There is not really a hard-fast seasonality rule to the fish and seafood we see in our markets. On a wide scale, they are grown commercially in fisheries or they are caught year round. Other factors that influence our fish and seafood availability and price include: migratory paths, weather, spawning cycles, and man-made interferences such as oil spills and dams. Your location can also play into quality, pricing and availability. For example, if you live in say, Kansas, there is probably not going to be a great availability of fresh and locally caught wild ocean fish in your market. What you might get is shipped frozen or flown in fresh, therefore, with fish buying, it is not so much a matter of what species in your area are in season but, rather, what species are sustainably caught or raised, healthy for you to eat, and friendly to the environment. One way to become a more responsible fish consumer is to check out the Monterey Bey Aquarium “Seafood Watch” website (http://www.montereybayaquarium.org) and print out their free sustainable Seafood Pocket Guide (or download it as a PDF file, or iPhone app.). These guides are customized to five US regions plus Hawaii and they are handy to keep and carry with you when you visit the market or a restaurant.
SPINY LOBSTERS (also called ROCK LOBSTER)
Interesting Trivia: Spiny lobsters live in the tropical and subtropical waters around Florida, Southern California, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. They differ from the true lobster (also known as the American or Maine lobster) in that they do not have pinchers claws on their first three legs as true lobsters do. Therefore, they are caught and eaten mainly for the meat in their tails. The spiny lobster has much bigger and long spiny antennae that point both forward and backward along their body. They use these long antennae to communicate with other lobsters or make defensive noises in order to ward off potential predators. They can navigate by using their sense of smell and taste of the ocean’s water and by using the Earth’s magnetic field. They will also occasionally mix together in social groups with other healthy spiny lobsters. The regular commercial spiny lobster season runs between August and March. The meat of spiny lobster is not quite as sweet and delicate as American lobster but it is delectable and can be used interchangeably, none the less.
Selection & Storage Tips: In selecting a whole live lobster they should have all of their (10) legs and be active. When you pick them up they should move or curl their tails. Do not buy a dead uncooked whole spiny lobster and the meat deteriorates quickly after death. If you are purchasing a whole cooked lobster all the legs should also be intact, the shell will be bright orange or red, the eyes should be bright and there should be no dark patches at the joints. The lobster should also feel heavy for its size, avoid light feeling cooked lobster this can mean the meat is dried out and old. Spiny lobster however, is more typically sold fresh or frozen as lobster tail (no body attached). If you are buying a fresh raw lobster tails look for clean moist meat at the top end and fresh undamaged looking tail fins at the bottom end. If the tail is frozen look to make sure there is no sign of freezer burn or excessive frost within the packaging.
Classical Uses: Spiny Lobster tail meat can be used interchangeably with any recipe calling for any type of lobster tail meat. Lobster tail is often served cooked and plain with drawn butter. The meat is also served with lemon or lime juice, mayonnaise, sour cream and herbs or wine-based seafood sauces. It is often presented in the half shell, smothered with Thermidor sauce, and then sprinkled with cheese and bread crumbs and broiled till golden brown on top. It is used to make the thick creamy rich soup known as lobster bisque. It is also used in creamy or tomato based pasta dishes.
Other Inspirational Uses: Mix chopped cooked lobster meat with Fontina cheese and then stuff it into halved, de-seeded and rib-removed jalapeno peppers. Top the pepper “boats” with a pepper-length strip of partially cooked bacon and then roast in a 375 ° F oven for 35 minutes or until the bacon is crisp, the cheese is melted and the pepper skin has blistered. The pepper has now cooked out to a sweet and mild flavored state. Remove from the oven and serve hot or slightly cooled.
