READY IN A PINCH! GETTING STARTED WITH LOBSTER…

For many people, lobster is one of those things that just seems completely out of reach. Most people talk about lobster being the dish that is best reserved for the Queen or the upper echelons of society, but the fact is that lobster is something that we should all have at least once. So how can we have a taste of the high life ourselves? 

Picking the Best Lobster

If you don’t like the idea of dealing with a live lobster in a restaurant, you can easily buy lobster online. You can always purchase a fully cooked lobster tail or opt for a full lobster. You can also purchase tails that have been picked and dressed, so you don’t need to do any of the deshelling. 

When it comes to finding the best lobster, you need to look for one that is brightly coloured and the tail has to be tightly curled underneath. This is a sign that the lobster was alive when it was cooked. A live lobster has a dark shell, so if you are going down this route, look for one that is smelling fresh and is lively when handled, but beware of the pincers! 

Cooking Lobster

If you don’t like the idea of cooking a live lobster, you can always purchase one from the supermarket or your fishmongers. When your lobster is ready to cook you do the following:

• Put it in a large pan of salted cold water and bring it up to the boil. 
• When it hits boiling point, simmer the Lobster for the first 450g for 15 minutes, and then simmer for an additional 10 minutes for each 450g, up to a maximum of 40 minutes. 

Grilling Lobster

You can also grill this tasty creature. You start by: 

• Slicing it by cutting it in half lengthways and opening up the lobster. 
• Remove the soft brown meat and the stomach sack if you want. 
• Crack the claws with the back of a knife so the heat can permeate through to the meat inside. 
• Season it with lemon juice and a Thermidor butter sauce before putting it under the grill. 

Ways to Serve Lobster

Lobster is delicious as it is, but like any other fish it can benefit from additional flavourings

• Lobster Thermidor. One of the most popular lobster dishes is lobster thermidor, which is a Thermidor butter, usually made with a variety of spices, parsley, tarragon and shallots. 
• Lobster Rolls. If you are looking for something a bit more on the street food side of things, lobster rolls are incredibly delicious. Lobsters in a bap with some spicy mayonnaise, celery, and pickled gherkins (and some crisps on the side) are delicious. 
• Surf and Turf. Pairing lobster with steak is an incredibly indulgent and delicious meal. Perfect for an upmarket barbecue, Surf and Turf with a T-bone steak and seasonal lobster are irresistible. 

While lobster is certainly one of those things that will seem incredibly upmarket, you’ve got to treat yourself once in a while. But the fact is that if you opt for one of the high-end types of lobster, you wouldn’t want to waste a morsel of it!