It's Florida Spiny lobster season again. They are called "Spiny" because they do not have forward claws like New England and Canadian lobsters. They also have milder flavored meat that is similar to crayfish.
I bought two live lobsters at Cod & Capers Seafood Market in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. I asked the clerk the most humane way to cook them because I only knew the cold-water lobster method.
This is where you get the lobsters sleepy before cooking by either putting them in the freezer for 10 minutes or by resting them on their nose (located at front of their shell between their eyes) with their claws swept back on either side, for 10 minutes.
Another benefit to the humane style of cooking is that the meat comes out very tender and juicy.
The clerk said putting them in the freezer or directly on ice would kill them. He suggested 10 minutes in the fridge before cooking.
When I got home I put both lobsters in the fridge. My husband put a large pot on the stove and poured in just over two inches (5 cm) of salted water to steam the lobsters, the quickest method of cooking.
The lobsters were so large we decided to cook them one at a time. After ten minutes I pulled one out. It seemed quite relaxed and sleepy but that quickly changed once the steam hit it.
So, I went back to the cold-water lobster method of freezer time except I lowered it to just five minutes. It worked. The lobsters came out of the freezer very sleepy but not dead and cooked without any fuss.
The next day, I served them cold with a salad of out of state grown lettuce, Florida grown avocados, yellow squash, and basil.
The Florida regular fishing season for the spiny lobster goes from August 6th to March 31st. To find out more you can go to the Florida Fish And Wildlife Commission.
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| Cooked Florida Spiny Lobster |
This is where you get the lobsters sleepy before cooking by either putting them in the freezer for 10 minutes or by resting them on their nose (located at front of their shell between their eyes) with their claws swept back on either side, for 10 minutes.
Another benefit to the humane style of cooking is that the meat comes out very tender and juicy.
The clerk said putting them in the freezer or directly on ice would kill them. He suggested 10 minutes in the fridge before cooking.
When I got home I put both lobsters in the fridge. My husband put a large pot on the stove and poured in just over two inches (5 cm) of salted water to steam the lobsters, the quickest method of cooking.
The lobsters were so large we decided to cook them one at a time. After ten minutes I pulled one out. It seemed quite relaxed and sleepy but that quickly changed once the steam hit it.
So, I went back to the cold-water lobster method of freezer time except I lowered it to just five minutes. It worked. The lobsters came out of the freezer very sleepy but not dead and cooked without any fuss.
 |
| Florida Spiny Lobster with salad of Florida grown avocado, yellow squash, and basil. |
The Florida regular fishing season for the spiny lobster goes from August 6th to March 31st. To find out more you can go to the Florida Fish And Wildlife Commission.
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