If you're a member, Restaurant Depot on Division sells live lobsters.

CSD

chicagostyledog wrote:If you're a member, Restaurant Depot on Division sells live lobsters.

CSD

Do you recall a recent price?

Thanks!

Cathy

rtb178 wrote:Any updates on buying whole live lobsters in Chicago? Is H-mart still the best bang for the buck? Thanks.

Yes!
Usually $9.95/#, on sale this year they could sometimes be had for $6.95 in summer, softer shell type.
For big lobsters, China Mart routinely has 5#ers for aout $10/#.
Purchased from both sources in the last month.-Richard

Just an update: fresh and briny--and feisty--lobster available at H-Mart for 11.99/lb.

I know there are a lot of low prices on lobster out there . . . but not all lobsters are the same. The longer the lobster is held in a tank and out of its natural environment, the less it tastes like a lobster, and the worse the tomalley tastes. I'll admit to having been duped by these prices several times, but consider how long the store has had the lobster and whether it was in a tank elsewhere (distribution center perhaps) before arriving there. Yes, you usually get what you pay for, though of course lobsters purchased on the Atlantic coast will typically be inexpensive for obvious reasons.

Live Maine lobster are now all shipped dry in boxes at low temp and revived in tanks.
Stores without tanks just offer them on ice.
H-Mart quality is second to none in the Midwest. I have been there when they were taken out of the boxes into the tanks.
As with any live product, live lobsters can die if not treated correctly.
For 5# lobster I go to China Mart in chinatown. Always superb quality but Canadian because of the slot limit on the East coast.
Very small lobsters are Canadian for the same reason.
Our local Meijer’s in Kenosha has a tank, rarely do I purchase and they never meet H-Mart quality the two times I did.-Richard

H-Mart has been selling live Lobsters for $9.99/# for awhile now.
They have been getting some exceptionally large Lobsters.
I don't know if the market is soft for lobsters in general or just large ones?
http://ffaw.nf.ca/en/lobster-prices-201 ... OxacYpOmfA
We had a 4# a week or two ago and for Memorial Day, I ordered two 4#’s but when I got there they had some exceptionally large Lobsters in their tanks.
This 8.5#er followed me home.
There was a 6.5# and a number of other large Lobsters still in the tanks as of this morning.
Right now the water is heating and butter melting, french fries, lemon and sparkling wine.
-Richard

YUM. Reminds me of http://www.gourmet.com.s3-website-us-east-1.amazonaws.com/magazine/1940s/1946/09/nightoflobster.html.

budrichard wrote:This 8.5#er followed me home.

Wow, just Wow!

FYI, bought some just under 2 pounders from Dirk's a few weeks ago, they were magnificent, though I have to admit my wife is a bit of a size queen when it comes to lobsters. (Luckily that is one of the only things)

Lobster tails from Costco Niles Seafood Roadshow, made a tasty recipe one of the brides friends sent her. ----> Link


Bonus, nice looking prime ribeye on Costco sale for $12.99.

G Wiv wrote:Bonus, nice looking prime ribeye on Costco sale for $12.99.

Tasty, slightly over three pounds fed three people with leftovers.

Now that’s a steak!
-Richard

Gary,

Did you reverse sear? Cook it entirely on the stove or partially, then in the oven?

I tend toward reverse sear, while slow it keeps me from messing up the meat.

Regards,
Cathy2

Cathy2 wrote:Did you reverse sear? Cook it entirely on the stove or partially, then in the oven?

All on the stove in my well seasoned cast iron pan.
Liberally, and I mean liberally, salt/pepper, let it sit out for an hour. Little grapeseed oil, med-high heat, press the steak into pan to insure contact, do not touch, futz or look cross-eyed at the steak for 5-minutes. Flip, same 5-minutes.
Using tongs get the edges in contact with the pan.
2-oz butter, fresh thyme from our backyard, spoon butter on meat.
Flip, spoon butter.
Flip, spoon butter.
Flip, spoon butter.
Press with finger, still mushy, flip and spoon some more butter.
Press with finger, little firmer, took internal temp just to double check, 115°, out.
Tent with foil for ten minutes.
Slice with non-serrated knife, serve, eat, repeat.

Starting tomorrow, H-Mart has 1.5# lobsters for $7.99 per pound.

Cathy2 wrote:Starting tomorrow, H-Mart has 1.5# lobsters for $7.99 per pound.

