When I came to New York in 1910, I was to find that Americans like shellfish as much as the French. As a matter of tact, at that time the exclusive restaurants where the smart set dined after the theater were called “lobster palaces, ” and lobster was a favorite.
Lobster and shrimp were very important in the Ritz kitchen, and lobster, shrimp and crab meat take the leading roles in this article, partly because these are all at their best right now, and partly because I have been asked so many questions about these shellfish.
In buying shellfish, one should remember the principle that applies to all fresh foods: they cast least and reach the peak of their flavor at the seasons of greatest plenty. Fresh shellfish are at actually alive. Lobsters should be moving around, clams, mussels and oysters should sink to the bottom of the water in which you wash them and not float on the surface. Shrimp are in good supply all year round, but oysters are not eaten during the summer months, and scallops are not plentiful after January until the cold weather sets in again. Lobsters, crab, crawfish and mussels ate most plentiful during the spring and summer.
Each shellfish must in handled in the way that suits it best. If you are fortunate enough to live, or even to vacation, in a shellfishing area. the local people will soon teach you all about cleaning and cooking shellfish in the local fashion. In the city, you can ask your fish dealer to clean the shellfish for you, lint there is some satisfaction in learning how to split a lobster or shell a shrimp, and once you acquire the knack the task becomes as routine as any other.
To begin with lobster: you should know that there are two kinds of lobsters which you might meet. One, called a spiny lobster, is not a lobster at all, but a marine crawfish. The French call this crustacean langouste. The langouste may be found in warm waters all over the world, and is caught in sizable quantities off our west coast, off the south of France, and off South Africa. The meat lies in the tail and. since the advent of quick freezing, only the rail is shipped into this country. The cook need only thaw and cook these tails, broiling them about 4 inches from the broiler flame, first on one side for 3 to 5 minutes, and then on the other for about 10 minutes, until the meat is cooked through. These tails may also be boiled in a generous amount of water, for 25 to 50 minutes. Opinions differ about the proper length of time, but I think the longer cooking makes the tails more tender.
The true lobster is the Maine lobster, so called because most of the lobsters sold in our markets come from Maine. This lobster, which the French, wherever they may be, call homard. comes from cold water in the North Atlantic off Nova Scotia and off the northern European coast line, as well as off the Maine coast. The homard has a dark green color; it turns red after cooking. The meat lies in the center body in the tail, and in the claws. The intestinal tract and the small sac in the head where the intestinal tract begins are inedible and the spongy gray fringe of lungs should not be eaten either, because it is very tough. The roe of the female, called the coral, is a great delicacy. It turns bright red in the cooking. The liver, which turns green when it is cooked, is another delicacy. Chefs usually set the liver aside to thicken the sauce.
Lobsters at the market usually weigh from 1 ¼ to 3 pounds. Law requires that lobsters weighing under 1 pound or over 4 pounds must be thrown back into the water, A lobster weighing between 1 ¼ and 2 pounds is considered of average size, and serves two. But if you plan to put your lobster into a dish with a sauce, or into a salad, two lobsters will serve 6. For an individual broiled lobster, choose one weighing about 1 ¼ pounds.
Picking up a live lobster will not be dangerous if you remember to pick it up by the body, so that your fingers are out of the way of its nipping claws. If the recipe requires that you split the lobster, proceed as follows;
Spread several layers of newspaper on a large cutting board and cover the papers with paper towels which will absorb moisture. The papers can later be bundled up and discarded, leaving only the knife to clean. Lay the lobster, shell side up, on the board, and with a large, strong, sharp-pointed knife pierce through the shell at the head and cut down through shell and body to the end of the tail. Turn the halves flesh side up. Remove the intestinal vein and the sac near the head where the intestinal tract starts. If the lobster has been boiled, crack the claws and remove the meat from the larger ones. Save the small claws to garnish the dish. Then take out the body and tail meal. If you want to use the shells as serving dishes for a lobster mixture, you must keep the shell intact. First remove the claws, then put the lobster on the board, shell side down, and with a sharp knife or scissors cut through the thin under shell. Remove the rail meat, lay it with the red-skinned side down, on the board, and with a small knife on down the center just enough to expose the intestinal vein and remove it. You can then slip your fingers or a two-tined kitchen fork under the body meat and lift it out. The sac and lungs can be discarded and the shells washed and dried, ready for use.
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