Eaten fresh, lobster is a yearly treat.
Fresh Lobster is best eaten the day it is picked up. We bought ours from the local restaurant that brings them in from the Maritimes each year in June.
But I couldn’t resist painting a lobster. Mine turned out fat and probably would not have had much meat in the tail as it is rather short. Definitely much better to eat the lobster than to paint it.
On the other hand, I wasn't aiming to paint a realistic lobster. I just had an urge to paint a fairly quick project in one hour. I actually painted two lobsters but I kind of ruined the first one.
Lobster dinners past and present.
Long ago, with these same friends, we used to enjoy a yearly community lobster dinner served by the Knights of Columbus. You know the drill. You line up in a huge hall or arena, and are served. one or two lobsters, and whatever sides are offered with the meal. Later in the evening, there might be a dance with an open bar. Funds raised were for a local worthy cause.
This time, the restaurant was offering a fully prepared take-out (pick-up) meal with cooked and cooled lobster, rice, coleslaw, and chocolate cake, all for a very reasonable price.
We brought the lobsters in our cooler with ice packs to our friends’ house 20 minutes away. Last year, we were able to eat the lobster outdoors with another couple of friends, but this time, the heat was just too oppressive at over 35C so we ate indoors.
We came prepared with our aprons and utensils. Pulling all the smaller tender morsels out of the tiny claws is an art in itself. The delicate meat melted in our mouths, especially with the added garlic butter my friend had heating on the table.
If you have ever eaten fresh lobster, you know that it is a messy affair with lobster juice dripping into plates or even splattering about while we crack the shells.
In no time, the house smells like a fish factory. I teased my friend that I was more than happy that she had insisted we bring the lobsters to her house.
Afterwards, we reminisced about other dinners we had enjoyed over the years. It was a pleasant evening with good friends.
For a sangria recipe, read "How to enjoy summer fruits...the secret is in the sangria!" . These are the same friends who travelled with us to Spain in 2017, where we enjoyed many glasses of sangria and inexpensive wine. If you have wine that is "trapped in a bottle" and would like to rescue it, this is a great way to do it!
Thanks so much dear Louise for the Lobster story and the little painting.
Just a little slice of my world Birgit. Thank you for replying. Have a great week!
Yum one our favourite meals, although your lobsters look more like the Western Australian Marrons. But then there are several different varieties. The one we normally buy is a Southern Rock Lobster but they are pretty expensive. We thought that perhaps when China decided not to buy our Crayfish anymore the price might go down , but not nearly enough for a regular purchase. Whether your lobster is fat or not doesn’t matter, I think you did a good job of it
We seem to have only one variety brought in from the coast every year and it is the one pictured. We paid $40.00 CAD per person which included two meaty tailed lobsters, rice, coleslaw, and cake. Restaurant eat-in prices have increased quite a bit in the last year and with even just a salad costing close to $20.00, we thought this meal combo was a great deal. As you are close to the sea in Melbourne, I am sure you enjoy fresh fish of all kinds more often than we do! Thanks for stopping by!