Ever hear the one about the kid on the shores of the Caspian Sea, who when summoned to the breakfast table by his mother, complains, “Aw, Mom. Not beluga caviar again!?”
Such is the experience of living on fruitful shores. When I was a kid, and later a student, living in Maine, lobster was ubiquitous, ever- present, unremarkable. While I loved the stuff and still do, its ordinariness, then, made it a cold commodity.
As unlikely as it seems, lobster is once again within grasp, only this time in Colorado. Sure, the importing of lobster leaves anything but a small footprint, and it’s not exactly the greenest, localest thing to eat on the Front Range, but it’s less expensive than usual, and in my continued commitment to save all possible pennies, it is surprisingly accessible, both in restaurants and at home.
The best way to serve lobster is whole — boiled or steamed — with a pair of pliers and a mug of beer on a picnic table overlooking Sagadahoc Bay. That’s what my heritage tells me.
But secretly, I like elaborate, over-the-top, haute preparations of lobster. After all, rare is the ingredient that’s inspired such celebrated dishes as Lobster Newburg, Lobster Thermidor, Lobster a la Parisienne and for that matter, a l’Americaine.
For Christmas last month, my grandmother gave me a tiny treasure. It is an undated publication (I’m guessing 1940s) put out by the “Department of Sea and Shore Fisheries in cooperation with The Maine Development Commission” that features the prize- winning entries from a national lobster-recipe contest conducted in cahoots with “The Journal of the Societe des Gentilshommes Chefs de Cuisine.”
Top honors went to E.P. Hutchinson of Glens Falls, N.Y., whose “Baked Maine Lobster De Luxe” requires seven lobsters to create. Other recipes placing included “Maine Lobster Español,” a paella-like casserole submitted by John E. O’Neill of Chevy Chase, Md., and a deep-dish “Lobster a la Pitza” by Mrs. W.L. Felthaus of Richmond, Va.
My favorite recipe to read, by Fred B. Cowan of Los Angeles, received only an honorable mention. It was called “Lobster Polynesian,” and I wish I’d been alive at the time so I could track Mr. Cowan down and beg him to serve it to me. For fun, here it is:
Lobster Polynesian
By Fred B. Cowan. Serves 4.
Boil 4 quarts water to which is added 1 cup sherry wine, 2 bay leaves, 1 teaspoon pickling spices, 1 clove garlic and 2 teaspoons chopped onions — boil for 15 minutes and remove all seasonings from broth. Add 3 live lobsters and boil twenty minutes — place in water head first. While lobster is boiling, in large double-boiler, melt 2 tablespoons butter, add 1 tablespoon flour and mix while adding 1 pint milk gradually until it thickens; add 1/2pound mild cheddar cheese cut in small cubes and also 2 cubed truffles and 1/2 pound mushrooms. Then add 1/2 teaspoon dried mustard and 1 teaspoon curry powder and simmer slowly. Remove tops from 4 coconuts and add cup of liquid to sauce. After lobster has cooked, remove from liquor, cut in 3/4-inch pieces and add to sauce. Then place the sauce to which lobster has been added into the coconuts, place tops back on and bake in 350-degree oven for 20 minutes. Remove and serve just as they are in the coconuts.
