Special Occasions
Can a Lobster Change its Spots?
Regular readers will know that I live on the coast and as such enjoy what used to be called the ‘bounty of the sea,’ though my son isn’t sure that a coconut and chocolate bar is the right idea to convey heaving masses of fish practically throwing themselves onto your plate. Indeed it was said in the 19th century that you could practically walk on the sea near Newfoundland because there was so much cod - it was like a solid mass in the water. But unlike many of the inhabitants of these lands I enjoy fish, crabs and lobster beyond the confines of a fish supper, which is also high on my likes.
Though south of the border they eat cod, not as is right and proper haddock! But for wedding anniversaries and birthdays I troll down to the seafood stall and get me a lobster: The ultimate special food. In fact for the last three Christmases we haven’t had the traditional roast everything, we’ve had lobster, new potatoes or chips (the French Fry variety) and veg and salad. I make my own dressing and I have to tell you we can barely move afterwards it is so filling and preparation takes ten to twenty minutes. No slaving over a hot stove for hours trying to cook a turkey that won’t be cooked properly, since the legs cook twice as fast as the body. (A tip an American friend gives is to take off the turkey legs and cook them separately and then add then back on at the table. Works a treat)
So when I saw a news item on an odd coloured lobster it caught my eye. Normally lobsters only go orange after you cook them, before that they are a dark grey blue colour with mottling, but a rare orange lobster has been caught off the Western Isles. The fish processors in Barra, Barratlantic, had it handed in by a fisherman. So to preserve it they put in in with lots of other live crustaceans. It’s a rare find and the experts put it at around a one in ten million shot. That’s according to the chappies at the National Lobster Hatchery in Cornwall. They don’t know why there might be such a dramatic variation in colour, but they suspect that the orange lobster may be short of some vital colour making protein. But luckily for our friend the orange lobster, his odd colour will probably mean he won’t make to the dining table.
In 2021 a bright blue lobster was caught in a creel off Aberdeen and the odds on that were about one in two million. That lucky creature was also saved from the pot. The fisherman had been fishing off the coast there since he was a laddie and that was the first he’d ever caught like that. He notified the local aquarium, but later released the creature into the sea. The luxury crustaceans are worth about twenty five quid a pop to the fishermen so it’s difficult to put back such a valuable find, but I applaud the gentleman. Blue lobsters are coloured like that because of a genetic abnormality that causes them to produce more of a certain protein than others.
Now if you are celebrating a special date, an anniversary, a birthday or a exam success, yes shortly it’s that time of year again, then you’ll want a few tips on how best to make the most of it. As I say we always think about having a lobster, but it might well be a wonderful juicy steak that delights you, or if you are vegetarian or vegan something made with cheese or mushrooms. Cooking steak is easy, the answer to the perfect steak is if you are barbequing it wrap it in foil and cook for a few minutes in foil and then sear the steak out of the foil for about a minute per side for a top, top quality munch. And with that must come bubbles. It might be Cava, Prosecco or Champagne, but whatever it is you need a special glass to swig it from: One that preserves the best qualities of the wine. This Highland inspired glassware is top notch. The traditional hand cut diamonds and fan design embodies the spirit of the glassmaker. This Royal Scot Crystal Highland Champagne Flute in luxury midnight blue satin lined presentation box is a cracker and by the way it’s half price.
https://www.jamespirie.com/highland-2-crystal-champagne-flutes-purple-presentation-boxed.html
