Brian Lagerstrom

Method · Fuel

Chop chilled shrimp into large peanut-M&M-sized pieces and dry them with a paper towel

Cut the chilled shrimp into roughly peanut M&M sizes (about a half inch). Don't go too small — a shrimp roll is all about large, plump, sweet pieces of shellfish with full texture. Slide the chopped shrimp into a medium bowl, then agitate them with a little paper towel to absorb any last bits of surface moisture, since water on the shrimp goes into the mayo dressing and makes the salad wet and sloppy.

Brian Lagerstrom · Skip the $40 Lobster Roll. Make This Instead.

Method described by Brian Lagerstrom

Method preserved for inspection; not a verified protocol.

Method · Fuel

Dress the salad: 120 g mayo, 3 g salt, chives, lemon zest and 15 g juice; fold gently and taste

Add 120 grams of mayonnaise (Duke's is the best off-the-shelf mayo, in the creator's opinion), 3 grams of salt, and about 15 grams of minced chives (saving the rest for topping). Zest one whole lemon with a microplane (a box grater works; avoid digging into the bitter pith), then chop the zested lemon and add 15 grams of juice — you can go a bit more if you like things zippier. Stir very gently to combine, then taste mainly to check that salt and lemon levels are dialed in.

Brian Lagerstrom · Skip the $40 Lobster Roll. Make This Instead.

Method described by Brian Lagerstrom

Method preserved for inspection; not a verified protocol.

Method · Fuel

Make the poaching liquid: 3 kg water, 120 g salt, 90 g sugar, lemon; bring to a simmer

Weigh out 3,000 grams of water into a deep stock pot. Add 120 grams of salt and 90 grams of sugar. Squeeze in the juice of two lemon halves and drop the squeezed lemons directly into the pot. Bring the whole thing up to a simmer.

Brian Lagerstrom · Skip the $40 Lobster Roll. Make This Instead.

Method described by Brian Lagerstrom

Method preserved for inspection; not a verified protocol.

Method · Fuel

Poach the shrimp off-heat: kill the heat, add 600 g shrimp, 3-minute timer, stir once

Use 600 grams of red Argentinian shrimp. Kill the heat on the boiling water, then gently add all the shrimp. Adding the shrimp cools the water from a high boil into poaching territory, around 190-200°F. Set a three-minute timer and give the shrimp a quick stir to distribute them evenly.

Brian Lagerstrom · Skip the $40 Lobster Roll. Make This Instead.

Method described by Brian Lagerstrom

Method preserved for inspection; not a verified protocol.

Method · Fuel

Assemble: mayo as glue, ~3 oz salad, light pepper and chives, squeeze together

Slather a little mayo on the toasted bun as glue so the dressed shrimp don't fall out. Stack in about three ounces of finished shrimp salad — don't overfill, or the shrimp-to-bun ratio gets out of whack and the shrimp start falling out, making it hard to eat (it's always a dance: it looks like it can take more, but too many overflow). Add a couple cracks of fresh pepper — not too hard, as pepper can overpower the shrimp — plus a little more chive for presentation. Old Bay would also be a fun topping, but be careful with it like the pepper. Finally squeeze the roll together so it's cohesive and the shrimp are tucked in.

Brian Lagerstrom · Skip the $40 Lobster Roll. Make This Instead.

Method described by Brian Lagerstrom

Method preserved for inspection; not a verified protocol.

Creator perspective · Fuel

Recreate a New England-style lobster roll using red Argentinian shrimp instead of lobster

The creator's core idea: use a widely available but little-known shrimp that looks and tastes like lobster but is much easier to cook and much cheaper, to recreate the taste and texture of a New England-style lobster roll.

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Claim from Brian Lagerstrom

Principle · Fuel

Doneness cues: C-curl, mostly opaque, and carryover cooking

After three minutes, lift the shrimp out. They're done when curled into a C, not an O — a full O means they've squeezed out moisture and contracted to well done. You can cut one open: it should be mostly opaque all the way through, though a tiny bit of translucency in the middle is fine because shrimp carry over cook. If still super clear in the middle, throw them back in for another 30 seconds. For larger shrimp (16/20 or 12/15), add another 30-45 seconds to the total cook time.

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Claim from Brian Lagerstrom

Principle · Fuel

Red Argentinian shrimp are the best choice for a lobster-roll substitute

The creator argues red Argentinian shrimp are the winner: wild-caught at deep depths in the South Atlantic, they have natural sweetness and tender texture, are very similar to lobster tail, and give a result much closer to a New England-style lobster roll than standard farm shrimp (white or black tiger). He considers them the better option for most home cooks over sourcing lobster.

