Good time to buy lobster at Dirk's

Good time to buy lobster at Dirk's

I picked up a few lobster from Dirk's on the 24th, and they were priced at $14/lb. Not bad...and they were damn good.

My understanding is that lobster prices are at a 10-year low – people perceive this delectable crustacean to be a luxury, and so avoid it in tough times. Yet another Bright Side of Global Economic Depression.

We also picked up a very fine wheel of Humboldt Fog for $30 -- a decent price and a major crowd-pleaser.

This was my first trip to Dirk's, and I was very pleased by the quality of the seafood and the helpfulness of the staff.

Dirk's Fish and Gourmet Shop
2070 N Clybourn Ave
Chicago, IL 60614
(773) 404-3475
http://www.dirksfish.com/

I noticed in todays paper, which i have since tossed, that Trader Joes was selling live (i think) lobsters for ridiculously low prices. I now understand why.

$3.99 a pound for live Maine lobster at the local grocery store near my inlaws in Andover, MA

I noticed in todays paper, which i have since tossed, that Trader Joes was selling live (i think) lobsters for ridiculously low prices. I now understand why.

Not TJ, iblock - I don't think they sell any fresh seafood, let alone live. What you saw was the startling Treasure Island ad, touting 1.25 pound live lobsters for $5.99/lb, 1.5 pounders for $7.99/lb, and 2-pounders for $10.99/lb. I'm not wild about lobster, but it would be fun to pick up a small one and use the tail meat and claws in a cioppino, a risotto, a gratin - or even on a pizza. Apparently, they'll have them available at that price until 1/6/09. Go nuts!

Hi,

My Mom saw the same ad for Treasure Island lobsters. If your go-to Treasure Island is on the north shore, then call in advance for availability. I have always had to order in advance to pick up lobster.

Regards,

While strolling around the Chinatown Mall before the X-mas Eve feast @ Lao Sze Chuan, we ventured into the small market at the other end of the mall. I spent about 20 minutes surveying the tanks of fish, shrimp, frogs, turtles, lobsters, and dungeness crab. As well as boxes of blue crabs(kind of disappointing Lao Sze Chuan didnt have any Dungeness Crab, or blue crabs available with a source that close). The live lobsters were $9.99/Lb, and the dungeness crab were $5.99/lb. If I lived closer or had the time to get there before New Years Eve I know what would be on the table for our NEw Years Eve feast(a couple of lobsters, and a fer dungeness crabs).

sundevilpeg wrote:What you saw was the startling Treasure Island ad, touting 1.25 pound live lobsters for $5.99/lb, 1.5 pounders for $7.99/lb, and 2-pounders for $10.99/lb.

Thanks you are correct

Kennyz wrote:$3.99 a pound for live Maine lobster at the local grocery store near my inlaws in Andover, MA

A few years ago, I was reading the food ads at my sister's home in New Jersey. I was instantly elevated from my chair when I read, "Lobster $3.99 a pound sizes 3 pounds and up." I went directly to the store to buy several 3-4 pound lobsters for dinner.

Regards,

Cathy2 wrote:

Kennyz wrote:$3.99 a pound for live Maine lobster at the local grocery store near my inlaws in Andover, MA

A few years ago, I was reading the food ads at my sister's home in New Jersey. I was instantly elevated from my chair when I read, "Lobster $3.99 a pound sizes 3 pounds and up." I went directly to the store to buy several 3-4 pound lobsters for dinner.

Regards,

I was in NJ last week, and we had lobsters. We paid $5.99/lb for #1.25-1.50, and $4.99/lb for culls.

So at Treasure Island-what is the better deal? The $5.99 1.25-1.5 lobsters -sale price only with a $20. min. purchase-excluding the lobsters or the $7.99 for the 1.5 pounders?

Elfin wrote:So at Treasure Island-what is the better deal? The $5.99 1.25-1.5 lobsters -sale price only with a $20. min. purchase-excluding the lobsters or the $7.99 for the 1.5 pounders?

