mercredi 1 janvier 2014

Happy New Year 2014!

A friend once asked me what foods I would I want if I was only able to eat three different ones for the rest of my life. My answer "Lobster, Avocado and Chocolate".

Avocado is so good for you and versatile. Chocolate - what can I say - dark and delicious and we need dessert right? Lobster has long been my favourite food. My father loves to tell the story that when I was in Jr. High in Shelburne, Nova Scotia, I would lament that some of my classmates complained that, since their parents were lobster fishermen, they had to eat a lot of lobster. I would love to have had that problem!!!

Recently I tested the lobster goes well with avocado theory and can say that this combination works.

There is nothing better than fresh properly cooked lobster. I have eaten lobster from both sides of the Atlantic (green Nova Scotia and Brittany Blue) and from the Caribbean (spiny rock lobster). I like them all. I prefer the Atlantic lobsters since they have both claw and tail meat. The claw meat is sweeter and the tail is meatier. I like the lobster served with a hot lemon garlic butter. Traditionally the side dishes are coleslaw and potato salad.

What better meal to bring in the new year?


Boiled Lobster

500 to 680 g (1 to 1-1/2 lb) lobster per person
Melted butter
Freshly squeezed lemon juice
Crushed garlic clove, optional

Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil.
Grab the lobsters just behind the head and drop them head first into the pot. Bring the water back to a boil and start timing - 5 minutes for the first pound and three minutes for each additional pound. Lobster will be fully cooked when the shell turns bright red and the antennae can be easily removed. Remove from pot.
Either let each person cut open the lobster using claw crackers and kitchen shears. Or before serving, crack the claws using the back of a large kitchen knife and cut the lobsters in half.

Melt butter in a ramekin; add lemon juice and garlic. Serve with lobster for dipping.