Backtracking to Mother's Day, the sensible plan was ham. I bought one before Easter, but went for prime rib, instead. Saturday night, I checked to find H-Mart had lobster for $9.99 per pound in the 1-1.25 pound category. I called Sunday morning when they opened, the gal who answered was not sure if they still had lobsters. She offered to have the fish market manager call when he arrived at 10 am. I decided to go anyway.
Before 9 am on any Sunday, I expect few people at H-Mart. Indeed this was the case with most customers arriving masked and gloved. I was masked, too, though I took a pair of gloves at the door. I'm glad I showed up, because there were less than 30 lobsters in the tank. I took six with plans for 1.5 lobsters per person.
When I left home, I suggested I might have a surprise when I returned. When I finally got back home, I slyly said, "Guess what I brought home?" "Lobster?" was Dad's first reaction. I was a bit crestfallen. He explained, "If you planned to make ham, you would have started it before leaving. You were gone long enough, I knew you did not go anywhere near. I guessed it was lobster!"
I am a dedicated to steaming lobster. It uses less water, less time and your meal does not surprise you by gushing hot water on you. Cook's Illustrated suggested 8-9 minutes for a one-pound lobster and 10 minutes for 1.25 pounds. Most I bought were in the mid weight range. Plus I checked with Thermopen to learn internal temperature of 140 degrees when poking into the tail.
Until I had the Thermopen, I went by faith in the steaming times to judge when a lobster was done. At least once, it was an under cooked lobster. I was a bit nervous, I was in for a deja vu experience when a lobster tail registered 135 and the lobster was not yet red. I will admit I let it linger in the steam a bit longer until it was red with the thermometer reporting 150 degrees. Fortunately, this lobster was not rubbery in the least.
I looked up what temperature did lobsters turn red and found no immediate answer. I did learn
why it happens was only recently discovered:
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But that isn't a simple process. Astaxanthin is red, but it turns live lobsters bluish green. It wasn't until 2002 that researchers discovered that the protein crustacyanin changes the color of the pigment astaxanthin by twisting the molecule and changing how it reflects light.
"When astaxanthin is free, it's red. When it's bound to crustacyanin, it turns blue," Michele Cianci, a biochemist at Marche Polytechnic University in Italy, told Live Science. He was a doctoral student in the lab where researchers discovered the phenomenon.
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As lobster was broken down, shells piled up on a platter. Afterwards, I made the stock base for lobster bisque. As quick and easy lobster cooks, making bisque takes quite a while: Make stock, strain, reduce and cool. And don't dare let the shell's linger in the house, because they stink in the morning ... wonder why I know this?
Last night, I picked up tomato paste needed to finish the bisque. After today's lunch, I have about three cups left. Perhaps I will make some risotto with it? Never did it with leftover bisque, but I think it will work out fine.
Lobster Bisque from Mother's Day leftovers While I promised to make rhubarb pie, nobody fussed when it was strawberries and whipped cream instead.
Regards,
Cathy2