Eastern Rock lobster:
enjoy it for its sweet,
umami character.umami character.EASTERN ROCK LOBSTER
THEY ARE THE rock stars
of the sea. Yep, our lobsters of the sea. Yep, our lobsters
are the big show-stoppers are the big show-stoppers
of the deep blue and just of the deep blue and just
oneone step behind the one step behind the one step behind the one step behind the stepbehindthe
creamy caress of caviar.
Their rich and substantial flesh may have
similarities to crabs and prawns, but they
stand alone in terms of eating experience.
Lobsters have always been a luxury food in
Australia, but fish authority John Susman
gave chefs unprecedented access back in
the ‘80s when he started unconventional
seafood distributor Flying Squid Brothers.
“We’d hire a Cessna, fly to Coffin Bay,
land on a dirt landing strip, take all but
the pilot’s seat out and load sacks of
lobsters into the plane,” he says.
They’d fly to Alice Springs and race
around town selling their catch, before
flying back, re-fitting the seats and
returning the hire plane.
“It was a sweet piece of business until
we were stung for a massive cleaning bill
because we forgot a sack of lobsters in the
plane and our jig was up!” Susman laughs.
There are only really four principle
lobsters found in Australia, but the truth is
our lobsters are not actually lobsters at all.
The Southern Rock, Western Rock,
Eastern Rock and Tropical all belong to thePalinuridae family, which differ from true
lobsters of the Nephropidae family as lobsters of the Nephropidae family as
they lack the cartoon-like pincers on their they lack the cartoon-like pincers on their
first pair of walking legs. The pincers of first pair of walking legs. The pincers of
Antipodean lobsters are small and used for Antipodean lobsters are small and used for Antipodean lobsters are small and used for Antipodean lobsters are small and used for Antipodean lobsters are small and used for Antipodean lobsters are small and used for Antipodean lobsters are small and used for Antipodeanlobstersaresmallandusedfor
carrying eggs, not feeding and fighting.
They are, in fact, crayfish, but for
practical purposes, everyone knows what
a lobster is. Carnivorous, they are all quite
particular about their feed, thus each type
develops a unique flavour and texture,
the Eastern being sweet, with a big
umami character. So good is the Eastern
that in a survey Susman carried out at the
turn of the century among the world’s
top chefs, such luminaries as Thomas
Keller, Dave Pasternack and Mitch Tonks
described it as the best in the world.
Pot-roasted as medallions or barbecued,
they’re delicious. Boiling is easy: simply
divide the weight in grams by 100, then
add two minutes. So an 800g lobster
should cook for 8 + 2 = 10 minutes- just make sure it’s in salty water.
delicious.com.au/food-files
For more tips on buying and
storing fresh seafood.@huckstergram @anthuckstepTIPS & TRICKS
BUYING Live: look for active
lobsters with all legs and feelers intact.
Frozen: seek out those processed and
packed at point of harvest to ensure
the lobster retains its culinary integrity.
STORING If live, wrap in a damp
towel and place in bottom of fridge for
a maximum of 24 hours. Place in freezer
for 45 minutes before using to put to
sleep. Blanch briefly before removing
raw meat (to help loosen it from the
carapace) and wrap tightly in freezer
film, then plastic wrap. Sit on a draining
tray over ice in an airtight container
until use. To defrost, thaw overnight
in a sealed container in the fridge.
COOKING METHODS Barbecue,
boil, pot-roast medallions, eat as sashimi
(except NSW), in a bisque or broth.
ACCOMPANIMENTS Garlic,
butter, lemon, nectarine, vanilla,
tarragon, chervil, parsley.Search delicious.com.au for ‘grilled
King Island crayfish’ for recipe.King Island crayfish’ for recipe.Okay, they’re not technically lobsters, but Okay, they’re not technically lobsters, but Anthony Huckstep Anthony Huckstep still still
reckons Australia’s clawed carnivores are seafood superstars.reckons Australia’s clawed carnivores are seafood superstars.ILLUSTRATIONALICE CLEARYCATCH OF THE DAY.
32 delicious.com.au