How does one actually “do the deed” to get a live lobster from a lobster pot to plate? Off the boat and straight into a boiling pot? Steam it? Freeze it to slow its metabolism first? Or do you first cut through the head with a knife? Do you place it in cold seawater and slowly bring it up to the boil? Everyone seems to have an opinion that varies more than you might assume.
One of the most acclaimed and thoroughly written accounts of lobster, from historical facts through modern-day animal-rights activism and economical impacts, David Foster Wallace’s “Consider the Lobster” sheds light on both sides of the lobster cooking debate. He explores the biology and common inner turmoil behind preparing live lobster, allowing the reader enough information to come to their own conclusion. One reader really enjoyed learning more about lobsters than Wallace probably ever imagined! In, “Fan Me With Your Flippers,” we see a humorous side to lobster courtship–personified.
For the lobster lover, it can sometimes be a different situation than expected once you actually are home with a live lobster and staring at your stove. As one recent blog article ponders, “Lobster Massacre: How Do You Kill Yours?,” by Nadia Arumugam, she discusses her experience with live lobsters in her kitchen. She apologizes for sounding “tasteless,” but Fine Lobster thinks she captures the experience well by striking a balance that seems humane and reasonable, if not at least well researched. She went for the knife through the head method, albeit a little messy.
On the other side of the debate, in 2005 a law was passed in Reggio Emilia, Italy, that made it illegal to cook lobster alive. Yes, you can be arrested for how you prepare a meal in your own home, although it must depend on whether or not you are brought to the attention of authorities. Also, New Zealand included crustaceans in its animal protection laws. While to many this is ridiculous, to many it is long over due.
The thought of harming a living creature in any way is unacceptable and deplorable for some, such as vegan and activist Mat Thomas. He got “boiling mad” after reading a blog post in the New York Times, “Boiling the Lobster” by Emily Weinstein. To Mat, Weinstein’s post was, “void of her social obligation as a writer to consider the moral implication of her words.” The issue isn’t just how the lobster is prepared, but that it is being prepared at all. He calls her blog a “Loathsome Lobster Tale,” and a horror story.
Yet, in the quest to find a final consensus, many creative options to lobster preparation were discovered. Take, for example, the well photo-documented article, “How to Have an Authentic Down-East Lobster Bake.” From the homemade, giant baking pan filled with fresh ingredients, lobster and seaweed, to the well-designed brick supports–does it get more authentic than this? A feast Fine Lobster would like an invite to next time (ahem)!
We found a thorough and artful example of lobster preparation that is posted on YouTube by Seiya Nakano, a Japanese and French-trained chef. He shows how to kill a live lobster humanely, and we again see the knife method. He finishes up by butterfly cutting and frying the tail in clarified butter. This sounds divine as well as humane!
Fine Lobster appreciates the well-told story of two live-lobster cooking newbies who learned to appreciate their lobster meal after preparing it at home by boiling it. They chalk it up to delicious, “Lobster Insanity!” Another creative option is a New England favorite: the lobster roll. Or favorite hot spots reviewed in, “The Maine Course: Lobster and the End of Summer,” complete with recommendations for the steaming method.
The question at the end of the day isn’t whether or not the lobsters are boiled, steamed, or cut with a knife. Many skip this philosophical issue and go straight to the ‘meatier’ question: Is Dungeness crab better than New England lobster? A question that can only be answered after boiling up a huge pot of water for a crustacean cook-off!
Our final suggestion for lobster preparation is for the vegetarians and vegans. We’ve found a perfect way to enjoy your own type of lobsters!
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thanks for the link