Depends how much value you ascribe to your time. If you are a minimum wage worker making a relatively small amount of lobster meat, then you should buy the small ones and pay yourself the overtime required to shell and clean the crustaceans. If you are a highly paid, private-jet-flying auto exec, then buy the big ones and put your valuable time to better use.

Has anyone had the lobster from Costco? I was there today and they had two great big tails on ice... cooking a whole (live) lobster makes me nervous but I could handle tails.

leek wrote:Has anyone had the lobster from Costco? I was there today and they had two great big tails on ice... cooking a whole (live) lobster makes me nervous but I could handle tails.

I tried 'em once a few years ago and found them to be pretty flavorless and stringy. The crab legs are a much better buy.

I agree the King Crab legs at Costco are pretty good. So are the Dungeness crabs.

leek wrote:cooking a whole (live) lobster makes me nervous but I could handle tails.

leek -

Cooking a whole live lobster couldn't be easier. Boil a pot of water. Slip in the whole lobster.

If by "nervous," you mean that it makes you feel bad to kill the lobster by boiling it alive, then I guess I'd stick with the tails too . . .

I prefer steaming my shellfish over submerging it in boiling water. A much better taste, and the tender/delicate meat does not get waterlogged as it has the potential to do when boiling. Live lobsters die pretty quick in the steamer as well.

Kennyz wrote:

Elfin wrote:So at Treasure Island-what is the better deal? The $5.99 1.25-1.5 lobsters -sale price only with a $20. min. purchase-excluding the lobsters or the $7.99 for the 1.5 pounders?

Depends how much value you ascribe to your time. If you are a minimum wage worker making a relatively small amount of lobster meat, then you should buy the small ones and pay yourself the overtime required to shell and clean the crustaceans. If you are a highly paid, private-jet-flying auto exec, then buy the big ones and put your valuable time to better use.

This answer didn't really make all that much sense to me (either); I had the same question in terms of meat:shell ratio.

Is there a greater ratio of meat:shell in the 2+ lb lobsters? Then one could properly decide given the price/lb which is the "better" deal (in my mind). I also remember reading that the "meat" of the smaller lobsters is "sweeter" than the older/larger lobsters (then again others said that's just poppy-cock).

Anybody know a definitive answer re: meat:shell ratios?

I bought 3 of the 1.5lb'ers this afternoon, and right when I turned around, the fishmonger put the 2lb'ers in the tank.

There can be no definitive answer, because meat:shell ratio is only partially a function of lobster size, which is actually a relatively small factor. Hardness of the shell is a better way to determine how much meat you'll get: the harder the shell, the better the quantity of meat. Also important are the freshness of the lobster and the storage mechanisms. Right out of the sea will give you the best meat:shell ratio. Lobster that has been sitting in cramped space, with tied claws, will have muscles that atrophy over time. Loss of muscle mass = poor meat: shell ratio. So, look for hard-shelled lobsters kept not-too-long in tanks that give them room and ability to move around.

HI,

The cheapest lobsters are those who have recently molted and refered to as soft shell lobster. You won't find them here, because of transportation cost, and they have the least amount of meat to shell ratio. A hardshell lobster that is just about to molt may not be totally desireable either, because a lobster dehydrates just before molting. However a lobster prior to molting will have the highest ratio of meat to lobster.

In the website The American Lobster, they provided some ratios:

A 1 ½ pound lobster yields approximately 1 1/3 cups of meat. A one pound lobster yields 2/3 cup.

I'm not sure I believe these ratios. I wish I could find the ratios Cook's Illustrated had in their original lobster article, but that info is missing on their website. I remember once calculating the meat ratio to price concluding the smaller lobsters 1.25-1.5 were ideal. I am doing this for myself, so cost of labor is just my entertainment time. If I were in a restaurant, I might take labor into consideration. Since that time, I buy the 1.5 or under lobsters, especially if there is a price differential for any weight heavier than 1.5 pounds.

BTW - I have never paid more than $10 a pound for live lobster I cook at home. I consider $14 per pound to be something to walkaway from.

