Lookie Lookie – We Gotta (James) Hookie

The summer in New England requires very few things to achieve pure happiness but 2 things very high on the list: lobster and live music. Looking for an exciting solution to our hunger while waiting to head to a summer concert at Fenway Park (item 2 on the summer checklist), we decided to ball out to also cross off item 1: DIY lobster!

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We ventured to the popular James Hook & Co. in downtown Boston to procure a few live 1 1/2 LB lobsters. The  market price was $10.99/pound, which at 1 1/2 LB, still puts the price per lobster far below the $25 it would cost to have the same priced lobster in the shack. On the way home, we stopped by Stop & Shop to also collect a few ears of corn and some small red potatoes.

Ingredients

  • LIVE lobster
  • Corn (husked)
  • Small red potatoes (washed and whole)
  • Butter (1 stick)

Directions

The beauty of DIY lobster: the ease.

Lobster

 

  • Bring about 2 inches of water to a boil in a large pot (or if you have a steaming insert, that works even better and fill the pot with water appropriately).
  • Place as many lobsters into the pot as you can.
  • Steam the lobsters for about 12-14 minutes.

Potatoes and Corn

  • Have a separate pot ready on the stove with some water in it. After the lobster has steamed for several minutes, use a ladle to transfer some of the “lobster water” to the separate pot.
  • Once the separate pot with the lobster water is at a boil, place the potatoes in the pot (to eventually cook for about 15 minutes).
  • Then, place the corn in the pot (to cook for about 7-10 minutes).

Butter

  • Heat a smaller sauce pot over low to medium heat.
  • Place the stick of butter into the pot and let it fully melt.
  • Once melted, pour the butter through a small strainer several times.
  • In the past, we have crushed garlic and placed it in the butter during the melting phases to steep the garlic flavors into the butter.

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We highly recommend enhancing the DIY Lobster Bake meal with salad and other veggies. But most importantly, sling on that bib and get cracking from the comfort of your own home!

‘Tis The Season For A Lobster Roll Showdown

We’ve already spotlighted a Maine Lobster Roll for you, so to be fair, here’s the first look at a Connecticut Lobster Roll.  With many more sure to come, The Lobster Post in Fairfield, Connecticut gave us our first buttery, juicy lobster roll of the season.

The Connecticut Lobster Roll highlights warm, juicy butter as the moist binding agent, unlike the Maine Lobster Roll that utilizes mayonnaise. In a battle of Northern versus Southern New England, the two types of lobster rolls each have their benefits. The butter provides a hot and savory element that a cold mayo-based lobster salad does not. But with the heated butter comes an element of urgency in eating prior to eating. The Maine style lobster roll invites creativity in the salad portion where other flavorful ingredients can be mixed in. But the mayo can be heavy and greasy (in a bad way), especially when used irresponsibly. That is not to say that one is actually better than the other. Each are delicious. And somehow even more delicious in their native states…

The Lobster Post has a diverse, creative menu that breaks down the barriers of both polar ends of the New England spectrum of lobster roll. It has a “classic” option, at least for Nutmeggers, that is dressed in warm butter. It also has a garlic butter sauce and a gluten free option. In addition, it crosses the Maine/Connecticut demarcation and includes a chipotle mayo dressed bun option that…you guessed it, has lobster dressed in warm butter, along with traditional BLT ingredients.

Lobster BLT

Lobster BLT

The lobster BLT came with delicious french fries that were hot, crunchy, and salty. The fresh addition of coleslaw to the basket left more to be desired with little dressing.  Luckily, the star of the show, the lobster BLT, only left us desiring more lobster BLT.  For the beginning of the season, the lobster was tender, meaty, and juicy.  The bun was sufficiently buttered, with a nice toast, and the added lettuce, tomato, and bacon, added salty and fresh elements typically ignored in any lobster roll.

Putting the lobster BLT roll against the Slaw and Order 3-part lobster roll test for a Connecticut-Styled Lobster Roll:

  1. There was just enough lobster for the size of the roll. It wasn’t flowing over the sides of the roll, but it left you satisfied that you were getting your moneys worth. Check.
  2. It was more than sufficiently warm and buttery. Check.
  3. It was on a Maine-styled lobster roll bun with the slit in the bread on the top, and it was buttered and toasted on the outside. Check.

 

http://www.thelobsterpost.com/

The Need for Summer Means Lobster – The Porthole in Portland

This winter has been brutal for all of New England. Cold, snow, snow, cold. The short, dark, and frigid days leave anyone pining for any sign of summer: enter the lobster roll at The Porthole Restaurant and Pub in Portland, Maine.

Discovered through Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives on the Food Network, the Porthole is on Custom Wharf in downtown Portland. It has outdoor seating on its wharf (best used when not 8 degrees out) and fishermen going out and bringing in lobster daily.

Desiring the furtherest thing from winter, I ordered the lobster roll and a local summer beer that was on special for cheap to remind imbibers of the summer. Neither disappointed. The lobster roll was large and bursting with perfectly cooked lobster, making you feel confident you’re getting your money’s worth. It checked off all three of my required boxes for a quality Maine-style lobster roll:

  1. Too much lobster for the size of the roll, including whole chunks of claw.
  2. Light use of mayo (let the lobster shine).
  3. Maine roll with the slit in the bread on top, buttered on the outside of both sides and toasted  (preferably on the flattop).

Add in fresh, salty fries, a cheap beer, a view of the water, and an almost hidden door, The Porthole is a great excuse to create summer, even if the weather won’t comply.

http://m.yelp.com/biz/the-porthole-restaurant-and-pub-portland