One of the smartest things I ever did when my wife and I were dating was to establish a Valentine’s Day tradition. Alright, so maybe I just made this recipe one year and it just kind of stuck. I am still taking credit for starting it. A lot of people are intimidated by cooking a live lobster, but it is really easy. I think most trepidation stems from the fact that we have become so disconnected from where our food comes from that the thought of cooking a live creature makes some a bit squeamish. Really don’t be; if you have swatted a fly, killed a bee, or stomped a cockroach, you have killed a creature with similar brain capacity. There is an old New England legend that if you rub the top of the lobster just behind the eyes it will hypnotize them and make their steam bath a calming and more pleasant end, and the meat will be more tender. Personally, I doubt this is true, but I still do it, and if it makes you feel better, go with it. I used to work with a group of cooks who would terrorize young servers by telling them that the lobsters were crying when they were dropped in the pot. If you hear a high pitched squealing, it’s steam escaping, not the lobsters crying. Still too chicken to cook a live lobster? You can skip step one, and buy a cooked lobster at most grocery stores this time of year, but there is no way to guarantee freshness, so you are rolling the dice a little bit.
Okay now that you have worked up the courage to cook a live lobster, how do you cook it? Steaming is the quickest and most effective method. A large pasta pot with a strainer attachment is ideal, but any big pot that you can fit a steamer basket into will work just fine. What better way to create the steam than with beer! I used the Monk’s Uncle Belgian style tripel from Pike Brewing. It has a hint of lemon, not too bitter, and a nice herbaceous finish to compliment the sweet flavor of the lobster. Also it is not too expensive, and is readily available anywhere that has a good beer selection in Seattle.
Serves 2
Step 1
12oz. Belgian Tripel beer
2dried bay leaves
1 tsp. Old Bay Seasoning
1. In a large pot, add beer, bay leaves and Old Bay, and place pasta strainer, or steamer basket over liquid. Turn stove top to high heat, and when liquid is boiling add lobsters, and cover pot.
2. When lobsters begin to turn red (about 8-10 minutes) remove from pot. The lobsters are going to be finished in the oven, so we don’t want to cook them all the way through.
3. Slice lobsters in two down the middle of the tail through the middle of the body. Remove innards from the body, grey sack from the head, and place so meat is facing upright on foil lined baking sheet.
Step 2
1 tbsp. Olive oil
2 tbsp. butter
1 cup of breadcrumbs
1 tsp. garlic, minced or grated with a microplane
2 tbsp. grated parmesan cheese
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
1. Set oven broiler to low, and place rack about 12 inches from the heating element.
2. Add butter and olive to oil to medium size sauté pan on stovetop on medium heat.
3. When butter has melted (but not browned) add bread crumbs, garlic and parmesan. Cook until garlic has become fragrant (about 2 minutes), remove from heat and add parsley.
4. Add bread crumb mixture on top of tail meat and in the body.
5. Place in oven and cook until breadcrumbs have turned golden brown.
Serve with melted butter on the side, and a few simple side dishes like green beans and roasted new potatoes. What beer should go with? I tend to lean towards a nice Belgian Saison, but a Belgian White beer, or your favorite Weiss beer would go wonderfully. Grab some candles and a bouquet of flowers and stay home this Valentine’s Day. Romance with no reservations required!
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