Regards,

leek wrote:Has anyone had the lobster from Costco? I was there today and they had two great big tails on ice... cooking a whole (live) lobster makes me nervous but I could handle tails.

The product sold or served as lobster tail is not from the Maine lobster, but from a similar critter closer related to the crayfish. And from what I had in the Caribbean, the local lobster there is NOTHING like the Maine lobster. Looks very different, and tastes different. The real Maine lobster is the best, hands (claws) down

My "rule of thumb" is that the best seafood comes from the coldest waters.

Cathy2 wrote:
BTW - I have never paid more than $10 a pound for live lobster I cook at home. I consider $14 per pound to be something to walkaway from.

I'm with you. $14 feels too high to me; though, to put it in a different perspective - the Fishguy on Elston is selling lobster for a completely outrageous $19/ lb. Highway robbery.

What about livelob.com? Has anyone noticed if their prices have changed any lately to reflect the surge in supply?

Katie wrote:What about livelob.com? Has anyone noticed if their prices have changed any lately to reflect the surge in supply?

I just whipped over there to find I could add an extra 1.5 lobster to a package for merely $28.95 or $19/pound just like at the FishGuy. I cannot imagine what shipping and handling would be like.

If someone chooses to send one my way as a gift, great! Otherwise it is not even something I would consider for myself.

Regards,

I haven't used them, but if you have a Discover Card you can get 2 for 1 gift cards for LobsterGram. $20 rebate gets you a $40 card up to $200 getting a $400 card. So it's almost like cutting the outrageous prices in half.

I used the Discover bonus cards when Red Lobster was 2 for 1, but now they are down to $40 for $45. Still better than paying cash, but not the bargain it once was.

Kennyz wrote:

Cathy2 wrote:
BTW - I have never paid more than $10 a pound for live lobster I cook at home. I consider $14 per pound to be something to walkaway from.

I'm with you. $14 feels too high to me; though, to put it in a different perspective - the Fishguy on Elston is selling lobster for a completely outrageous $19/ lb. Highway robbery.

Is all lob of equal quality?

David Hammond wrote:

Kennyz wrote:

Cathy2 wrote:
BTW - I have never paid more than $10 a pound for live lobster I cook at home. I consider $14 per pound to be something to walkaway from.

I'm with you. $14 feels too high to me; though, to put it in a different perspective - the Fishguy on Elston is selling lobster for a completely outrageous $19/ lb. Highway robbery.

Is all lob of equal quality?

The factors I noted above about meat to shell ratio also affect the texture of the meat. The best lobster will be the freshest lobster stored (as briefly as possible) in tanks that allow the creatures to move around. When I buy lobster, the first thing I do is ask the fishmonger when, exactly, it came in. If the answer is more than 2 days ago, or I can't get what sounds like a straight answer, I pass. I also always ask to hold the lobster before I buy. When you pick up a very fresh lobster, it should immediately squirm and the tail should curl under the body. If this doesn't happen - or it happens too slowly - the lobster is probably tired and weak from being stored for too long in lousy conditions.

I once got a Lobstergram gift certificate as a gift, and used it to get 4 lobstertails. I think it was $115 which included overnight shipping. Very expensive, and I wouldn't have spent that much myself, but since I only spent $15 of my own money, very reasonable They were quite helpful on the phone helping me pick what I wanted (they offered about 6 different species as tails) and telling me how to deal with cooking, etc. It turned out to be part of a great meal - they tasted great. I got prime filet mignon from E&M in Skokie (back when J&J still worked there) and did surf and turf with au gratin potatoes and a salad. I can't remember if this was for my dad's birthday or my mom's, but they liked it.

Hi,

Lively or less than lively lobster, all good can be screwed up by overcooking it. Or to borrow an elderly cliche, "The proof is in the pudding."

Regards,

Dirk's was offering Maine lobster, flown in the day before I purchased them and kept in a well-maintained tank, each one quite lively and delicious. $14/lb seems a reasonable price to me...the meat was excellent and the shells made for a killer bisque. It's possible, as documented, to locate less expensive lob, but I'd be surprised if you can find any of equal value.

