A lobster roll is twenty ingredients pretending to be one. The bread, the butter, the lobster temp, the mayo ratio, the chill time — each is a separate decision, and the dish has no sauce to hide behind, no char to distract, no reduction to paper over a mistake. John Miele, then an executive chef with enough scar tissue to know what simplicity actually costs, understood this before the clock started.
He poached the lobster in court bouillon at 170°F — below the full boil — pulling the tail at an internal temperature of 140°F and the claw meat at 135°F, because they cook at different rates and the difference matters. The mayo was mixed cold with tarragon and a small ratio of lemon zest, not juice, so it didn't break or water out. The roll was split-top, buttered on the cut sides, and griddled until golden.
Bobby Flay has beaten lobster rolls before, but this one he didn't. Cold mayo on hot lobster only works if you trust the chemistry enough to not tinker.