Buttery Lobster, Without All the Work (or the Bib)

[elleng]

'Treat yourself and your date (or just yourself), with this recipe for lobster, swimming in melted butter and showered with herbs.

I first heard the expression “lazy man’s lobster” from a friend who spent his childhood in upstate New York. He described weekly family outings, usually on Saturdays, to a bustling seafood restaurant.

It wasn’t fancy, but it was still a treat, going out for dinner instead of having an ordinary weeknight meal at home. This was back when a lobster didn’t cost an arm and a leg.

You know the sort of place: The walls are knotty pine and draped with fishing nets and buoys. Most of the windows are portholes. Various bits of nautical décor set off an otherwise modest room. Over the clanking of dishes, a microphone announces: “Johnson, party of four in the brig … Perkins, party of two in the galley.” An entire table’s dinner arrives from the kitchen hoisted high on giant oval trays. . .

But for an intimate supper à deux, maybe lazy lobster is the way to go. You get the work out of the way before the meal, leaving more time for canoodling. All that’s left to do is melt the butter and crack open the bubbly.'

Recipe: Lazy Lobster

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/08/dining/lazy-lobster-recipe.html?

May be home alone, but saw lobster tails, huge shrimp and scallops at grocery today. MAY treat myself, and imo butter not required, just fresh lemon (and maybe cocktail sauce for the shrimp.)

[BigmanPigman]

1. I buy a whole lobster (about 4 pounds) just for myself.

I make a day of it. I steam it, melt butter on the side then spread out drop cloths, get nutcrackers, crab forks, scissors, a hammer (for the large claws), several bowls of varying sizes and work on it for about 2 to 3 hours. It is pure gluttony at its finest. I eat every part except the eyes and the gills. The green tamale is delicious too. Afterwards I have leftovers for two days. If I am really careful I can reassemble all the body parts (head, claws, tail, legs) and make them into a cool sculpture for friends to decorate their kitchens with with.

*The cool dudes at my asian supermarket sell dead lobsters for $4.99 a pound but they know me and sell me almost dead ones and they are just as good as the live ones.

[elleng]

7. Very cool!

I love the green tamale too.

Your approach sounds like the way we do crabs in MD!

[BigmanPigman]

10. It sort of is actually.

It isn't for the mild mannered! I resemble Daryl Hannah eating her lobster in Splash.

[elleng]

11. We (not quite kids) compared my folks piles of crab shells

after such an adventure (one we enjoyed with them when they visited us in DC,) and the differences were profound! Mom's pile of shells was small and neat, not so much for Dad's!

[magicarpet]

2. What is your address ?

I'm coming over,... I'll bring the beer.

[elleng]

4. LOL!

Southern MD, 60 miles south of DC.

Waiting for you!!!

[magicarpet]

12. Okay,.. when I point in a southerly direction I can sniff out the smell of lobster...

.... I'll just follow the scent. I should be ringing your front doorbell before dinner time,.. there is a little travel involved.

Rather than beer,.. I could find a nice a bottle or two of champagne on the way down there if you prefer.

This will be so much fun !



Should I bring my homemade garlic bread ?

[elleng]

13. OH YES, garlic bread!

Champagne too!!!

[magicarpet]

14. I just invited everyone I met since this morning at Huffington Post & Daily Kos....

... that expressed a preference for lobster.

I hope you don't mind,.. but there will be another 3,000 people coming to your place for a lobster fest around dinner time.

I told everyone to bring a bottle of Rothschild Champagne for the hostess.

My goodness you might get bombed it you are not careful,.. champagne makes me silly,.. more so than the normal and standard silly.

[elleng]

15. HAHAHAHA!

Got plenty of room here (outside, ### acres at riverside!)

I get 'bombed' with 1/3 glass of wine, but might try more of the Rothschild!

[PJMcK]

3. I love lobster

And shrimp and scallops and clams and especially oysters.

But with my new "heart-healthy" diet, many of my favorites including beef and pork are severely limited. I was given "Everyday Cooking" by Dr. Dean Ornish to guide me to healthy eating but my first skimming through this very good book tells me I'm about to become a near-vegetarian.

Ah, well... I'll always have my memories!

[elleng]

5. Thought of you, PJ.

[PJMcK]

6. Thanks, elleng! (n/t)

[SCantiGOP]

8. Anyone able to post the NYT recipe?

I don't have a subscription so I can't get to it.
Appreciate it.

[elleng]

9. Been trying to grab it,

but even with 'general' subscription, I don't have the special 'Food' one, and have avoided spending more to obtain it. Sorry

[SCantiGOP]

16. Thanks, Internet has spoiled us

I’ve come to expect everything for free.
I was explaining to my kids the other night how long distance phone calls and ballpoint pens used to be fairly pricey items that you didn’t take for granted.
And what is now a google search used to require a trip to the library, and once you found your info in a reference book you had to pay to make a copy of the page because your phone not only didn’t have a camera, it was wired into the wall back home.
They looked at me like the dinosaur I am.

[elleng]

17. Oh right, the LIBRARY!!!

[SCantiGOP]

18. Yep, wonderful place

Comfortable chairs, smelled of leather and blissfully quiet.

[Kali]

19. here you go -

Ingredients

Salt
2 live lobsters, about 1 1/2 to 2 pounds each
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into chunks
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
2 teaspoons thinly sliced chives
1 teaspoon snipped dill
A few tarragon leaves
A few chervil sprigs
Lemon wedges, for serving
Freshly ground black pepper


Preparation

Put a large pot of water on to boil. Salt heavily: 1/4 cup per gallon. When water reaches a rolling boil, add lobsters headfirst, put on the lid and bring back to a boil. Continue boiling with lid slightly ajar, 8 minutes for a 1 1/2 pounder or 10 minutes for a 2 pounder. The lobster will not be fully cooked: It will cook further upon reheating.

Remove lobsters from pot with tongs, and let cool in the kitchen sink. When lobsters are cool enough to handle, remove tails and claws (with knuckles attached) with a twisting motion. (Reserve bodies for another purpose or freeze for future use.)

Using lobster crackers or mallet and kitchen shears, crack shells and remove meat from tail, knuckles and claws. For presentation, try to keep claw meat intact. Use a paring knife drawn down the middle of the tail meat to remove intestinal vein; rinse meat briefly if necessary. If you wish, wrap and refrigerate for up to 24 hours, or proceed immediately with rest of recipe.

To finish, put half the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add room-temperature lobster meat and bring to a low simmer. Turn heat to low, put on lid and cook for 5 minutes. Add remaining butter, turn off heat and cover for 5 more minutes.

To serve, divide lobster meat into two warmed shallow soup bowls. Spoon butter evenly over each serving. Sprinkle with parsley, chives, dill, tarragon and chervil. Serve with lemon wedges, and dust with black pepper.

[SCantiGOP]

20. Thank you, Kali

If I had more hearts I’d give you one.
Here’s the best I can do:

[Kali]

21. no problem!

I have way more than I need, if anybody has the urge they should give to folks who have none.

[TEB]

22. I sit here reading this eating pbj

Now am hungry for lobster thanks elleng

[elleng]

23. ANYTIME, TEB!!!