Shelling out

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Rosemary Shrager

"I have a feeling that as lobster is one of the best things to eat in the world, and as it is one of the most expensive, it should only be eaten at its best and in peak condition," declared Jane Grigson in her classic *The Fish Book.* Costing about £20 per kg (somewhat less for US and Canadian imports), it will indeed always be a luxury. Since the tail and clawmeat weigh about a quarter of the total, the edible meat costs roughly six times as much as fillet steak. It takes from five to seven years for lobsters to reach a saleable weight. By then they have moulted more than two dozen times. This regular change of outer shell means it can range from almost pliable to very brittle. Some chefs and fishermen believe that a harder carapace reflects a healthier fish. Buying lobster Chefs always cook lobsters from live, but in reality how fresh are they? Many are stored in tanks for weeks before being sold, with suppliers claiming the enforced fast doesn't affect their eating quality. However, the lobsters used by Rosemary Shrager, head chef at Amhuinnsuidhe Castle on the island of Harris in the Hebrides, go straight to the kitchen from the creel and are especially sweet, succulent and firm fleshed.

	

For cooking, it doesn't matter whether cocks or hens are used. Larousse Gastronomique asserts that the hens taste better when they carry eggs, but there's no evidence supporting this. Spines on the male underbelly are more spiky. Around the British Isles the shell colour varies from cobalt blue to black. This again has no bearing on flavour. North American imports have dark shells. In warm weather lobsters are caught close to shore, when they may have recently moulted. Their shells are softer then and they have less edible meat. Lobsters kept on ice survive for about 24 hours out of water, so they should be cooked as soon after delivery as possible. ### [ ](../chef/recipedetail.asp?recipeID=589)

Roast lobster

[Roast lobster](../chef/recipedetail.asp?recipeID=589)

Roast lobster tails

[Roast lobster tails with egg noodles, artichoke and lobster mousse and coral sauce (four portions).](../chef/recipedetail.asp?recipeID=590)[ ](../archive/articledetail.asp?lSiteSectionID=68&lSectionID=31&articleID=39558)

Rosemary Shrager

Rosemary Shrager[ ](../archive/articledetail.asp?lSiteSectionID=68&lSectionID=31&articleID=39559)

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Lobster facts

Lobster facts