Crustacean sensation

It started with a letter to Caterer. "At least one British chef has recently been prosecuted for cruelty to lobsters," wrote the correspondent.

I gave him a ring and it turned out he wasn't sure who the chef was or exactly when the offence took place. He thought the culprit had been dangling a live lobster out of a first-floor window on a string, perhaps in Salisbury or maybe the west of England.

Our correspondent may or may not have dreamed up the story, but within weeks animal welfare lobbyists were up in arms. Groups in the West Midlands and Bristol were pontificating on regional television about chefs' brutality to shellfish. And all of it bull!

The Universities Federation For Animal Welfare (UFAW) is not clear as to whether lobsters feel pain. The advice it gives today is different from its recommendations of 20 years ago.

UFAW, from which the RSPCA takes a lead, now suggests that sticking spikes, knives or awls into crustaceans is not such a good idea - too many misdirected coups de grace.

Smaller crustaceans can go straight into boiling water. Lobsters, providing they have been chilled down at freezing point or lower for several hours, can also be killed this way.

Crabs should be left in cold unsalted water until they become unconscious and then they should be cooked in cold water which is brought to the boil.

All these methods are not just humane. They help to achieve the best cooked results - sweet, moist, tender shellfish flavour.

It is little surprise, then, that the Riverside Café at West Bay, Dorset, has instinctively (without consulting officialdom) been carrying out the best possible practice.

Arthur Watson, proprietor of the Riverside, grew up in this Dorset fishing village and he has created a unique restaurant where the freshness of the fish is perhaps only equalled by Rick Stein in Padstow, Cornwall.

The Riverside Café isn't smart dining. It is designed for those who don't mind rolling up their sleeves before tucking into their meals. This restaurant is what every picture postcard seaside port in the country needs in order to persuade the public that lobsters and crabs aren't just for the people who are dining at stuffy, trying-to-be-upmarket, seafood restaurants.

Buying live

Buying live is all about condition. If you live by the sea the lobsters may have come to you fresh from the creel, but most chefs elsewhere will be receiving them via middlemen who have stored them in viviers.

According to Dave Park, who supplies the Riverside, lobsters and crabs can safely be stored in viviers for several weeks. Although the sea water which runs through the holding tanks may contain enough nutrients to keep them alive, they will lose weight and become sluggish. This is why the old saying that crustaceans should "feel heavy in the hand" is crucial piece of advice.

Common crab

As a rule, cocks have larger claws. Turned on their back the difference is more apparent. The hens have a large V-shaped flap, edged with hair on the abdomen. The ‘brown' meat (it can also be pale creamy-grey) is more abundant in the hens.

Crabs should be very active when delivered. However, they need to be sedated before cooking or else they will throw (the chef, Chris Ansell-Green, says "shoot") off their claws. They may be held in a cold room or fish fridge for a day, but the best practice (approved by welfare organisations) is to leave them in a sink or tank of cold, unsalted water for a few hours before cooking. They apparently become comatosed without distress.

Chefs may consider putting them into water overnight and then cooking them first thing the following morning. Never drop them into boiling water, because they instinctively throw limbs. Minimum size is 140mm (5.5in) across the shell.

Spider crab

Treat in the same way as the common crab. Minimum size is 120mm (4.7in) across the shell.

Velvet swimming crabs

These are much smaller and fiercer than their heavier cousins. If they nip you, break off the claw at once, because they don't let go. Like spider crabs, most finish up in Spain. If possible, wash them with a hose pipe to remove any residue sand or mud. Soak in cold water for two to three hours and then drop into boiling water.

Lobster

The colour of a live lobster (black to blue) is an indication of its habitat and has little bearing on quality. Fresh from the sea, it will thrash its tail when picked up. If it has languished in a vivier or been held in a warm environment, it becomes soporific. If its claws seem limp, then cook it as soon as possible, because it will be close to expiring.

Don't confuse docility with the lazy behaviour of a lobster that has been chilled. The ideal is to buy them lively, cool them down to near freezing point and then cook them.

Lobster prices fluctuate between £4.50 and £7 per pound. They are cheaper in the warmer months. The legal minimum size is 85mm (3.4in) from the back of the eye to the end of the carapace.

Crawfish

An expensive luxury these days, even by lobster standards. For presentation purposes, it is usually tied flat on a board with the tail outstretched behind it. Handle as for lobster.

Prawns (common prawns)

Are available from autumn until the first cold snaps. Few chefs will have seen this beautiful creature, but it is quite unlike the deep-frozen North Atlantic prawns. When delivered, the prawns should be bouncy and very much alive. Deal with them straight away.

Langoustines

The Riverside receives consignments live from Scotland. Almost inevitably some may die in transit. When negotiating a price, it's reasonable to expect wastage of between 5% and 7%.

In point of fact, langoustines fished in deep water suffer a form of the bends when brought to the surface. Should their fishing be banned on the grounds that they may feel distress?