“Dong,” Ma called, “come to the kitchen. And bring your camera.”
This had better be good, I thought. And it was, although not as good in the way a brand-new Viking range would have been (I can dream, no?). Still, it’s not often I get to cook kumáw (slipper lobster).
Wait — make that never. When it comes to crustaceans, I’m more of a crab person. Besides, lobster isn’t exactly common in these parts. The last (also first) time I had kumáw was in Surigao del Sur, and it was not particularly meaty. These definitely were.
Also known as flathead lobster, Thenus orientalis accounts for majority of the global slipper lobster catch. Its most prominent feature is its second antennae, which project forward from the head as wide plates. Although considered a true lobster, it does not have claws, and are distantly related to those that have.
So how did I cook them? I went by the generally accepted rule: boil/steam 7 minutes for the first pound and 3 minutes for every pound in excess. For the liquid, Sprite and a good splash of vinegar, with ginger and garlic. That was admittedly good enough served with a simple dip of spiced vinegar, but since I still had time to kill, I cut them in half lengthwise, smothered the flesh with kalamansi-garlic butter and grated cheddar cheese, then broiled until golden and charred in places. Cholesterrifically yummeh.
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