Lobster for Valentines Day!
S a r a h H o p k i n s
(Editor's Note: I had the privilege of meeting
Sarah at an ISSA Certification Class, when she became a Certified Personal Trainer. Where I learned that Sarah lived
on an island off of Maine, and had worked on a Lobster Boat, I asked her to share some her unique experiences with this unique
protein source. I asked Sarah to share with us a lobster recipe that would be great for a celebration - with Valentines
day coming up it sound like a perfect food for celebrating love.)
Lobster For The Holidays
When I think of holidays / celebrations,
traditions always come to mind. Living on the coast of Maine many people have a tradition of eating lobster instead of turkey
or ham on Christmas Eve or for Christmas dinner. People enjoy lobster in many different ways. Some like it just steamed, others
enjoy it baked stuffed and my personal favorite is to have it smoked. Having it smoked is a special treat that I usually have
just around the holidays. My aunt and uncle always give me some as a gift. My uncle is a lobster man and he catches, cooks
and smokes the lobster himself. My mouth is watering just thinking about it. Another way to eat lobster is to bake stuff them.
You can still have the stuffing you enjoy with a turkey, only inside a sweet succulent lobster. I have two different stuffing
recipes that my family and friends have enjoyed over the years. You can try them or try your own favorite stuffing inside
a lobster this holiday season. Maybe you will start a new holiday tradition this year.
To prepare a lobster to be stuffed you must first boil them in 2" of water with 1tsp salt.
Don’t forget to remove the rubber bands before cooking ( the lobsters will have a rubber taste if cooked with the bands
still on). To take to bands off hold the lobster with one hand by its knuckles that is just under the claws and cross them
and with the other hand slip the bands off or cut them with scissors. If you don’t want to hold them in your hand put
on a flat surface and hold the backs of them and cut the bands with scissors. Once you have this done put them into boiling
water and cook for about 20min or until one of the feelers pulls out easily. Drain the lobsters and let them cool. After they
have cooled off use a knife and cut the underside of the body length ways (in between the little legs) and clean out the inside
make sure that you remove the brain, you don’t want to eat this part, it is up behind the eyes of the lobster. After
you have the inside all cleaned out place the lobsters on a cooking sheet, split side up. You can fit four or five on a sheet,
and then you can place the stuffing into the cleaned out body of the lobster.
Below are two stuffing recipes that my family and friends enjoy:
Blue Cheese Stuffing
2 packages- Butter
flavored crackers (such as Ritz)
8oz. Crumbled Blue Cheese
1 stick melted butter- use just enough so everything
sticks together
This will be enough stuffing for 4 lobsters.
Mix all ingredients together and spoon into the bodies
of the lobster. Bake on a cooking sheet at 350 degrees for about 20min.
This next recipe is from my grandfather who was
a fishermen turned boat captain.
Pup’s Stuffing
6 cups Bread crumbs
1 Tbsp. Poultry seasoning
Dash
of salt and pepper
½ cup chopped onions
½ cup chopped green pepper
1 tsp. Worchester sauce
1 cup Italian style bread crumbs
½ cups Parnassian cheese
4 Tbsp. melted butter
Enough Hot Water so
everything sticks together and is nice and moist.
Mix
everything together and spoon into the body of the lobster. If you would like you can put a half a slice of Swiss cheese or
any cheese you like on top of the stuffing and bake at 350 degrees until the cheese is melted or if you don’t put cheese
on cook for 20 minutes.
HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!!!
ISSA Certified Fitness Trainer, member
N.Y. Strength Fitness Pro's International, year round resident of Vinalhaven, ME a small fishing community
off the coast of Maine. Before I become a fitness trainer I worked on lobster boats.
S a r a h H o p k i n s
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