"Lobster" news and stories

If you eat seafood, you have to love the lobster roll, especially when someone else goes to the trouble of cooking and shelling the big old crustacean. The roll above, with a perfectly-toasted bun and creamy seafood, comes courtesy of chef Todd English's Kingfish Hall, in Boston's Faneuil Hall. Here in New York, when I need a lobster-roll fix I head to Pearl Oyster Bar for a no-nonsense, mayo-rich, butter-laden toasted roll and a mondo helping of chunky lobster meat.

If you can cook a lobster without re-enacting the Woody Allen–Diane Keaton lobster-pot scene from Annie Hall, make your own lobster roll with this recipe which includes snow peas and tarragon, or Jennifer Iserloh's recipe, which cuts down on fat by using Greek yogurt.

You might want to check out the late, great and much-missed David Foster Wallace's "Consider the Lobster," which he wrote, in his inimitable style, for Gourmet several years ago. You won't ever crack a lobster claw in the same way again.

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You probably don't realize it, but you're already familiar with Harbor Fish Market. It's picturesque, historic storefront has served as a backdrop for numerous print and television advertisements, and it's the subject of countless paintings, photographs, and post cards. If you still can't see it, just close your eyes and imagine your ideal New England seafood shop: family-owned, rustic and quaint, packed full of uber-fresh maritime varieties, all lurking sleepily over a concrete floor, under wooden beams, and behind an unimposing facade that hasn't changed in forty years, free of all that is chic and fashionable. That is Harbor Fish Market -- the ideal shop for the salty sea dog that values quality above all else.

We recently caught up with Ben Alfiero who, along with his wife and two brothers, runs the business his father opened in 1969.

Read more about the family and fish market after the jump.

Happy National Lobster Day!

Although lobster is today considered a delicacy due to its price, until the later 1800s, the crustacean was once so abundant that it was commonly used for fish bait. Those days are sadly long gone, but with summer in full effect, lobster is at its most economical, due to its seasonal availability.

Even if lobster is delicious enough to be savored on its own, we fished the web for some summer-appropriate delectable lobster recipes to share with you. Bon appétit!

• Lobster Rolls
• Grilled Lobster Tail with Chili-Lime Butter
• Lobster, Corn, Zucchini and Basil Salad
• Lobster Club Sandwich
  
• Grilled Lobster with Ginger, Garlic and Soy Sauce
• Red Lobster's Lobster Bisque
  
• Lobster Crisps in Champagne-Dill Sauce
• Steamed Lobster with Lemon-Herb Butter

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Happy Lobster Newburg Day!

This unique dish combining seafood with breakfast-oriented ingredients (toast, eggs and cream) has an equally unique history. Invented at New York culinary institution Delmonico's during the height of its heyday in the late 1800s, lobster Newburg was initially named lobster Wenburg after Ben Wenburg, a wealthy sea captain who frequented the restaurant quite often. However, when a dispute arose between Wenburg and management, they made the decision to rename the dish lobster Newburg.

For an authentic recipe for the rich, sherry-spiked, check out Epicurious's classic rendition.

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We know Valentine's Day is mere weeks away, and for plenty of you coupled-up types, that romantic meal will mean indulging in some lobster -- butter poached, stuffed into plump ravioli, or maybe it will come in the form of a warming bowl of creamy lobster bisque. But for the lobster-bold, part of your Valentine's evening may mean pressing your nose up against the glass of a live lobster tank to choose your entrée while impressing your date. So to help you out a little, we talked to the esteemed Jasper White of Boston's Summer Shack, who shared a few surprising pointers:

If tail meat is your thing, ask the staff to choose a female lobster. Prefer claw meat? Ask for a male. And if you're a little worried about how long the lobsters have been languishing in that tank, the answer is to look at their antennae. Lobsters are cannibals. That's the real reason their claws are banded. But that doesn't prevent them from munching on their neighbors for a snack. If the antennae are stumpy and little, chances are your dinner's been in the tank for awhile.