News

Because of the currently stormy stock market, many items considered to be in a luxury bracket are suddenly experiencing lacklustre demand, which inevitably drives their price down.

Lobster tends to fall into that category, which is unfortunate for Atlantic lobstermen, but they still need our dollars as much or more than they need our sympathy. This, coupled with the fact that landings will peak when the southwestern Nova Scotia lobster fishery opens in December, means lobster prices may be heading even further south, just like every other commodity on the market.

As well, the Atlantic lobster fishery appears to be in pretty good shape in terms of sustainability, which is always a consideration in my kitchen when it comes to purchasing seafood.

Lobsters grow by shedding their shells, typically during the summer months. It takes seven to nine weeks for the new shell to harden in the chilly waters of the North Atlantic. As they undergo this process, their meat improves, becoming firmer in texture and richer in taste as they fill out in their roomy new digs.

When purchasing live lobsters, look for ones with hard shells that feel heavy in the hand relative to their size. Their tails should curl under their bodies when lifted from the tank, and not hang loosely beneath them.

Ideally, they should be lively and waving their claws at you menacingly enough that you feel relief they are banded with heavy rubber.

If you're buying a precooked lobster, the tail should be firmly curled under the body. This will indicate that the lobster was alive when cooked. If the tail appears somewhat straight, it may indicate that the lobster died prior to cooking. A lobster that is dead before cooking will have meat with a mushy texture and an unpleasant mouth feel.

Virtually every part of the lobster is usable. The only parts to discard completely are the digestive tract, which runs inside the length of the tail, and the small sac just behind the eyes inside the head. Everything else can be used in one way or another.

The easiest way to cook a live lobster is to boil it in a large amount of well-salted water. An average-sized lobster is around 1¼ pounds and will cook in about eight minutes once the water has returned to a boil. When cooked, lift it from the water and leave until cool enough to handle, but not too long. It is much easier to shell a warm lobster than a cold one.

Lobsters and butter are brilliant together. The following butter recipe is great with almost any cooked seafood.

SMOKED BACON BUTTER SAUCE

What you need

3 ounces of double-smoked bacon, finely diced

1 large shallot finely diced

¼ cup chicken stock

¼ cup dry white wine

1 tablespoon cream

6 ounces (¾ cup) unsalted butter, chilled and diced

Salt and pepper

Fresh lemon juice

What you do

Cook the bacon in a small pan until the fat has rendered.

Place it on a paper towel to drain.

Put the shallots, chicken stock and wine into a small saucepan and simmer until almost dry.

Add the cream and start to whisk in the butter about an ounce at a time.

Allow the sauce to come back to a simmer after the final ounce of butter has been whisked in.

Remove from heat and continue to whisk for a moment longer.

Add the bacon and blitz the sauce with a hand blender.

Correct the seasoning and add lemon juice to taste.

Keep the sauce warm until ready to serve.

Any combination of chives, tarragon, parsley, chervil and coriander would be a welcome addition.

Serves 6 to 8.

Keith Froggett is co-owner and executive chef of Scaramouche in Toronto.

Beppi's wine matches

Rich, silky chardonnay does the trick here. That includes white Burgundy, virtually all of which are made from 100-per-cent

chardonnay. The smokiness of the bacon butter will harmonize especially well with oak-aged chardonnays, so try to avoid an "unoaked" version. A great and widely available value from California is Woodbridge Chardonnay ($13.99 in B.C.). Another good option, if you're feeling in a festive mood, is dry sparkling wine.