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Anyone who has ever explored the underwater reefs off our coast has been tempted and teased by delicate antennae waving gently in the current like willowy fronds. And, at given times during the summer, you can catch this hidden treasure yourself: Florida’s spiny lobster. Or, like most of us, you can just stop into your local seafood market or favorite restaurant and chow down on one of our seasonal stars.
Dean James Max, chef of 3030 Ocean at the Harbor Beach Marriott in Fort Lauderdale, grew up lobstering for himself long before he set foot in a kitchen, and he still looks forward to the mini lobster season every year, when he and other amateurs can catch a few crustaceans for keeps. And, while many think the Maine (cold-water) lobster has a sweetness that our lobster lacks, the mighty Florida “crayfish” is still quintessential beach dining.
“I was in the Caymans recently, and a guy held up a 3-pound lobster,” Max says. “He splits it and puts the whole thing right on the grill. He gets this nice char on it, then he roasts it in the oven with butter all over it. Eat that outside? It’s the best lobster in the world.”
His favorite preparation for Florida lobster is to keep the cooking simple and add bold flavors. “Add a lot of flavors, like a mango chutney with Scotch bonnets,” he says. “The lobster becomes a textural element” and just complements the layers of flavor you add.
Here, at Chef Max’s suggestion, we show you how to tempura-fry a lobster tail to serve with his soy vinaigrette dipping sauce.
“The distinctive balance of these Japanese flavors make this great with sashimi and crispy seafood,” says Max.
Tempura-fried Florida Lobster Tail
Serves 4
4 8-ounce fresh Florida lobster tails,
out of shells
2/3 cup flour
1/3 cup corn starch
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 egg, beaten
1 cup cold club soda
1/2 cup flour
Oil (for frying)
1. Skewer tails from one end to the other to straighten. Whisk flour with corn starch, salt and pepper. Add egg and club soda; stir until just mixed.
2. Heat oil to 340 degrees. Dip tails into flour and shake off excess. Dip tails into tempura batter, and then gently lower into oil. Cook, turning if needed, about 6 to 8 minutes, until batter is golden. Serve hot with soy vinaigrette (see right).
3030 Ocean’s Soy Vinaigrette
Makes about 1 cup
2 tablespoons wasabi root,
freshly grated
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 serrano chili, seeded and chopped
2 green onions, chopped
2 tablespoons mirin (rice wine)
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup sesame oil
3/4 cup grape seed oil
In saucepan over medium heat, warm wasabi, soy, sugar, chili and onions. Stir gently and reduce to 4 tablespoons liquid. Strain mixture and whisk in mirin, vinegar, sesame oil and grape seed oil.
Lots of Lobsters
Chef Dean James Max always keeps food sustainability front and center in his approach to cooking. He pays attention to what’s going on in the environment and how the world’s food supply—and Florida’s food supply—is holding up. The news on Florida lobsters is good. They’re as plentiful as ever, helped in no small part by the penalties facing lobster divers and commercial catchers if they bring back wrong sizes or egg-bearing females. “They’ll take your $30,000 boat if they catch you with a lobster with eggs in it,” says Max. And they’ll take the bigger boats, too.
In Season
Mini lobster season is the last consecutive Wednesday and Thursday of July (this year, it’s July 29 and 30). So grab your own rock lobsters (or find a friend with some) and fire up the grill. Need to learn how to build the perfect charcoal fire? Check out our how-to on page TK. The main lobster season for trappers is Aug. 1 to March 31; traps can’t be pulled up until Aug. 6.
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