October is National Seafood Month in the U S.

[dragnlaw]

taxy, along with your DH, I also don't like the majority of arthropods. Especially centipedes and scorpions. I certainly don't think of them as seafood.
On the other hand, of that huge category, I quite enjoy most crustaceans, especially shrimp, crabs, lobster also to mention mollusks are in there too. Squid and snails as well.

 

[medtran49]

Dragn and Taxy's DH would freak if they saw a shovel or slipper nose lobster. The tail meat has a wonderful sweet taste but they look like giant mutant cockroaches.

 

[dragnlaw]

No, I've seen one, a loooong time ago, had to google to refresh my memory. Don't think I've eaten one but I remember seeing it now. Don't think regular lobsters look much better. But I'm not dating them for their looks!

 

[Jade Emperor]

Fish and seafood has become wildly expensive here in Australia.
If I may ask, it seems to me that lobster is reasonably accessible there in the USA, you make it in rolls etc. That’s unheard of in Australia, it’s still a fine dining element with a very high price tag.
But our oysters, prawns, tuna and basically all seafood is very high quality but not cheap.

 

[Aunt Bea]

Fish and seafood has become wildly expensive here in Australia.
If I may ask, it seems to me that lobster is reasonably accessible there in the USA, you make it in rolls etc. That’s unheard of in Australia, it’s still a fine dining element with a very high price tag.
But our oysters, prawns, tuna and basically all seafood is very high quality but not cheap.

It depends on what you buy and where you buy it.

Live lobsters are selling for $7.99/pound
in the local grocery store but the prices fluctuate seasonally. The local market will cook them while you shop or sometimes have whole cooked lobsters in the refrigerated section for the same price as live.

Cold water tails are $4-$11 dollars each for 3-6 ounce frozen tails.

Wild caught frozen jumbo tails can go for $25.00 each or approximately $50.00/pound.

The local market has 7oz packages of picked lobster meat for $25.00.

They also offer small packages of something called imitation lobster meat for $3.99.

I almost never have it and feel that raw shell on frozen shrimp is a better value and less work.

Seafood in general is a bit spendy but you can find 4oz IQF fish fillets of various kinds for around $20.00 for a two pound package.

You can splurge on premium cuts of swordfish, Chilean sea bass , etc… for around $40.00-$50.00/pound.

I’m happy to see the selection and variety but I almost never indulge.

I’ve been too frugal for too long to find any enjoyment in it.

 

[dragnlaw]

I believe Aunt Bea means that live lobster's sell for $7.99 a pound, is that right, Aunt Bea? (US $)
Our live lobsters sell for $17.00 per lb. (Cdn. $) You'll have to do the exchange to Aussie $.

Canada exports huge amounts of lobster to China. Which gets me a bit furious as it could probably well lower our prices at home.

I have a bit of a problem with exporting our resources. One summer while camping in the States, a friend took us to the local butcher where they showed us his supply of whole chickens were imported from Canada and cheaper there than they were in Canada. (that was including the exchange). That was quite a few years ago but I've been upset about it ever since and will never forget.

 

[dragnlaw]

As for making lobster rolls, nope, no and no again... not going to waste that sweet meat in a hot dog bun.

 

[Aunt Bea]

I believe Aunt Bea means that live lobster's sell for $7.99 a pound, is that right, Aunt Bea? (US $)
Our live lobsters sell for $17.00 per lb. (Cdn. $) You'll have to do the exchange to Aussie $.

Canada exports huge amounts of lobster to China. Which gets me a bit furious as it could probably well lower our prices at home.

I have a bit of a problem with exporting our resources. One summer while camping in the States, a friend took us to the local butcher where they showed us his supply of whole chickens were imported from Canada and cheaper there than they were in Canada. (that was including the exchange). That was quite a few years ago but I've been upset about it ever since and will never forget.

Yes, per pound.

I’m a big fan of a properly prepared lobster roll on a toasted New England style hotdog roll.

I agree that the whole import export business is frustrating.

There was a time when beef was being imported from Australia at prices much lower than domestic beef.

Also, the Chinese control of Smithfield foods and other pork processing plants that export certain cuts to China.

Not to mention basic fresh produce from Canada, Mexico, Central and South America.

