Crabs or Lobster - Page 2

Sundae · 10-19-2008, 06:15 PM

Dungeness crabs made me laugh when I saw them advertised prominently in San Francisco.

Dungeness in England is the setting for a nuclear power station, suggesting to me that these were special glow in the dark crabs.

The other connection with Dungeness is that the English film-maker and famous gay, Derek Jarman lived there and wrote extensively about his home and garden there. My second thought was to wonder whether Jarman ever caught Dungeness crabs. I don't think he would have minded. I bought all of his books when he was still alive, so I hope he had a couple of grins on me too. Or a couple of gins maybe.

(He was HIV positive and died of an Aids related illness)

Aliantha · 10-19-2008, 06:52 PM

I don't particularly like either lobster or crab on their own, but I love crab in a seafood mornay. It just seems to make the flavour right. Lobster is ok, but personally I think it's overrated.

glatt · 10-19-2008, 07:14 PM

"Maine" lobster is by far the best choice. If you are talking about "lobster" tails then crab is a better choice. Crabs are good, but they are a lot of work, unless you are getting a crab cake. Soft shelled crabs are not bad too. Actually, I won't turn my nose up at any of it, except "lobster" tails.

bluecuracao · 10-19-2008, 08:37 PM

glatt, do you have "lobster" in quotes because the tails are not real lobster parts?

ZenGum · 10-19-2008, 08:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by richlevy

How come Godzilla never fought a giant crab?

Blue Unction.

classicman · 10-19-2008, 10:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by glatt

"Maine" lobster is by far the best choice. If you are talking about "lobster" tails then crab is a better choice.

Very important distinction here and glatt is right on. Many lobsters now are farmed in FRESH WATER. They shouldn't even be called lobster. They taste nothing like a lobster from salt water. They are also very common in Australia and taste like nothing more than an overgrown crawfish.

They are also frozen and served at virtually all restaurants, in the US anyway. So unless you see it alive beforehand, don't count on it.

Sorry, but growing u in N.E. and experiencing the best seafood there is, its appalling to me what some call "fresh seafood."

Aliantha · 10-19-2008, 10:24 PM

That's true classic. We get both freshwater and saltwater crayfish here. Saltwater is far tastier. Freshwater crayfish are native here though, and come in different sizes from pretty small right up to full sized. We call the little ones yabbies, but there are actually different species of smaller ones. I think they're similar to the things you lot in the US call Crawfish.

classicman · 10-19-2008, 10:36 PM

Crawfish taste like crap - as does virtually all freshwater fish when compared to those from saltwater.

Sundae · 10-20-2008, 04:29 AM

We had lobster at a restaurant in the Scilly Isles where you had to go in and book your lobster when you made your restaurant booking. They were then caught to order that day.

About as fresh as you can get!

glatt · 10-20-2008, 08:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bluecuracao

glatt, do you have "lobster" in quotes because the tails are not real lobster parts?

If you go to a restaurant and order only a lobster tail, you are getting the tail from a Caribbean spiny lobster. It is pretty much flavorless compared the the meat from a Maine lobster (which lives from Massachusetts to maritime Canada.)

I've never seen anyone offer a Maine lobster tail for sale. Those lobsters are sold whole, because there is so much meat in the claws and arms as well as the tail. The Caribbean spiny lobster only has meat in the tail part. I've only seen the spiny lobster tail offered for sale frozen in a store or cooked (from frozen) in a restaurant. The Maine lobster is usually sold alive in stores.

See the Caribbean spiny lobster (top picture) and Maine lobster (bottom picture.)

glatt · 10-20-2008, 08:17 AM

Oh, and the Culinary Institute of America does a better job of explaining it than I do.

bluecuracao · 10-20-2008, 08:40 AM

You did a good job yourself, glatt--thank you.

I'm kind of skeeved out by that spiny thang.

classicman · 10-20-2008, 09:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bluecuracao

You did a good job yourself, glatt--thank you.

I'm kind of skeeved out by that spiny thang.

"Caribbean spiny lobster" = Underwater spider! Yuck!

Cicero · 10-20-2008, 02:37 PM

You guys are ruining the pot roast I am about to make with all this talk. Mmmm....crab better...Mmmm....

I thought the idea of having this pot roast was awesome. Now I just want crab legs.

Cicero · 10-25-2008, 04:03 PM

Update: I am going to go get crab legs, all because you guys had to open your mouths about this....

