Beyond the Sea

Canadian Reds. Jumbos. Hard shell. Lobster in Atlantic Canada is referred to by many different names. Executive chef Stephen Vardy, of the prestigious Atlantica restaurant in Portugal Cove-St. Philip’s, N.L., knows just how important elevating this crustacean can be to your next gourmet dining experience. Whether cooking for cabinet ministers, prime ministers or Hollywood celebrities such as Tori Spelling, the Rolling Stones and Wayne Gretzsky, to name a few, Vardy explains one of the region’s best advantages is utilizing the local one.

“[Our] waters are clean, deep and very cold, thus giving lobster a beautifully hard shell and sweet meat,” says Vardy. “The same goes for all products coming out of the sea here. Deep, clean, cold Arctic waters coming down from the north equals amazing seafood.”

From harvest to table, fishing for lobster along the rugged coast is steeped in tradition and continues to enjoy a certain luxury image as a seafood offering.

“Let’s face it — you will hear people talk about the great lobster meal they had last night, whereas they don’t stand around the water cooler bragging about the chicken they had,” says Holly Reardon, director of marketing for Clearwater Seafood.

Historically, Reardon notes, this was not always the case for schoolchildren many years ago, who used to hide their lobster sandwiches as they were an indicator of poverty. But today, ordering lobster is a continuing part of a celebratory dining experience.

Lobster is Canada’s most valuable seafood export, representing as much as $1 billion in export sales annually, Fisheries and Oceans Canada reports. This also means more than 59 countries from all corners of the globe enjoy lobster harvested in Canadian waters.

“Its reputation comes from history,” Vardy says of the seafood business overall. “The quality and preparation is still there.”

Atlantic lobster is found along the eastern coast of North America, in a habitat of rocks and seaweed. In Canada, lobster stocks are most abundant in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence and in the coastal and offshore waters off southwest Nova Scotia. Typically, lobster season runs from the beginning of May through July in the Maritime region.

With such an abundant, sustainable fishery, recipes are another successful aspect of the lobster industry, which has also put Canada on top.

Chef Vardy confirms, for example, two popular native Atlantic-region lobster dishes are the bisque and boiled, both of which are also personal favourites of his. With boiled lobster, he explains, the excitement of the dining experience comes from being able to eat all of it.

“You’re free to just sit down with some melted butter and dig in,” says Vardy. He adds, cheekily, that “breaking the shells and all that” adds another layer of intrigue and is one of the most traditional ways of eating it.

No matter your lobster preference, Vardy says there are many ways for everyone to enjoy this special fare.

“We don’t [serve] it when it’s not in season,” he comments about the bisque. “So that makes [variety] very simple for us.”

On that note, kitchen simplicity, whether at home or in a restaurant, also plays a big role for independent research conducted by Clearwater Seafood.

“Not everybody want to wrestle with the shell — especially if you are out in your best attire for a celebratory evening,” says Reardon. “On top of that you will often see ‘market price’ on a menu next to the lobster menu item. That’s a deterrent right away. If you ask and then don’t choose it — you look cheap and so you simply avoid the question and choice altogether.”

The company’s findings show, therefore, more people would have lobster more often if it were available in more ways.

Beginning in one’s own kitchen, surrounded by the comfort of home, is one option.

“The biggest hurdle is that consumers in particular are often intimidated when it comes to cooking seafood. Not necessary,” says Reardon.

Recipe choices are endless, and many do not require signing up for elaborate cooking classes, with expansive meal options to choose from online including tutorials. So open up your imagination and kitchen, and let lobster into your life. •

 

Handling Tips ........................

For Vardy, his affinity for lobster began long before his fame for culinary supremeness took off. “As a child we used to let the lobsters play around on the patio for a bit while we let them bite asparagus from our hands. It’s kind of weird now that I think of it, but that’s what we did; profound memory,” recalls Vardy.

But you don’t need to be a food connoisseur in order to work with these iconic oceanic creatures in the comfort of your own kitchen. Vardy shares his basic handling tips with Lifestyle to take away the intimidation and worry, both of which he insists are unnecessary. Dive in, if you dare!

Number one on Vardy’s tip sheet is to remove the rubber bands that typically bind the lobster’s claws together.

“It flavours the water and will make your water turn into a rubber stock,” he laughs.

Next to that, you don’t want to overcook the meat. Vardy says he knows step two can sometimes be difficult, but it really depends on how many you are cooking for and how much lobster you have.

“If you’re cooking the traditional way, then it’s likely you’re working with the whole lobster,” he says.

Usually, cook time for a whole lobster is around 20 minutes. If you’re working with different recipes that use other parts of the lobster, however, cook time varies. Claws, for example, will take about seven minutes, explains Vardy. Whereas tails only need five, on average.

Overcooking, the chef explains, makes the meat really tough. Ironically, Vardy says he still receives many orders for well-done seafood, including lobster.

“It sucks; in my opinion, you’re ruining a great product. However, I understand this approach,” says Vardy. “The important thing to remember if you’re scared of undercooking is that you can always cook a little more. But once you’ve overdone it, that’s it, you can never get it back.”

Lastly, it is crucial that you cook lobster (or any seafood dish) right away. “Remember, lobsters live in the sea and the longer they are out of water, [the more] their condition worsens,” the chef says.

With this tip sheet as a guide, Vardy says that cooks at any level can roll up their sleeves and produce a lovely meal. Bon appétit!