Lobster Dinner - A Great Variation

Many people consider a lobster dinner a special meal, to be eaten on special occasions and celebrations.  Lobster can be prepared easily by simply steaming, boiling or grilling.  Some popular lobster dishes are fra diavolo, which is made from chunks of lobster, still in the shell, bedded on pasta and smothered with a spicy tomato sauce.  Thermidore, consisting of lobster tail meat that has been cooked and removed from the shell and tossed with a bechamel sauce, then topped with Parmesan cheese and browned in a broiler.  Of course as a meal starter, bisque cannot be topped.  This thick, creamy, highly-seasoned soup of French origin is classically made from puréed crustaceans and milk or cream, flour, sherry and spice.

Of the 30 or so types of clawed lobsters worldwide, the American lobster is by far the most popular to be eaten whole as a lobster dinner.  American lobsters can be found from the Canadian Maritimes down to North Carolina, about 1300 miles to the south, but it is most abundant in Maine waters.  Fresh lobster has the finest flavor, consequently they are normally shipped live. Live lobsters are  usually shipped and sold with their claws banded to prevent them from injuring each other or the purchaser.  Many restaurants that serve lobster keep a tank of the live creatures, often allowing patrons to pick their own. 

Although many sea creatures, including salmon, oysters, and mussels, are raised successfully through sea farming or aquaculture,  lobsters are not easy to raise in captivity. One issue is that lobsters kept in close quarters will eat each other. Also, lobsters grow very slowly, taking an average of 5-7 years to reach market size. These factors have prevented anyone from making a profit on lobster farming and therefore, a lobster dinner is likely to remain a rare treat, associated with romantic dinners and special celebrations.