Lobster season ‘claws’ for excitement

You might have heard the ads on the radio: it’s Quebec lobster season, and the crowd-pleasing crustaceans have been making their ways to fish market tanks since the end of April. Quebec lobsters – caught off the coast of the Gaspé and Magdalene Islands – are easy to spot. They have white elastic bands on their claws bearing the ‘Aliments du Quebec’ logo, making local shopping that much easier.

While I don’t get the chance to indulge in it all too often, I am a lover of lobster in all its forms. Lobster bisque, lobster mousse, lobster lasagne, lobster salad and, of course, the always-popular boiled or steamed lobster.

Despite knowing very well about how the dishes are prepared, the thought of a cook plunging a live lobster into a pot of boiling water never really phased me all that much – until, of course, I decided to do it myself a couple of months ago.

It was a Saturday, and a friend and I were in the mood for a fancy at-home meal. The lobster idea emerged while we were going over a number of options, and we headed off to the market to pick up two of the clawed creatures.

The friendly fishmonger there helped us pick out a couple of one-and-a-half pounders and explained exactly what to do to prepare them right.

Fill a large pot with water and add about two tablespoons of sea salt per litre, bring it to a rolling boil, then plunge the live lobster in, head first, and cook for about 12 to 15 minutes, he explained.

“It’ll turn bright red. And don’t worry about the ‘screams,’” the fishmonger said with a laugh, obviously realizing I had never done this before. “That’s just air escaping from their shells. They actually don’t feel a thing.”

I did some research on this, and there is in fact a Norwegian study out there that says most invertebrates, like lobsters, crabs, clams, and worms, likely do not have nervous systems complicated enough for them to feel any pain.

At home, I tried to make the two lobsters as comfortable as possible in a towel-covered pot lined with damp newspaper in the fridge (keeping them sealed in a plastic bag or submerging them in water can actually kill them before cooking time). I guess the mistake I made was checking up on them obsessively, causing me to grow somewhat attached to my new fridge-guests. It was kind of like that episode of The Simpsons, when Homer – in an effort to save some cash – buys a tiny lobster to keep until it grew fat enough to cook. Of course, he ends up growing attached to the lobster, names it Pinchy, takes it for long walks on the beach, and even gives it a hot bath from time to time.

But then, when six o’clock came around and the pot of water was boiling, I closed my eyes and did the deed. I felt terrible, and ended up over-cooking the lobsters slightly.

As I cracked open the claws and dug the meat out of the tail, I couldn’t help feeling a little bit guilty. But, although over-cooking made the meat tougher than it should have been, it still tasted really good with a bit of lemon juice and some melted butter.

I haven’t made lobster at home again since, but after speaking with Allen Abrams at the Pêcheur du Marché in Dollard des Ormeaux, I think I might be able to get over that first experience.

“We have Quebec lobsters in abundance. The sizes are good, the quality is good – even better than last year,” Abrams said, adding the meat is tender and sweet. “They’re fuller in size, and the quality is excellent.”

According to Abrams, Quebec lobsters are priced about 10 per cent less than last year. At just under $10 a pound, that’s not too bad for a dinner for two – especially considering what you might pay eating out.

“And there are so many different ways -- there’s 101 ways -- to cook lobster,” Abrams said. “It’s all about what you like.”

For more information on Quebec lobster, some recipes and fun facts, visit www.quebeclobster.com, but do note the site in only available in French. Two English-language sites I used – although they’re not focused on Quebec lobster alone – are www.lobsterhelp.com and www.lobsterinstitute.org.