Dish of the Day: Grilled Flaming Lobster Platter
When you hear the words grilled, flaming and lobster combined in a dish, you are definitely in for a treat! The name itself pretty much sums up what you will be getting – a huge, fresh lobster that is chargrilled, dipped with a spicy red sauce and served with other seafood accompaniments on a platter. It is simply irresistible!
The History of Grilled Lobster
Globally, lobsters are seen as a luxury dish, but back to the days when Europeans first stepped foot on American soil, lobsters were served a food for prisoners. This is because lobsters usually get washed up along the Massachusetts Bay Colony and the people first saw them as horrific “cockroaches of the sea”. The locals hated it so much that they only use it as fertilisers and fishermen would use them as bait during fishing. People from the upper class regarded lobsters as nothing by pesky sea cockroaches that are too ugly to be eaten. The poor benefitted from this as lobsters were a good source of protein and were readily available.
When industrialisation took over in the 1800s, lobsters were sold as canned food and quickly rose in popularity. People would go for trips to coastal American cities to look for fresh lobsters. The demand for lobsters grew so much so that restaurants started serving lobsters and chefs were always creating new recipes to cook lobsters. All of a sudden, the unwanted sea cockroaches changed from food for prisoners and low class citizens to a luxury food item on restaurant menus. By World War II, lobster was a delicacy – a food that only the rich could afford.
Today, regardless of where you go in the world, a good lobster would cost you a good amount of money, and through experimentation in the 1800s, chefs have discovered that the best way to cook a lobster is by grilling it and dipping it with sauce specially made for seafood.
Preparing a Grilled Lobster Feast
Preparing a grilled lobster for a meal is no walk in the park. In order to get to the juicy lobster meat, you have to go through the thick outer shell. So unlike squid or lamb, grilling a lobster takes time. The best way to prepare a lobster is to first boil it in a big pot on high temperature for 2 minutes or until it turns red (the time will differ based on the size of the lobster itself).
When the lobster is red, soak it into ice water until you are ready to put it on the grill. Before you put the lobster on the grill, make sure you cut it right in the middle, starting from the tail all the way to the head. You can tell if a lobster is cooked when the meat starts to become opaque and it feels firmer to touch. Be careful not to overcook your lobster because the meat will start to taste like rubber if you do so.
Where to get Grilled Flaming Lobster Platter
If you don’t have the time to cook it yourself, the best place to get a Grilled Flaming Lobster Platter is of course at Manhattan Fish Market, the restaurant that created the dish itself. If you are not keen to dine out, you can have the grilled flaming lobster platter delivered. If you want something different, the restaurant, Red Lobster has a lot of live Maine Lobster dishes to choose from including a spicy sauce or cheesy baked.
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