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Claim from Brian Lagerstrom

Method · Fuel

Toast top-split brioche buns in oil, cut side down, ~90 seconds to golden brown

Grab brioche-style hot dog buns (the creator's are from Aldi — very squishy, very sweet, and top-split, cut tip to tip through the middle rather than through the side; top-split buns hold large shrimp morsels better than side-cut buns, and he thinks the Aldi ones taste best). Add a little oil to the pan, place the bun cut side down, swirl it in the fat to coat evenly, and toast very gently for about 90 seconds — however long it takes to get nice golden browning tip to tip. (Remember to turn the pan on first — the host forgot.)

Brian Lagerstrom · Skip the $40 Lobster Roll. Make This Instead.

Method described by Brian Lagerstrom

Method preserved for inspection; not a verified protocol.

Method · Fuel

Chill the cooked shrimp in the fridge for about 20 minutes

To cool the shrimp off quickly, move them to the fridge for about 20 minutes. This stops the cooking process in its tracks so they don't overcook, and chilling makes them cold and more enjoyable to eat — warm shrimp in mayonnaise would be disgusting.

Brian Lagerstrom · Skip the $40 Lobster Roll. Make This Instead.

Method described by Brian Lagerstrom

Method preserved for inspection; not a verified protocol.

Principle · Fuel

Make the shrimp salad to order — dressing ahead cooks the shrimp and makes it weepy

Don't make the shrimp salad ahead of time; the whole dish revolves around being fresh, vibrant, and in the moment. If dressed ahead, the salt and lemon will slightly cook the shrimp, draw out moisture, make it weepy, and lose the beautiful à la minute texture. Make it to order.

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Claim from Brian Lagerstrom

Recommendation · Fuel

Shrimp substitution ladder: gulf shrimp next best, farmed white shrimp acceptable at ~8.5/10

If red Argentinian shrimp can't be found, the creator says the next best thing is gulf shrimp (also wild, with nice texture). If gulf shrimp are also unavailable, standard farmed white shrimp will be totally fine — though the result drops from a 10 to roughly an 8.5 out of 10.

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Recommendation from Brian Lagerstrom

Report · Fuel

Red Argentinian shrimp are widely available at grocery stores; buy peeled, deveined 21-25 count

Practical sourcing guidance: the shrimp can be found at most grocery stores these days, and the creator recommends going for peeled and deveined, 21-25 count.

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Claim from Brian Lagerstrom

Principle · Fuel

Gentle poaching keeps shrimp tender; aggressive high heat squeezes out moisture

Cooking the shrimp slowly and gently makes them more tender. Conversely, cooking things aggressively with really high heat tends to squeeze out moisture and make them tougher — which is why the off-heat poach is used.

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Claim from Brian Lagerstrom

Principle · Fuel

Exact water volume makes cook times reproducible

The creator explains why he specifies exact amounts: being precise about water, salt, and sugar means the viewer's water tastes exactly like his, and a specific water volume means the viewer's cook time matches his. Less water means the shrimp cook slower; more water means they'd probably cook a little faster.

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Claim from Brian Lagerstrom

Principle · Fuel

The same poaching method makes excellent shrimp cocktail — the recipe's origin

The exact cooking liquid, shrimp size and type, and cook time would make really good shrimp cocktail. The creator originally developed this recipe for shrimp cocktail, and it just happens to work really well for shrimp rolls.

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Claim from Brian Lagerstrom

Creator perspective · Fuel

The essence of a lobster roll: emphasize a wonderful natural ingredient, don't transform it

The creator's philosophy: the recipe is deliberately simple — basically mayonnaise, lemon, salt, and a little chive — just seasoning up the delicious shrimp. The essence of a lobster roll is having a really wonderful natural ingredient and emphasizing its beauty rather than changing it into something else. The finished salad is plump, sweet, a little juicy and flaky, with nothing stepping on the shrimp; a minimalist seafood experience that reminds him of the East Coast.

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Claim from Brian Lagerstrom

Anecdote · Fuel

Smaller-cut shrimp tasted like chicken salad, not a lobster roll

The creator tried variations where he cut the shrimp smaller, even chopping half of them into more of a shrimp-salad texture. It was really good, but it wasn't shrimp-roll or lobster-roll-esque — it tasted more like chicken salad with a kind of pastiness, and didn't work in a roll (though it would be good on a bun).

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Claim from Brian Lagerstrom

Report · Fuel

Lobster rolls are a beloved summer food, but lobster is expensive and hard to cook

The creator frames the video's premise: lobster rolls are among the best summertime foods, but lobster itself is very expensive and difficult to cook properly, motivating a substitute.

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Claim from Brian Lagerstrom

Recommendation · Fuel

Perfect for summer entertaining: quick, easy, and elevated

The shrimp version was designed to be as quick and easy as possible (unlike his labor-intensive homemade lobster roll recipe from about three years ago, linked in the description, whose results trump store-bought). It's suited for throwing together on a hot summer night when friends are coming over and you want something refreshing and fun to eat while sipping champagne — perfect for summertime when you want something elevated, elegant, and a showstopper without a lot of work.

Brian Lagerstrom · Skip the $40 Lobster Roll. Make This Instead.

Recommendation from Brian Lagerstrom