You know you are in the Maritimes when having lobster for dinner is ... simply what you do. It's just lobster, nothing fancy. Well, I thought it was fancy!!!!! (Not sure what James thought. He was definitely more skeptical about the whole endeavour than I was. I dont blame him because it was not easy watching these incredible creatures boil to death)
Eric (middle) and Jane (far right) put us up in their basement for two nights. Despite all the other visiting family members and friends, they made us feel very welcome.
So, for those of you who have never even seen a lobster, let alone eaten one, these are the steps for preparing a scrumptious lobster dinner.
1. Find a store that sells live lobsters. (they must be alive!!!!) The colder the ocean water, the better the lobster.
2. Decide how many you want. Usually one per person. I was quite full after half.
3. Gently roll them to the till, pay and carry them home.
4. Boil a big pot of water. (dont fill the pot all the way, leave room for the lobsters)
5. Carefully remove rubber bands from the claws.
6. Have your picture taken with the lobster and then bid it farewell.
7. Place lobsters in the boiling water, head first. Boil/steam for about 10 minutes or so. If you can pull the antenna off easily you know it is done. I was told that they cannot be over cooked so\ leave it in there a bit longer than 10 min if it makes you feel better. The lobsters will turn bright orange when cooked. If you lift the lid at some point and they are still moving, rest assured that it is most likely just the nerves causing muscle spasms long after the lobster has died. No time to feel sorry for it. You have a great meal to look forward to!
8. Hmm, where to start. Right, dont forget to melt some butter and add some finely chopped garlic to it. It tastes great poured on the lobster meat.
9. The parts of the lobster that are most tasty are the insides of the two large front claws and the big tail. (dont eat the head which contains the guts. That's right, no brain!) The small legs do not contain much flesh but if you intend on getting every morsel, they are delicious to such on. Armed with a nut cracker or pliers and something pokey along the lines of a knitting needle you can start mutilating the monster on your plate. Supposedly it gets easier the more often you do it but it is always a messy operation regardless of your experience.
ENJOY!
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THANKS ERIC AND JANE FOR THE DELICIOUS INTRODUCTION TO MARITIME CULTURE. WE WISH YOU AND IVY ALL THE VERY BEST!!!
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