The Accidental Locavore has had lobster on the brain recently. Must be that I keep hearing how inexpensive it’s been this summer. Might also be that I’m feeling a bit deprived as I didn’t eat much/enough of it when I was in Maine last month. Stupidly, the first morning, I had a bite from my husband’s lobster omelet and as I took the bite, I knew the lobster wasn’t good, but I ate it anyway. Luckily, all it did was take my appetite away for a couple of days and passing on a lobster dinner might not seem like a big event to you but…
Two nights later, I was ready for a couple of “twin” (identical, fraternal?) lobsters. Or maybe just one big one. We were off to Waterman’s Beach, the local lobster joint. It’s on a lovely stretch of beach, islands on the horizon and a pier, just so you know how local the lobsters are. Sandy and her sister run the place. The deal, for those in the know, is to bring your own starters and wine and let Sandy and her crew take care of the main course and desserts. For me, for dinner, it’s always lobsters. For whoever else is with us, there’s a choice of lobsters, steamed clams, lobster and crabmeat rolls, all simply prepared, with the freshest local seafood, and delicious!
The problem (for me anyway, chime in if you disagree) with summer lobsters is that most of them are soft-shelled, otherwise known as shedders. While they’re easier to eat because you can just rip them open without tools, they’re really deceptive. With a hard-shelled lobster, you crack it open (crackers, rocks or a hammer needed) and the meat is tightly packed in (which I think gives it a better texture, however there is absolutely no science behind that). Shedders are different, it’s always a guess as to how much meat is actually there. Sandy told me that for a one pound shedder, there are only 3.5 ounces of meat, barely a snack and hardly enough to call dinner, right?
If you think you’re going to have room afterwards, there are lots of homemade pies, blueberry of course, but lots of other great flavors. You might want to order them with your lobster as they usually sell out quickly. Or, as the Locavore has found in the past, a small lobster also makes a wonderful dessert!