A really good deal!
I purchased 8 on Wednesday, they had just arrived and were alive and kicking!
Lobster rolls, Potato Salad, Blueberry Pie and Kopp’s All-America Cherry were served on the 4th.-Richard

Recipe: Live Canadian Lobster, steamed, chilled, tailmeat chopped and mixed with celery and KewPie Mayo(yes, I know it contains MSG), Butter toasted non-sliced open top type buns. Slice bun after toasting, heap mixture into bun and top with claw.
Potato Salad is Grandma’s recipe and it appears all my children channel their Grandmother!
Pie is fresh blueberries, squeeze of lemon, light sugar coating and Ceylon Cinnamon in a
Pillsbury crust( ran out of homemade lard).

budrichard wrote:Lobster rolls, Potato Salad, Blueberry Pie and Kopp’s All-America Cherry were served on the 4th.

I'm going to have this menu needlepointed on canvas, framed and hung in my kitchen.

Kopp's is my one and only, grew up 15-minutes or so from the Port Washington location, I like other frozen custard, Leon's, Gilles etc, but Kopp's is king. I've come to accept, even like, Cluver's, getting soft (serve) in my advancing age I guess, but Kopp's is king.

Trade potato salad recipes? Here's my wife's mothers, the one everyone in the extended family uses and loves.
Grandma Schuler’s Potato Salad

SERVES 6 TO 8

2 1/2 pounds smallred-skinned potatoes, scrubbed,but not peeled
1/2 tablespoon salt
4 eggs,hard-cooked and coarsely chopped
1/2 medium onion,grated
1 1/2 cups Kraft Real Mayo
1 tablespoon sweet pickle relish
1/2 tablespoon crushed garlic
Kosher salt and freshly ground blackpepper,to taste
Paprika,for garnish
Parsley,for garnish

Place potatoes, 1/2 tablespoon salt, and water to cover in a large pot.
Bring the water to a boil over high heat,then reduce heat; and simmer until the potatoes are tender,about 20 minutes; a toothpick or fork should slide easily into the flesh.
Drainand quarter the potatoes.
Place the potato, egg, and grated onion in a large bowl.
In a separate bowl,stir the mayonnaise, relish, garlic,and salt and pepper together.
Pour the dressing over the potato mixture and gently fold to combine.
Cover and refrigerate the potato salad until cold, about 1 hour.
After cooling, taste and reseason as needed.
To serve, mound the potato salad in a bowl and garnish with a dusting of paprika and a topknot of parsley .
Store in the refrigerator for up to two days.

Low & Slow: Master the Art of Barbecue in 5 Easy Lessons
http://www.lowslowbbq.com/
Grandma Schuler’s Potato Salad

Hi,

Since acquiring a Thermopen, I visit their website to learn more about target temps and where to take a temperature.

I looked up lobster, which offered : for a grilled lobster is 140 degrees F and for boiled and steam lobsters the suggestion citing American's Test Kitchen was 175 degrees F.

Regards,
Cathy2

As to Potato Salad recipe, I don’t know if it is actually written down anywhere?
If I can find it, I will Post.
As to Lobster temp, I never temp a Lobster.
You can actually eat them raw ala Sashimi.
For steamed/boiled, 1&1/2#, 12 min. 4# 25 min, 8# 35, 15# 40 min.
These times have been compiled by me over the decades from my direct experience.
Grilled lobsters are usually split down the center for faster even cooking.
Cook until shell turns red and remove and check flesh, opaque, done.
Grilled lobster is usually tough due to the high heat, nothing to be done about it but dunk in butter!

Used the lobster innards to make a pasta sauce last night.
Sauté fresh tomatoes in butter until they fall apart, add lobster innards and wisk.
Lobster innards are the liquid, tomalley, white stuff (congealed blood) and roe found in the cavity.
I usually break off the tail, remove claws and knuckles and serve. Remove the top of the lobster with legs from the carapace, use a small spoon to remove all the soft stuff from both. Be carful not break the gall as the liquid it contains is bitter. Discard the carapace and remove front with eyes and little feeding claws and hard type innards, gills and the rest can be crushed into a sauce or in the case of lobsters over 2&1/2#, easily picked to enjoy more lobster meat.
-Richard

budrichard wrote:Used the lobster innards to make a pasta sauce last night.
Sauté fresh tomatoes in butter until they fall apart, add lobster innards and wisk.
Lobster innards are the liquid, tomalley, white stuff (congealed blood) and roe found in the cavity.
-Richard

Hi,

I picked up those frisky lobsters at H-Mart yesterday. Those ladies were really kicking butt coming out of the tank.

