Lobster for Christmas
Merry Christmas! We finally got the cards out today (embarrassment as they were stuffed and addressed over a week ago). We've had a devil of a time with just getting a Christmas Tree, but that's up and Iris enjoys eating the ornaments very much and I'm allergic.
One thing that did go right is we got a six-pound lobster. These suckers are caught off George's bank and not legal to sell in Maine. Maine's lobsters max out in the three to four pound range. It's not a function of weight, but length. I suspect only the Lord knows if throwing the big ones back actually keeps the fishing good, since the larger ones are likely hauled down to New Hampshire or Massachusetts. The place we bought ours is in New Hampshire, across the river from Kittery, I mean the last point of land on the state line.
I hope there's more science to the law than the "State Game Preserves," which are pockets of land that are illegal to hunt. According to a former Maine Wildlife Biologist, there is no reason for them whatsoever. They don't help the wildlife population, and the state doesn't even use them for "control" areas for biology studies. They just make people feel good that animals have a place to be "on base" like hunting is a giant game of "pickle." (Boy, I hope they call it pickle in New England. That's what it's called in Ohio.)
Anyway, the big ones are more economical as you get more meat out of them as a percentage of total weight. And they are quite tasty. It's not like the difference between lamb and mutton. Lobster is pretty much the same texture wise no matter the size. Over-cooking it makes it tough.
We got the idea from watching Lobster Wars on Discovery Channel. The lobstermen were working their butts off in frigid temperatures right before Christmas and everybody was hoping to not die and make enough for presents. Seemed like a good way to support the effort and have a delicious, if not traditional, Christmas dinner. Lobsters were quite popular with the first colonists in New England, so it might be more traditional than one might think.
For a sense of scale, I wear a Men's Medium or Woman's Large glove.
One thing that did go right is we got a six-pound lobster. These suckers are caught off George's bank and not legal to sell in Maine. Maine's lobsters max out in the three to four pound range. It's not a function of weight, but length. I suspect only the Lord knows if throwing the big ones back actually keeps the fishing good, since the larger ones are likely hauled down to New Hampshire or Massachusetts. The place we bought ours is in New Hampshire, across the river from Kittery, I mean the last point of land on the state line.
I hope there's more science to the law than the "State Game Preserves," which are pockets of land that are illegal to hunt. According to a former Maine Wildlife Biologist, there is no reason for them whatsoever. They don't help the wildlife population, and the state doesn't even use them for "control" areas for biology studies. They just make people feel good that animals have a place to be "on base" like hunting is a giant game of "pickle." (Boy, I hope they call it pickle in New England. That's what it's called in Ohio.)
Anyway, the big ones are more economical as you get more meat out of them as a percentage of total weight. And they are quite tasty. It's not like the difference between lamb and mutton. Lobster is pretty much the same texture wise no matter the size. Over-cooking it makes it tough.
We got the idea from watching Lobster Wars on Discovery Channel. The lobstermen were working their butts off in frigid temperatures right before Christmas and everybody was hoping to not die and make enough for presents. Seemed like a good way to support the effort and have a delicious, if not traditional, Christmas dinner. Lobsters were quite popular with the first colonists in New England, so it might be more traditional than one might think.
For a sense of scale, I wear a Men's Medium or Woman's Large glove.
Hi Todd.
not to argue with my friend but my take on lobsters is the big ones are tough and chewy.I also think you get more bang for your buck with smaller ones especialy the shedders.thats jmo.to each their own.
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Ours was tender and delicious. I think it has more to do with the cooking. I can see it being very easy to over-cook the big ones, fearing the alternative. Nobody would want to crack open a huge expensive lobster only to find it half raw.
This from the guy who had me eat a raw scallop! Anyway, just for the record Phillip is an expert on sea food and his opinion to be carefully considered. And a dear friend.
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