Tips for choosing (and cooking) the perfect lobster for your Mother’s Day feast
Even though it’s been almost a quarter of a century since I departed the Magdalen Islands, I find myself feeling nostalgic during this time of year. On the first or second Saturday of May (depending on the ice conditions in the Gulf), the 325 Madelinot lobster fishers participate in their annual setting day. While my father didn’t fish, many of my uncles and cousins did, so in a way, it’s a part of my cultural heritage as well.
This year marks the 149th lobster season in the Islands, a time that is eagerly anticipated by its inhabitants as it signals the end of the dormant winter season and a return to life and activity. The annual event is a grand affair, filled with blessings of the fleet, masses, music, and even fireworks. The lobster fishery has seen significant changes since my youth, with larger boats, advanced technology, and fewer places for lobsters to hide. Despite conservation efforts, it is not uncommon for a fisher to catch 50,000 pounds of lobster during the nine-week season, making it a lucrative industry with fishing licenses selling for over $1.5 million. In the past, lobster licenses were passed down from father to son thus preserving the traditional way of life.
Mother’s Day is this Sunday and for many, the tradition of spoiling their mum with lobster is a must. When it comes to sourcing and choosing the perfect lobster, I checked in with my cousin Ruth Taker, the General Manager of the Cape Dauphin Fishermen’s
Cooperative. As one of the largest live lobster suppliers in Eastern Canada, they have been providing the market with top-quality live lobster for over three decades. She provided me her expert advice on what consumers should be looking for when selecting lobster for Mother’s Day.
1- Choose lobster that are lively and vigorous preferably from an oxygenated fish tank. Their vigour is an indicator of overall health. Occasionally, they are seen on ice beds. If they stay there too long, they can die. Never select a lobster that is already dead.
2- It is much easier to buy lobster already cooked; however, there is no way to gauge how long they have been cooked or their condition prior to being cooked. A good rule of thumb is to check whether the tail is tucked under the body. If it’s not, it is quite likely it died before being cooked. Cooked lobster should be bright orange / red in colour.
3- There is no difference in taste between a male lobster and a female one. The male lobster typically has a very straight tail, the female’s tail is wider and has a slight curve. You can also tell by looking at the swimmerets under the tail, on a female, they tend to be soft and feathery, while on a male, they’re hard. In a female lobster you will likely find the sought-after red roe which is edible along with the green tomalley (liver).
Depending on whether you are eating in a formal or informal setting, one should have on hand some implements to crack and pick out the meat. Some people also use scissors to cut open the tail. Lobster can be messy to eat so a bib might also be “de rigueur” along with plenty of napkins and fingerbowls of warm water and lemon to clean dirty fingers. This is probably the only time I will tell you to use paper napkins over linen. One of the most embarrassing moments of my life was eating lobster in a formal setting in a convent with a group of about 50 nuns. Trying ever so carefully to remove the arm meat, the shell broke off and flew up into the air and down into my water goblet. I was mortified and turned redder than a cooked lobster. Then everyone laughed and it was ok.
Most people tend to only eat the claws, tail, and arm meat but there is so much more to a lobster. Don’t forget the legs. They need to be squeezed and sucked out, breaking at the joints as you go, similarly to eating crab legs. Inside the body there is also meat mixed in with the cartilage. It can easily be removed with your pick. The green tomalley and red roe are also a delicacy for some connoisseurs. In the tail, you will notice
in the centre, a black or green vein. It should be removed as it’s part of the lobster’s digestive system and not very pleasing to the palate.
I typically serve my lobster in the shell and eat it alfresco. Normally it is accompanied by a choice of potato and pasta salads and bread. If I have guests I tend to include some melted butter for dipping; if not, I tend to forego butter because I like the taste of fresh lobster just as it is.
For those of you who might be cooking lobster for the very first time, get out a big stock pot, fill it a quarter of the way up with water and add 2-3 tablespoons of salt. Bring the water to a boil and then plunge the lobster into the pot and close the cover. Boil vigorously for 18-25 minutes (depending on the size of your lobster) until lobster are bright red. Some people say they are ready when the antennae break off quite easily. Make sure your pot does not run dry. The rubber bands on your lobster often will tell you where the lobster were sourced. Always remove the bands from your lobster before cooking. BE EXTREMELY CAREFUL removing the bands. If you have a good vigorous lobster, it might latch on to your finger and good luck getting it to let go. It can be very painful.
The discarded lobster shells and bodies are great for crushing with a rolling pin and boiling down to make stock for bisques or fish chowders; the leftover meat can be turned into lobster rolls, salads, or maybe Oeufs Drumkilbo (a favourite of the late Queen Mother). If not eating right away, I tend to freeze them in vacuum-sealed bags or in mason jars with brine (1 tsp salt to a cup of water). Throughout the lobster season, I’ll add more lobster recipes.
Whether or not lobster is part of your Mother’s Day tradition, I wish all the mothers out there a very happy day. For the children whose mothers are still with you, celebrate them as often as you can. You only get one. This is the third year without my mother. If you are a regular reader of my column, you know how much my mother meant to me. I have spoken of her often.
For any lobster advice or to comment on this post, please send a note to charles@atasteofoscarlodge.ca