I did steam for 12 minutes for the 1.5 pound lobsters. They came out great. I do appreciate the timings on the larger lobsters, because very rarely have I had one to cook in the 5-lb range (my sister lives in NJ, these big boys are discounted!) and information is scarce on timing.

I ate the roe and kept the tomalley from five lobsters. Antonius lectured on Lobster Americaine earlier this year, the tomalley was a featured ingredient in the sauce. How did you make your sauce?

I did make broth from the lobsters to make into bisque or something else. I have that available, too. Just in case you have a better idea of what to do with it.

Another bonus, our garbage is picked up today before all those shells stink to high heaven.

Regards,
Cathy2

budrichard wrote:Grilled lobster is usually tough due to the high heat, nothing to be done about it but dunk in butter!

Not sure of the science, or where I read/heard, but anecdotally I've found if you par cook, steam or boil, whole lobsters split then grill the flesh does not get tough, no stick to the shell.

I've done the par cook grill method many a time at home and a few times with 75+ lobsters for a clam bake at the restaurant I worked. Par cook, split, butter, grill shell down 80%, not tough, no stick.

Also, do not overcook.

Hi,

I made a pasta sauce with the tamalley, after finding some idea of how to deal with it here.

This will be an ongoing use into the future. What surprised me, I expected that dark green stuff to simply continue to look green. It turned red.

We have not yet made the bisque.

This is a great way to stretch out the lobster experience.

Regards,
Cathy2

“How did you make your sauce?”

Very simply, fresh tomatoes cooked in butter until soft or just a little Tomato Paste with the lobster innards.
If you don’t have a lot of Lobster innards or just want a different sauce them add butter and cream until it’s as decadent as you want.
I have used the shells to make Lobster Americaine following Bocuse’s recipe many times over the years.
Use the left over meat and cartilage from the body along with the shells, just make sure you get rid of and don’t crush the gall before starting.
But the former method is just so simple that it’s rare that I make anything else.
As to stock from crustaceans, I have found that if you don’t use it very soon, it’s starts to turn quite unpleasant. Freezing does not change that.
As to trash, our next pickup is Wednesday and I already noticed today the smell.
I’m sure the raccoons will be around but the containers are the sturdy type auto-lifted into the truck.
True story. We had a previous small farm in New Munster Wisconsin. Trash was kept in the garage with the door always closed. Whenever we had lobster I would find the door closed but the shells scattered. It wasn’t until I came home one night late and watched a raccoon use it paws to lift the door! From then on, the door was kept locked.-Richard

One last thought to go along with the Par cook, grill method.
If you watch Youtube you will see chefs meticulously using a knife to remove lobster flesh from the shell for sashimi but all you really have to do is give the lobster a short plunge into boiling water and then into an ice bath to arrest the cooking. the meat easily is removed from the shell.
I had reservation at first at using pound lobsters rather than right out of the ocean but have not been able to discern any ill effects.

budrichard wrote:One last thought to go along with the Par cook, grill method.
If you watch Youtube you will see chefs meticulously using a knife to remove lobster flesh from the shell for sashimi.

I also see YouTube chefs in Japan preparing chicken sashimi, doesn't mean I'm going to eat raw bird from the Jewels. We are planning a bucket-list trip for the bride to Nova Scotia, I'd have no issues consuming lobster sashimi there, though I'd guess I'd be on my own. I'll bring a tube of wasabi and my trusty Madison Barlow.

H-Mart Niles this morning, lively lobsters straight from the tank $7.99 average size 1-1/2 pound. Lobster for dinner, takeaway kimbap for lunch.

Hello my pretty, care to join us for dinner?

fwiw, kimbap is 3.99 @ jong boo

Jazzfood wrote:fwiw, kimbap is 3.99 @ jong boo

I'd pay an extra two bucks to avoid that parking lot, though.

=R=

Agree, that's why I ride my bike.

Jazzfood wrote:fwiw, kimbap is 3.99 @ jong boo

For two rolls or one? Though it says one pictured is two full rolls of kimbap for $5.99.

ronnie_suburban wrote:I'd pay an extra two bucks to avoid that parking lot, though.

Lately, if I go to Jong Boo I go to the one in Glenview. The Jong Boo on Kimball lot is like bumper cars without the bumpers.

Didn't see it was 2 rolls. It's for 1.