Fresh off the succes of our “Duck Feast”, my friends Aaron and Matt and I got together to break down another protein and make use of it in as many ways as possible. Duck wasn’t expensive enough, so we chose lobster.
Once we acquired the hefty $12/lb lobsters from Dekalb Farmer’s Market (three of ’em at 3-4# each), we copied the smart folks over at Ideas in Food, and replicated the breakdown from their epic “Complete Lobster” post. Here’s a summary of each dish, with photos afterward.
The lobsters died by a knife through the head, though there was some seriously bad juju in our kitchen as the first one squirmed around in major death throes for five minutes in an apparent brain miss. Tail (which will twitch for another hour, by the way) is removed, as are claws, knuckles separated, legs trimmed off with scissors. Everything is brined in cool water to let the muscle relax before cooking and for flavor.
After an hour the lobster is par-cooked for a minute, by type of piece, then chilled.
One mostly raw tail is chilled in ice water (per recommendation of John Kessler) then sliced thin, served with scallion oil and lemon juice.
Knuckles are finished in butter, then go into an asparagus and miso salad.
Heads go into the pressure cooker to make stock for bisque.
Claws are finished in butter for use in for lobster rolls – half with a tomalley mayo, the others plain with butter.
Tails are gently poached in butter, served with a red pommes puree and tomato marmalade.
Lobster butter is saved and used as a pasta base the next evening.
Great times. We are thinking of going whole or half hog next time, with a bunch of people.
hey lobster – you gonna die!
4#
heads brining
chilling
good sized tail – lobster meat was of average shell fill (shell weight vs meat weight), according to Matt, who had mad shellfish peeling skills
stock
lobster crudo, scallion oil, radish, tarragon
asparagus salad
rolls
everything else – not photographed
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