Lobster Cookery

[eatingwitheddie]

Chinese chefs make the best lobsters. That's my opinion, what's yours?

[vengroff]

Well, I certainly can't argue with the lobster noodle dish I recently had at Ping's on Mott St.

[Jason Perlow]

Chinese chefs make the best lobsters. That's my opinion, what's yours?

I think that can be applied to all shellfish, not just lobsters. They are a tough bunch to beat, for sure.

[vengroff]

Chinese chefs make the best lobsters. That's my opinion, what's yours?

I think that can be applied to all shellfish, not just lobsters. They are a tough bunch to beat, for sure.

I would say the Spanish have a certain way with many shellfish as well.

[Jason Perlow]

Chinese chefs make the best lobsters. That's my opinion, what's yours?

I think that can be applied to all shellfish, not just lobsters. They are a tough bunch to beat, for sure.

I would say the Spanish have a certain way with many shellfish as well.

Very true. But the representation of how Cantonese and Shanghainese chefs handle shellfish versus how MOST spanish restaurants in the US handle shellfish is an entirely different matter. I've been very disappointed in the wasy most Spanish restaurants handle seafood in the US, whereas I can't say that for Chinese.

The French and Italians don't suck either. But for diversity of flavors and preparations, you gotta hand it it to the Chinese.

[Steve Plotnicki]

Chines restaurants usually overcook their lobsters. Some places are better then others, but I find this to consistantly be a problem. It is even worse with dishes like clams in black bean sauce and it usually results in rubbery clams. Which by the way, tastes better IMO as I do not find the flavor of the liquor of the clams to be a good match for black bean sauce. The taste improves IMO when the liquor of the clams evaporates during the cooking process. But getting back to lobster, I also have never had a lobster in a Chinese restaurant that is anywhere as sweet, and with the depth of flavor, that you get in one of those larger lobsters that are in the 4-7 pound category which are typically found in steakhouses. For my money, I think the Chinese do a much better job with crab then they do with lobster. The single best seafood dish in Chinese cuisine I know of is the Salt & Pepper Dungeness Crab at Yuet Lee in SF. It's not the fanciest dish, but it is awfully good and the crab is so large to begin with, that you actually get entire sections that have large enough pieces of meat so they can be extracted from the shell.

[LESider]

I think the Chinese do cook Lobsters well, but I prefer less sauce, more lobster . My favorite preparation is Steamed/Broiled lobster with drawn butter. Is there a specific dish that in Chinese Cuisine that anyone favors?

[Jason Perlow]

I think the Chinese do cook Lobsters well, but I prefer less sauce, more lobster . My favorite preparation is Steamed/Broiled lobster with drawn butter.  Is there a specific dish that in Chinese Cuisine that anyone favors?

Overall I tend to prefer the Shanghainese preparations over Cantonese, as their sauces for seafood are less "gloppy" but I like both. Lobster Cantonese, if done correctly, can be a superb dish.

The Shanghainese method, Sauteed with Fresh Ginger and Garlic over flat rice noodles or rice cakes would be my preferred way to eat Chinese seafood. I like it with black bean sauce as well.

[tissue]

I like lobster in black pepper sauce.

[Stone]

I recently had both a crab (salt & pepper) and lobster (roasted in special sauce) at R&G Lounge in SF's Chinatown. Both were excellent. The crab was large and flavorful. The meat was easy to extract and moist.

The lobster was spectacular. (But I still think they swiped some of the tail meat.) The only problem is that with all the other stuff you don't get as much of the pure, unadulterated lobster taste.

If I can throw him in the mix, Mr. Keller's lobster in the peas & carrots was quite tasty. Maybe not Chinatown standards, but . . . .

[La Niña]

Gimme a just-caught New England lobster in August, kill that sucker in some boiling water, put some lemon and some drawn butter in front of me. The end.

[tissue]

I think ideal size for lobster is 2 1/2 pounds.

[mudbug]

Another vote for Lobster Cantonese. Uummmmmmmm....

[jo-mel]

With my absolute love and fascination with all of China's food, I have to join the two who want their lobster New England style. I was weaned on it, but I use to dip the meat in vinegar, not butter. (At this time in my life, I use rice vinegar! LOL)

No one -- but no one can clean the nooks and crannies out of a lobster as I can! DH and family always give the bodies to me and I can make a meal of them.

If I HAVE to eat it Chinese style, I'll take Black Bean Sauce.

[mudbug]

jo-mel,

Just curious, have you had lobster, the 'Lobster Cantonese' method?

