Essentials For A Lobster Feast
A fun way to spend time with family and friends this summer is to throw a lobster party. Tanya Steel, editor of Bon Appétit magazine visits The Saturday Early Show to demonstrate the essentials you will need to cook lobster and prepare it, as well as how to create a fun table setting for it.
Where To Get Lobster?
You can get lobster at your local seafood store or you can order it online to be shipped to you overnight. A couple overnight delivery places Steel recommends are Legal Sea foods at: www.legalseafoods.com and Graffam Brothers at: www.lobsterstogo.com.
If you are picking out your own lobster, make sure it is alive. Look for healthy ones that are moving and have hard shells, not soft shells.
The following are the items featured on the show:
Le Creuset Lobster Pot
Perfect for a lobster bake, this lidded 16-quart pot is bright red with a lobster graphic on it. It heats evenly and works on any cooking surface. It is safe for the oven and dishwasher and comes with a 10-year warranty.
Price: $79.95
Availability: surlatable.com
In-Sink Colander
This stainless-steel mesh basket fits in your sink for easy rinsing and draining. This one is particularly nice because one handle extends an extra 6 1/2" for a custom fit, and rubber feet keep the basket in place. Because the basket is seamless, it will never rust.
Price: $30.00
Availability: williams-sonoma.com
Lobster Shears
Retrieving the lobster meat from the shell can be a challenge. These stainless-steel shears are perfect for prying it out. They have tapered, beak-shaped blades and two ridged crackers that tackle claws and legs. They also have locking handles for safe storage and are dishwasher safe.
Price:$39.00
Availability: williams-sonoma.com
All-Clad Stainless-Steel Butter Warmer
You can't have shellfish without melted butter. This All-Clad bonded stainless-steel pan makes it is easy to prepare. Because the thick aluminum core distributes heat evenly, you can melt butter over low heat; there are no hot spots, so butter won't scorch. The pan is also handy for making sauces and reheating soups. 2-cup cap.
Price: $64.00
Availability: williams-sonoma.com
Lobster Dish
This Crate & Barrel stainless dish is for dipping or serving and replaces the standard ramekin or cup, which is good for butter, cocktail sauce, servings of lobster salad and other seasonal delights. It is dishwasher-safe. This dish is shaped like a lobster.
Price: $12.95 on sale for $6.95
Availability: crateandbarrel.com
Lobster/Crab Place card Holders
Also from Crate & Barrel, these glossy red lobsters and crabs are outlined in gleaming metal and can be used to hold place cards, recipes, photos, or buffet labels. They are waving their claws to invite your guests to dine.
Price: $14.95 on sale for $6.95
Availability: crateandbarrel.com
Lobster Bowls and Plates
These bowls and plates have a fun lobster graphic on it in a bright red. Made of Chinese porcelain, they are safe for the dishwasher, microwave and warming oven.
Price: Bowl $17.50 for one set of 4. Plate: $54.95 for one set of 4
Availability: surlatable.com
Lobster Table Linens
These 100 percent cotton table linens are blue and white stripe with a lobster graphic on them. The placemats are 19" by 13" and the matching napkins are 20" square.
Price: $17.50 for 4 placemats
Availability: surlatable.com
Lobster cracker:
Perfect for cracking open the lobster claw. From Crate & Barrel, this is a sturdy claw-shaped cracker in die-cast aluminum with a red enamel finish. It is dishwasher-safe.
Price: $5.95 each
Availability: crateandbarrel.com
Seafood Fork/Lobster Fork
From Crate & Barrel, these two-pronged forks are perfect tools for eating shellfish. They are nicely balanced with a thumb grip for extra leverage. They are stainless steel and dishwasher-safe.
Price: $1.95-$2.50
Availability: crateandbarrel.com
Lobster Forks
The scoop lifts out hard-to-reach pieces, while the angled fork reaches those elusive fragments. Stainless steel - 8" long
Price: $10.95 for one set of 4
Availability: surlatable.com
Seafood Bibs
These are fun disposable bibs. They are made of plastic, tie behind the neck and have a custom-made red seafood graphic all over it.
Price: $1.95
Availability: crateandbarrel.com