The Lobster Debate

Sometimes my boss orders the wrong thing.  Like when he is supposed to order 5-6 oz lobster tails, but he orders 15-16 oz tails instead.  That is a 5qt pot with two tails for your reference.  They were bigger than my hand.  They are obscene when you get right down to it.  And at $32.99/lb not too many people are going to line up to buy them.  Which means we have to reduce the price so we can sell them.  At $9.99/lb, yeah, I'll take two.  That would be plenty to feed 4 people, but my husband and I devoured them.

They were Maine lobster tails.  Now, you may think I am crazy, but my opinion holds true, Maine lobster is not my favorite.  I have a few friends that are probably swooning with mental agony at this point.  Don't get me wrong, I won't say no to any lobster, but if I have my choice, I won't choose Maine.  I'll pick spiny every single time.

Spiny (or rock) lobster is the Caribbean species.  They don't have the claws like the cold water variety, but their tails are usually larger compared to body size.  The meat is a little firmer and less sweet.  That may seem like a draw back to you, but I love the flavor that is more similar to shrimp.  Unfortunately, spiny lobster tends to be much more expensive here.

My rock love could probably be contributed to my first trip to Roatan, Honduras.  As soon as we got in the cab at the airport, our driver told us that lobster season had just opened the previous week.  I ate lobster at every given opportunity.  It was this trip in--holy shit!--2006, that my mom and I discovered fried lobster bites at Bite On The Beach.  Perfect, tender chunks of fresh spiny lobster in a tempura batter with an incredible house-made remoulade... to say my mouth is watering right now would be an understatement.  They do not always appear on the menu, but in our experience you can always request them.

It has been two years since I last visited my beloved island that feels so much like home.  But we already have our plane tickets for next summer!  186 days.  To be honest, the mere thought of returning to familiar, smiling, (and incredibly tan) faces and heedlessly slipping beneath the clear, blue, warm water is all that gets me through some days.