South Devon Report 2008

[James T]

What a beauty - did it taste good? Would be good to keep the shell if you can keep it in reasonable shape - as a memento!! A guy I know reckons he had another monster, boiled it, picked out the meat and let nature take care of the rest - once it was clean he reassembled and mounted it (as in - on the wall.)

 

[Spiderman]

Not cooked yet. It's in the freezer chilling out a bit first

 

[foxfish]

Great catch mate but the problem you will have with semi freezing a big crab will be trying to boil it quickly!
You would need a huge amount of boiling water & a huge heat source other wise the water will instantly go off the boil & the poor creature will endure unnecessary suffering.
Also cooking times cant be accurately measured as the water will have to reboil before you can start the timing.
Depending on how you intend to serve the cooked crab the cooking time will be different if for instance you are going to make a thermador or if you are making a salad.

 

[Spiderman]

What's best then - boil from warm or a short sharp chop?
This is only the second lobster I've caught and the last one was a third of the size so I'm open to suggestions

 

[foxfish]

Get the biggest pan you have with a lid, add plenty salt & get a big rolling boil going, keep your catch at room temp for 30mins (but not next to the rad) Lift the lid plonk him in head first & hold down the lid. He will start to kick at bit after about 30secs so hold on tight then that's it for 12mins of boiling.
Get him out quickly & put him in the sink after 5 mins crack the claws & remove the head. This will release any water that might of entered the beast, once completely cool you can remove the meat from the shell.
Do you want a recipe?

 

[Spiderman]

Thanks Foxfish. Is 12 minutes enough? I've just been looking at this site Lobsters cooking and preparation information and it suggests 15 minutes for 1.5lbs plus 5 minutes for each extra pound. This works out at 37minutes for my lobster!

It was heading towards a salad, but recipe ideas gratefully received

 

[sunfish]

Are you putting it on fish of the month Spiderman? You ought to really. OOPS you already did.

 

[Spiderman]

Yes it's on there

 

[foxfish]

I have cooked a few mate but never for 37mins. It would be quite safe to eat your fish raw so over cooking will just spoil the amazing sweet meat & make it very tough but you must get that water hot to start.
Depend on how many you want to feed, Podge ate a 6.5 lobster to himself at my lobster feast party! but I think the best way to share such a beauty would be served hot with a tarragon & cheese sauce.
However served warm with a nice tomato based salad will be an easy way to appreciate your catch. Simply remove the underside of the lobster by cutting away with a pair of scissors, cut just outside the legs & remove the belly piece like the sole of a shoe. You can know lift out the tail meat in one piece, from the top side make a shallow cut down the length & remove the intestine.
Now you have a clean piece of meat that can be thinly sliced & served straight away.

 

[MARK BISHOP]

had a go yesterday, the viz was quite good. I had 2 bass and 2 mullett. happy days. May have another go tomorrow.

GH

 

[James T]

Foxy - I am working with a Japanese guy at the moment and he swears by eating lobster raw - just as you say. His Father bought a 8lb lobster at a Tokyo fish market. He took it home alive and killed it with a swift knife cut through the head and carapace. He stripped out all the raw meat and poured white wine all over it and left it for 5 mins (he reckoned the wine helped to cure the meat a little) then he sliced it very thin. The thin slices he dipped in wasabi and soy sauce before eating.

Sounds worth a go next time I find one...

 

[scottwilson]

managed to get a 2 hour dive in today, swell was bigger than yesterday and choppy so got thrown around a bit, viz was good up to 6 meters which I was not expecting . Bagged a nice 3lb bass just to the side of the drop off, only saw mullet after that so I might change spots tomorrow. will post a pic as soon as I find my camera.......

 

[foxfish]

James, I am not to keen on raw fish although I will prepare it for friends but it is very easy to spoil lobster by overcooking.
I have found through extensive experimentation that a "portion sized" lobster needs 5 Min's boiling rather than the 12-20 more often recommended in cook books or tele chiefs.
I also consider it very important not to let the cooked crab sit without opening the shell to stop any ingress water penetrating the meat (yuck) this is particularly important with the claws.
You can find, at the tips of the claws, a small part of very strong meat, this is not to every ones taste so dont mix this strong meat with the beautiful white meat found in the rest of the claw.
Tarragon goes particularly well with the sweet lobster meat but dont over do it as the herb is very penatrating & dont even consider commercial dried stuff.

 

[robsue20]

And where would that be shiny1??rofl

 

[Robbo66]

Hi Robbo,i dont go that much,its just luck and hard work.I had that 10lb4oz fish then didnt go for 2weeks,when i did i had a nice 1 again.I dont just go anywhere,i know when to fish certain areas and when the best tides to fish them.I have allways been a keen bass fisherman and my dad and his dad before him all fished the same areas.So i know when the bass are going to turn up and roughly how long there around for.Some places fish well early in the season then nothing for the rest of the season.Im getting bass now where you wouldnt find them in the summer time.

Hi Shiny, that's the same for most of us on here, getting to know where and at what state of tide is the best time to go is essential.
It just appears that you are lucky enough to go more frequently than most, mid week, when weather calm and with a boat.
I'm afraid I can't go that often due to serious work commitments, but having read your posts, could seriously tempt me to sell the business and go free lance to allow more flexible hours. What do you do ?.

 

[robsue20]

Quality answer mate!roflroflrofl

 

[robsue20]

Just been over to whitsand bayto have a look at the vis,dont look to bad,so i will probably try and get in tomorrow or sunday,before the weather turns crap next week.Went towards Downderry and watched somebody go in off a white boat with a row of bouys down the side,anyone on here??

 

[Davidocallaghan]

Hi Shiny, that's the same for most of us on here, getting to know where and at what state of tide is the best time to go is essential.
It just appears that you are lucky enough to go more frequently than most, mid week, when weather calm and with a boat.
I'm afraid I can't go that often due to serious work commitments, but having read your posts, could seriously tempt me to sell the business and go free lance to allow more flexible hours. What do you do ?.

robboo66 question?? do you work 9/5 5 days a week
shiny question ?? do you work 9/5 5 days a week

just trying to work out y shiny is getting more fish than the rest of you, think i may ask Adrain at football tomorrow as he dived with shiny two weeks ago may have some answers who knows?

 

[UK Spearo]

Dave O - I didn't know Exeter have a football club ????:t

 

[scottwilson]

Thats why they in getting fish,all the Exeter boys have taken up football.When your at football talking about it with Adrian i will be out there having ago.I must be doing something different than the rest of you,Adrian didnt see much the day i took him.I put him in where i thought was the better spots.Whats this fascination with what i do for work? no i dont do 9 to 5 im a manual worker 7.30 to 5.

You could put a spearo in an area with bass everywhere and they could still BLANK!!!! roflrofl its down to skill shiny something you seem to have a lot of and does it really matter what you do for a living?

I work in a cruddy factory but I still get off at 4pm and still manage a 2hour dive after work weather providing every day . and I bet you dont dive the 1 spot everytime but move around with the state of the tide

keep it up mate