it under running cold water. Bring the steaming liquid back to a boil and do the same with the remaining lobster tails and claws.
3. When the lobster is cool enough to work with, take the meat out of the shells, using kitchen shears, lobster crackers, and/or the back of a heavy cleaver to crack things open as needed. A little raggedness is fine here. Cut the meat roughly into bite-sized pieces, then spread it over a double layer of paper towels so it can drain.
4. In a heavy-bottomed 12-inch skillet, melt 1 tablespoon of butter over medium-low heat and tilt the pan so the butter coats the surface. Place four buns in the skillet with one cut side facing down. Toast them, pressing lightly and shifting them around, until that side is golden. Take them out, melt 1 tablespoon more butter in the pan, and brown the second side. Repeat the toasting process with the second batch of buns.
5. Melt the remaining butter in the skillet over medium heat. Once it has melted, add the lobster meat. Cook for about 3 minutes, tossing the meat the whole time and using a spoon to gently fold it through the butter, until it is mostly opaque; the butter should not sizzle. Stir in the scallion greens and cook until the lobster is cooked through, about 1 minute longer. Add salt and pepper to taste.
6. Portion the lobster evenly into the rolls. Spoon any extra buttery juices over the top, and serve right away.