Lobster Alternatives

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Chez Nick

Assistant Cook
Joined
May 21, 2008
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28
I'm making a recipe with lobster wontons. Lobster is too expensive, do you have any ideas for subsitutions.:chef:



P.S. The recipe calls for 2 lobster tails.
 
I'm not much on the imitation varieties, but the imitation lobster is *supposed* to actually have some real lobster in it (as opposed to fake crab which is pollack). You can get lump and leg meat crab packed like tuna, or even fresh lump crab meat which won't be much less than lobster. How about shrimp? Have you considered a tilapia or other fish like they use in fish tacos?

Lobster is more affordable if you buy the whole monster in the shell versus just the tail, which is a premium portion.
 
I'm making a recipe with lobster wontons. Lobster is too expensive, do you have any ideas for subsitutions.:chef:



P.S. The recipe calls for 2 lobster tails.

Hi Nick. I recall seeing this recipe for Mock Lobster:
RecipeSource: Mock Lobster

The combo of halibut, chili sauce, horseradish (and minced celery or scallions), might make for a tasty mock filling. You could add some cream cheese (no sour cream) to the cooled fish dish & fill your won tons - similar to crab rangoon.
 
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I agree with TATT on all points. Monk fish is often called "poor man's lobster." But, as he said, why not just use shrimp or crab?

Monkfish may be referred to as 'poor man's lobster' - but tastes nothing like lobster. It doesn't have the sweetness of lobster. The texture is the only similarity, imo. The chili sauce & ingredients I suggested would come closer to make a good mock. See what's available in your area. Since you don't need much filling for won tons, lobster meat may not be too costly. I'd go for the real thing. :chef:
 
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But, the chili sauce and ingredients don't taste anything like lobster. We don't know what type of wonton Nick is shooting for.

I have to disagree about monk only having the texture. Good, in season monk fish, I personally prefer over lobster because the flavor is better. But, just my opinion.
 
Not knowing the recipe, or how the lobster is used in it, leaves us guessing at how appropriate any substitution would be. However, if the recipe calls for a couple of chopped/diced 1-lb boiled lobster tails, and you want something with some of the sweetness and a silimar texture of lobster at an economy price - look for a bag of frozen crawfish/crayfish tails.

Monk fish, pollock, shrimp, lump and or picked crab (or a a combination) would be good - just not as close as the mudbugs IMHO. Frozen would work just fine - but I tend to shy away from canned crab and shrimp because they have little flavor and are too mushy for most applications IMHO.
 
I'm making a recipe with lobster wontons. Lobster is too expensive, do you have any ideas for subsitutions.:chef:



P.S. The recipe calls for 2 lobster tails.

Hi Chez Nick,

IMHO there are no substitutions for lobster! :rolleyes: However, there are alternatives and I would suggest prawns or crawfish/crayfish.

Archiduc
 
Monkfish is often referred to as the poor man's lobster. It has similiar texture and flavour at about 1/3 the price. Plus you don't have to deal with the nasty shell.

Not that there's anything wrong with lobster...I'd never turn one down, if you know what I mean. But for your needs, monkfish is the way to go.
 
But, the chili sauce and ingredients don't taste anything like lobster. We don't know what type of wonton Nick is shooting for.

I have to disagree about monk only having the texture. Good, in season monk fish, I personally prefer over lobster because the flavor is better. But, just my opinion.


Fresh and in season, monkfish has a magnificent flavour with only slightly less sweetness of lobster. Lots of that sweet flavour of lobster comes from the butter it's so often drenched in...:ohmy:
 
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