Lotsa Lobster? 3 Recipes

Lobster cocktail sauce using locally caught lobster, sautéed

onion and bell pepper, locally bottled stewed tomatoes,

served over rice.

Despite anchoring just off Lobster Hole Point, we bought 1 pound of lobster meat from Maxine’s.  For $12 of cleaned meat, we got three meals for two out of it.  Yeah, we’re kinda embarrassed we haven’t attempted lobstering yet, but we did hear from cruisers who’d successfully lobstered there in years past, they weren’t able to snag any, either.

We’re generally kinda frugal, so figuring out what to do with lobster (or “lobstah” as our friends Dee and Ron Klaus from Ursa Minor like to call it) is a novel “problem” for us. 

Round I:  Lobster in Bahamian Cocktail Sauce

Maxine, an avid fishman who sold us the lobster, recommended this preparation.

1 onion, diced

1 bell pepper, diced

1 T olive oil

1 12 oz bottle stewed tomatoes (used local ones, which came in a repurposed Kalik [beer] bottle)

1 t fresh thyme leaves

lemon juice, to taste (start with a dash)

½ lb. cleaned, cooked lobster meat, chopped

salt, to taste

pepper, to taste

rice, cooked

• Sauté onion and bell pepper in olive oil in a saucepan, cooking until onion is transparent.
• Add stewed tomatoes, thyme and lemon juice and bring to a boil
• Add the lobster and turn the heat off.
• Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Taste and add more lemon juice if flavors aren’t popping enough.
• Serve lobster in sauce over cooked rice.
• Added some Louisiana hot sauce to my portion.

Rating?  *** (ok)

Easy to miss Maxine’s, Duncantown’s grocery store

(and lobster source!)

Round II:  Lobster Cheese Grits

Wayne, antsy to use up the lobster while it was still fresh, suggested adding the lobster to grits.

½ c grits*

3 c water*

2/3 c grated pepperjack cheese

¼ lb. cooked lobster meat, chopped

• Bring the grits and water to a boil in a covered saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally.  Reduce heat and cook grits until they reaches the desired thickness (about 5 minutes).
• Stir in the cheese, cooking until it melts > 1 minute).
• Turn off the heat and stir in the lobster.  The hot grits and cheese mixture will warm it up without any further cooking.
• Serve!  Top with salt, pepper or hot sauce to taste.

* The ½ c grits to 3 c water is the package’s suggested ratio.  I add either more grits or less water.

Rating?  ***** (excellent! Wayne’s favorite of the trio)

Inside Maxine’s in squeaky clean and thoughtfully stocked.

Wayne peruses the freezer there.

Round III: Lobster Caesar

Another Wayne suggestion, who knew we had some romaine as well as the lobster to use up while it was still good.  For a guy who doesn’t cook, he makes some pretty inspired suggestions.

1 head romaine, torn into bite sized pieces

1 ½ t freshly minced garlic

2 T freshly grated parmesean or romano cheese

3 anchovies, cut into small pieces

1 egg yolk

2 T lemon juice

1/3 c olive oil, preferably a flavorful extra virgin

¼ t salt (optional – the anchovies may make it salty enough!)

¼ t freshly grated pepper

¼ freshly grated parmesean or romano cheese (additional)

¼ lb cooked lobster, chopped

• Place the romaine in a serving bowl
• Whisk all the remaining ingredients except the additional ¼ grated parmesean or romano cheese and the lobster
• Pour whisked ingredients over bowl and toss gently but thoroughly
• Sprinkle the remaining grated parmesean or romano cheese over the salad and toss gently but thoroughly
• Sprinkle the lobster over the top of the salad and serve

Rating?  ***** (excellent! GWT’s favorite of the trio.  This should be on the menu of every fine Bahamian dining establishment!)

Bottom line?

All good, though next time, I would make only the grits and the Caesar and not the cocktail sauce.  The lobster ad steamed hogfish crepes with béchamel sauce weren’t too shabby either, but the grits and caesar might be good enough to prompt Wayne to go for lobster again, even though it’s not a food he’d normally consider.

Do you have a favorite lobster dish?  What is it?  Are you a successful lobster hunter?  Or like us, did someone else catch yours for you?

Our slip is in a bit better shape than this section of dock in Rum Cay.

Location Location

April 10, 2014, BAHAMAS.  We're in a defunct marina on Rum Cay (N22.24.421 W75.48.970); we arrived here yesterday afternoon from Clarencetown Long Island.  It was rough in the bay, so we were grateful a local guided us into the anchorage and we got plenty of help tying off.  Sumner Point Marina, reduced to partial destruction from a couple hurricanes, is technically not in operation, but boats are allowed to tie up for free.