Lobster Do's and Dont's

Our local Whole Foods in Portland recently announced it will no longer be selling Maine lobsters because trapping them may possibly kill a right whale, something that has never happened in our waters and a decision that has triggered a call to boycott the store. (There have only been two whale entanglements in Maine, most recently in 2004, and no right whale deaths have ever been caused by Maine lobster gear.) Fine with me, I'm neither a lobster nor a Whole Foods fan, and I have no feelings one way or another concerning whales, except I really enjoyed reading Moby Dick. 

While Joe Biden is all in favor of legislation currently under review that will greatly and negatively impact lobster fishing, threatening an entire industry and way of life in Maine, his White House chef just ordered 200 Maine lobsters for a state dinner in honor of visiting French President Macron and his wife. This makes sense how?

Personally, I rejected the eating of lobster years ago for several reasons, not the least of which was the manner in which it is prepared. You boil them alive! Allegedly they have to be alive or else they won't taste right, although if they tasted right you wouldn't need to submerge them in melted butter when served. 

But hold on -- boiling them alive seems downright humane compared to this recipe published in the New York Times for something called Lobster Cappuccino. It was in step #3 of that recipe that I swore off the crustacean forever:

"To make the lobster broth and garnish, lay the live lobster on a cutting board. Place the tip of a large, heavy knife at the indentation where the carapace meets the head of the lobster, making sure the cutting blade is facing the lobster's eyes. Swiftly and forcefully, plunge the knife through the lobster until the knife hits the cutting board."

Assuming you have somehow avoided eye contact with the lobster, have not yet thrown up and are a direct descendant of Hannibal Lecter, you proceed to step #4, in which you "Twist off the claws and tail, split the lobster in half, then discard the innards after scraping out the roe."

Bon appetit, Monsieur and Madame Macron.