[tissue]

Best cooked lobster I've had is lobster with curry sauce.

[jo-mel]

jo-mel,

Just curious, have you had lobster, the 'Lobster Cantonese' method?

You mean chopped in the shell, and stir/fried with black beans, pork, garlic a mild, cornstarchy sauce and an egg drip? Yes. I never cared for the eggy sauce. Even as a kid, when Lobster Cantonese was THE thing to order in Boston's Chinatown.

I would much prefer the lobster shelled, steamed and a good hearty black bean/garlic sauce ----without egg white.

[herbacidal]

i like it nice and simple, stir fried with scallion and garlic.

although it's also good with curry, and with salt and pepper.

[SG-]

For my money, I think the Chinese do a much better job with crab then they do with lobster. The single best seafood dish in Chinese cuisine I know of is the Salt & Pepper Dungeness Crab at Yuet Lee in SF. It's not the fanciest dish, but it is awfully good and the crab is so large to begin with, that you actually get entire sections that have large enough pieces of meat so they can be extracted from the shell.

once saw this at a restaurant in Toronto, whole crabs and rice wrapped in lotus leaves and steamed in large bamboo steamers. The aroma !!! Never got the name of the dish though!!!

[Ben Hong]

I may be slightly biased, but I do think that a good Chinese chef does a far superior job on all kinds of seafood than anyone else. There is no one other than a Chinese cook that can cook a shrimp to perfection where that proof of perfection is the luscious crispy crunch (not tough) as the shrimp pops with your bite.

My favourite lobster dish? Split live 1.5 pound lobster longitudinally in half, place halves on a platter flesh side up, sprinkle with some finely julienned ginger and good light soy sauce and steam for 3 minutes at very high heat. When done sprinkle some julienned scallions on top and splatter with hot oil. Enjoy.

Oh, I live in the province of New Brunswick where one of our major exports is shellfish, especially lobster. BUT you can find better prices in the Chinatowns ofToronto. Go figure.

[Hest88]

You know, when my Cantonese mom makes ginger and scallion crab or lobster she only adds egg when there's too much liquid from the shellfish. A good Chinese chef doesn't overcook seafood, though there are many mediocre chefs who do!

[mudbug]

I agree. While I'm all for simplicity and maintaining the integrity of the seafood and flavor, I find American seafood dishes quite bland relative especially to Chinese methods of cooking.

Hummm... may have to be making a seafood purchase here in a few hours....

[herbacidal]

while i think Chinese chefs do a good job with seafood,

i think Chinese cuisine really shines with vegetables.

without going to extreme complexity, Chinese food is able to make vegetables taste good.

[wesza]

I feel that the most important consideration in Chinese Seafood cooking is the utilization of Heat.

Chinese Wok Cook or truly Steam the majority of Seafood or other dishes.

In Hong Kong or China this is done with Stoves fired with Propane, or Kerosene that is elevated up to very intense heat. In the States it's with Natural Gas or Propaine with higher BTU Burners then used in reqular Restaurant Cooking.

The Chefs station is set up to expedite all necessary seasonings, codiments and flavors required to finish the dish quickly. Everything fired is made to order with the exceptions of some stocks, dumplings and soups.

Traditionally Shellfish are only Cooked to point then finished and served into a platter, cassarolles are prepared to order and served in the Clay or Metal Pots they are cooked in, directly to your table from the stove.

The closest to this type of service is generally only available at places where Sardines or other Fish are Grilled outside places in Spain or Portugel on hot coals as is the custom while you watch them being prepared.

Often, especially in Hong Kong there are Restaurants that specialize in Seafood where all the Fish and Shellfish are sold live to order by weight verified by the customers shown tableside. On Lantau Island there are waterfront stalls where the Seafood Choices are kept in live ocean tanks until you select your food for dinner where it will be delivered to the restaurant of your choice where they will cook your seafood to order as you request at a reasonable price.

Something we should also consider is that the NYC/East Coast preperation of Lobster Cantonese is rarely available anywhere else. It's unknown in Hong Kong and when ordered in Seattle it's not comparable to what's served in New York except when I have with me Chinese friends familiar with the dish who attempt to explain the preperation to the chefs but still it's only so The only place that I am able to enjoy this is at home when I set up to cook it correctly.

Irwin

[Hest88]

Something we should also consider is that the NYC/East Coast preperation of Lobster Cantonese is rarely available anywhere else.

Could you explain what it is? I'm unfamiliar with the term "Lobster Cantonese"---I guess because I'm from California.