Recession Delight

Inspired by growing whispers of falling prices and a recent NY Times article by Melissa Clark, I could no longer resist the call of the fish market. After work on Thursday, I headed over to The Lobster Place, looked the fish monger in the eye and said “Let me see your 2 pound lobsters, I’ll take a pair of them.” For $7.95/lb how could I not indulge? I road the train home giddy with the secret knowledge that, between my feet, two huge crustaceans elbowed each other for room.

For me, one of the most fascinating parts of cooking lobster is that you get the rare opportunity to kill your own food. Not that I enjoy the act itself, but the fact is we have been so far removed from the animals we eat that they are no longer recognizable. That package of meat in the supermarket was actually a cow at one point and it is important to acknowledge it as such, and be aware of how it got from cowness to steakness (probably in an antibiotic-fed daze on a factory farm). While I wish I could have set my own lobster traps, having a greater responsibility in the process from sea to table was extremely satisfying. I appreciated my meal more because of it.

That being said, I tried a new technique of killing lobsters not for the faint of heart. Following Melissa’s advice, I put the lobster in the freezer for 15 minutes to slow down its metabolism (this did not mean the lobsters weren’t squirming furiously after I took them out). Then I turned the lobster on its back, took my sharpest knife, and plunged the blade from head to tail. Next I cracked the shell in half and scooped out the guts. Elizabeth was with me for the first lobster, but had to leave the room for the second. The lobsters, with their decentralized nervous system, still twitched after I was done.

Over the summer, I had grilled lobsters in the Hamptons, and I had boiled lobsters before, so I was intrigued by Melissa’s suggestion to broil them in a spicy butter. Twelve minutes (of salivating and basting) later, they were a gorgeous red hue and ready. To compliment the seafood, I cooked polenta and then baked it with chopped garlic and parmesan cheese mixed in. I also baked up cubes of buttercup squash and steamed some spinach. As it turned out, all were easily eaten by hand.

The lobster tail meat separated from the shell in one simple pull and Elizabeth and I dived into to the succulent meat. Next followed the claws and silence. Then suddenly, I came out of a daze, completely sated, and completely satisfied, with a clean plate.

Grab some lobster while it’s still cheap! You won’t be disappointed.

Broiled Lobster with Cajun Butter

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper

1 1/2 teaspoons paprika

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

3/4 teaspoon onion powder

3/4 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/8 teaspoon mustard powder

2 live lobsters, about 1 1/2 pounds each (or 2 lbs. if you're gangster).

1. Preheat broiler. Arrange an oven rack 4 inches from heat source. To make Cajun butter, stir together all ingredients except lobsters in a small bowl.

2. Place lobsters in bag in freezer for 15 minutes to slow their metabolism. Place a lobster on its back. Using a sharp knife and quick movement, slice lobster in half lengthwise from head to tip of tail. Grab both sides of shell and split open body, cracking through its hard back. Scoop out its gray-green innards. Use back of a heavy knife to crack open both claws. Repeat with remaining lobsters. (You can have a fishmonger do this for you as long lobster meat is cooked within an hour.)

3. Arrange lobsters in a single layer in a large roasting pan (or use 4 large gratin dishes). Coat body and claw meat generously with Cajun butter. Broil, basting once halfway through with pan juices, until lobster meat is cooked through and slightly charred, about 12 minutes. Remove lobsters from oven. Spoon pan juices over lobsters and serve.