It's going to cost me because I am completely land-locked. But I can't stop thinking about crab-legs, since this came up, and nothing has tasted like it's supposed to since.

Off I go! Reservations at 6:00 and an hour drive! MMMmmm...

View Poll Results: Lobster or Crab
Lobster	9	31.03%
Crab	8	27.59%
Both	7	24.14%
Neither	5	17.24%
Voters: 29. You may not vote on this poll

10-19-2008, 06:15 PM	#16
Sundae polaroid of perfection Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: West Yorkshire Posts: 24,185	Dungeness crabs made me laugh when I saw them advertised prominently in San Francisco. Dungeness in England is the setting for a nuclear power station, suggesting to me that these were special glow in the dark crabs. The other connection with Dungeness is that the English film-maker and famous gay, Derek Jarman lived there and wrote extensively about his home and garden there. My second thought was to wonder whether Jarman ever caught Dungeness crabs. I don't think he would have minded. I bought all of his books when he was still alive, so I hope he had a couple of grins on me too. Or a couple of gins maybe. (He was HIV positive and died of an Aids related illness) __________________ Life's hard you know, so strike a pose on a Cadillac

10-19-2008, 06:52 PM	#17
Aliantha trying hard to be a better person Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Brisbane, Australia Posts: 16,493	I don't particularly like either lobster or crab on their own, but I love crab in a seafood mornay. It just seems to make the flavour right. Lobster is ok, but personally I think it's overrated. __________________ Kind words are the music of the world. F. W. Faber

10-19-2008, 10:24 PM	#22
Aliantha trying hard to be a better person Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Brisbane, Australia Posts: 16,493	That's true classic. We get both freshwater and saltwater crayfish here. Saltwater is far tastier. Freshwater crayfish are native here though, and come in different sizes from pretty small right up to full sized. We call the little ones yabbies, but there are actually different species of smaller ones. I think they're similar to the things you lot in the US call Crawfish. __________________ Kind words are the music of the world. F. W. Faber

10-19-2008, 10:36 PM	#23
classicman barely disguised asshole, keeper of all that is holy. Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 23,401	Crawfish taste like crap - as does virtually all freshwater fish when compared to those from saltwater. __________________ "like strapping a pillow on a bull in a china shop" Bullitt

10-19-2008, 07:14 PM	#18
glatt ™ Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Arlington, VA Posts: 27,717	"Maine" lobster is by far the best choice. If you are talking about "lobster" tails then crab is a better choice. Crabs are good, but they are a lot of work, unless you are getting a crab cake. Soft shelled crabs are not bad too. Actually, I won't turn my nose up at any of it, except "lobster" tails.

10-19-2008, 08:37 PM	#19
bluecuracao in a mood, not cupcake Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Philadelphia Posts: 3,034	glatt, do you have "lobster" in quotes because the tails are not real lobster parts?

10-20-2008, 04:29 AM	#24
Sundae polaroid of perfection Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: West Yorkshire Posts: 24,185	We had lobster at a restaurant in the Scilly Isles where you had to go in and book your lobster when you made your restaurant booking. They were then caught to order that day. About as fresh as you can get! __________________ Life's hard you know, so strike a pose on a Cadillac

10-20-2008, 08:17 AM	#26
glatt ™ Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Arlington, VA Posts: 27,717	Oh, and the Culinary Institute of America does a better job of explaining it than I do.

10-20-2008, 08:40 AM	#27
bluecuracao in a mood, not cupcake Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Philadelphia Posts: 3,034	You did a good job yourself, glatt--thank you. I'm kind of skeeved out by that spiny thang.

10-20-2008, 02:37 PM	#29
Cicero Looking forward to open mic night. Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: New Mexico Posts: 5,148	You guys are ruining the pot roast I am about to make with all this talk. Mmmm....crab better...Mmmm.... I thought the idea of having this pot roast was awesome. Now I just want crab legs. __________________ Show me a sane man, and I will cure him for you.- Carl Jung

10-25-2008, 04:03 PM	#30
Cicero Looking forward to open mic night. Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: New Mexico Posts: 5,148	Update: I am going to go get crab legs, all because you guys had to open your mouths about this.... It's going to cost me because I am completely land-locked. But I can't stop thinking about crab-legs, since this came up, and nothing has tasted like it's supposed to since. Off I go! Reservations at 6:00 and an hour drive! MMMmmm... __________________ Show me a sane man, and I will cure him for you.- Carl Jung

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