Kennyz wrote:

Cathy2 wrote:
BTW - I have never paid more than $10 a pound for live lobster I cook at home. I consider $14 per pound to be something to walkaway from.

I'm with you. $14 feels too high to me; though, to put it in a different perspective - the Fishguy on Elston is selling lobster for a completely outrageous $19/ lb. Highway robbery.

Earlier this month the Fish Guy sold them for as low as $11 per pound (From December 11-14 the price was $11-$14/lb). I'd like to think his lobsters, like all of his seafood are incredibly fresh, and he has high turnover. Here is what he had to say about it in a recent newsletter/email:

The Fish Guy wrote:You may find this interesting.
I have been buying Lobster from the same gentleman for almost 30 years.My Godparents who had retired to Maine put us in contact with one another. We speak on average three times a week.We have yet to meet in person (pathetic) which does not speak to highly of the spare time for travel among independent Fishmongers. I asked him about 2 months back about the news of record low prices.The reason is that we export 90 percent of our entire Lobster production to...drum roll please.. Canada. Why? They have developed a global market for canned Lobster meat over the last 75 years and that's where it all goes,but given the weakened global economy they ceased buying and all of the U.S. Lobstermen (and women) got stuck holding the bag.

Although the price did drop dramatically I have been paying premiums for offshore hardshell Lobster that can make the trip. So for all of you folks who wonder why you can buy them at the Star market in Cambridge for 5.99 lb. and the Fishguy is 19.00, what gives? Is this a conspiracy? Those are 'new shell' Lobster that have recently shedded and have not grown in to they're new body fully, therefore the meat although still delicious is very skimpy in comparison. As well, they would never make the flight to Chicago and therefore I have to pay over 11.00 per lb. to get them here (the hardshells) and still suffer a small mortality loss. Anyhow, I thought that I would pass along a nice price so that you might enjoy a "Shore Dinnah". This coming Thursday December 11 Lobsters will be 11.00 per lb. on the 12th,12.00 per lb. and on the 13th ,13.00 per lb.

We bought a really nice 1.5 lb lobster on the 11th. One thing that you want to look for when you buy a lobster is that, when pulled out of water, it moves a lot. This one couldn't wait to get away!

It's nice to stick it in the freezer for about 10-15 minutes before you kill it. That basically puts the lobster into a deep sleep and it won't move when removed from the freezer or when you kill it.

Here's how we cooked it (via a method from Thomas Keller): We brought a big pot of water to boil, with a little vinegar. Add the lobster, cover, and then turn off the heat. After about 2 minutes, pull out the hot lobster. It will be dead within 10 seconds of hitting the water, but at this point the meat is not cooked. Steeping the lobster will release the meat from the shell. To get the meat out, first pull off the claws and stick them back into the pot, cover, and let steep for an additional five minutes. Pull the tail and legs from the body, and remove the meat from them. Then retrieve the claws and pull out the meat. Now you have all of the meat from the lobster. You'll see that it has the texture of raw fish - and, in fact, at this point you can cook it as if it it like raw fish. We cooked it by poaching it in beurre monte (emulsified butter), another Thomas Keller method. The meat was incredibly sweet and delicious. Unlike dunking cooked lobster in melted butter, this dish had a softer butter flavor that didn't compete with the lobster.

Another trick is to use a rolling pin to push out the meat from the legs - as if you were squeezing toothpaste from a tube.

We also made a lobster stock from the shells: Rinse the shells and remove the innards from the body. Heat oil in a pot, add the shells, saute for a few minutes but do not let them brown/burn. Add vegetables (if desired) - carrots, onion, celery. Saute a few more minutes. Add salt and any other seasonings. Cover with water and simmer. You'll have a useable, flavorful stock in a half hour, but you could let this go for up to two hours. Strain before using.

We used the stock and the meat from the legs to make a nice risotto.