"Show me a nation that cannot feed itself, and I will show you a nation in chaos....There is no greater threat to national security than food security.”
- former Kansas Senator Pat Roberts

 

[Linda0818]

Consider stuffed squid. It's a great dish stuffed and covered with a tasty tomato sauce.

Every now and again I'll find packages of whole squid at the store and, surprisingly, they're not too expensive. Love squid, but have never had it stuffed. I'm definitely going to try it the next time I come across some. Will do a search for some nice recipes.

 

[Kathleen]

I love seafood. ALL seafood. It was one of the many reasons I moved to the mid-Atlantic. As for lobster rolls, I'll make mock-lobster rolls. Basically boil cod in sprite for 10 minutes or so, toss with butter and put it in an oven safe dish. Sprinkle with a little paprika and use it like lobster for rolls. It's fairly yummy.

 

[Aunt Bea]

I love seafood. ALL seafood. It was one of the many reasons I moved to the mid-Atlantic. As for lobster rolls, I'll make mock-lobster rolls. Basically boil cod in sprite for 10 minutes or so, toss with butter and put it in an oven safe dish. Sprinkle with a little paprika and use it like lobster for rolls. It's fairly yummy.

I’m skeptical but I’ll try it.

I remember when everyone was poaching monkfish in butter as a lobster substitute. That was good but I doubt that it would be any cheaper these days.

The local fishermen poach fillets of perch or sunfish for a minute or two, chill it, and serve it as a poor man’s lobster cocktail.

 

[Kathleen]

The lobster-loving 10 year old in our lives loved it. Plus, we boiled it in Sprite. She was enchanted.

 

[Jade Emperor]

There was a time when beef was being imported from Australia at prices much lower than domestic

Yes, and it almost fatally crippled our beef economy.
There is always something being fought over between government and farmers in Australia regarding prices. Live export of lamb comes to mind in recent times.

A smallish tail of lobster is around $25 AUD (about $15.50 USD, I looked it up ) but usually, that’s only at Christmas time and the quality is quite poor.

A nice, decent sized lobster - not live - is around $60-$100 AUD (so $40 USD) oftentimes far, far more than that. You can certainly expect a surcharge for lobster if you want to experience it in a fine dining tasting menu, similar to the caviar or black truffle surcharge.
We certainly wouldn’t use it in a roll of any kind.
Hmmm… maybe I could do a really decadent lobster roll for a fine dining menu?

 

[dragnlaw]

I love seafood. ALL seafood. It was one of the many reasons I moved to the mid-Atlantic. As for lobster rolls, I'll make mock-lobster rolls. Basically boil cod in sprite for 10 minutes or so, toss with butter and put it in an oven safe dish. Sprinkle with a little paprika and use it like lobster for rolls. It's fairly yummy.

I never even thought of the fake lobster/crab we get. I buy it a fair amount and use it in salads and sandwiches. I buy a large package and divide it up and freeze the small packets. So I guess I do sort of make a lobster roll after all! I don't think I would go so far as to cook some cod or pollock to make it - much prefer to just snip open the packet.

Jade that really is expensive!

 

[medtran49]

As noted above, it depends on where you live and what stores you have access to. We can go into a restaurant supply store and get common seafood at a little above wholesale prices. Things like Gulf of Mexico oysters, whole fish, tuna loin, shrimp, with occasional specials of things like sea urchin, diver scallops, crawfish, etc.

We used to dive, hunting and spearfishing. We didn't buy warm water lobster or fresh fish for years. Granted, there were times what we caught ended up being pretty expensive if you looked at from the point of expenses to get it, but it was our recreation we would have been doing anyway so...

 

[pictonguy]

Yes, and it almost fatally crippled our beef economy.
There is always something being fought over between government and farmers in Australia regarding prices. Live export of lamb comes to mind in recent times.

A smallish tail of lobster is around $25 AUD (about $15.50 USD, I looked it up ) but usually, that’s only at Christmas time and the quality is quite poor.

A nice, decent sized lobster - not live - is around $60-$100 AUD (so $40 USD) oftentimes far, far more than that. You can certainly expect a surcharge for lobster if you want to experience it in a fine dining tasting menu, similar to the caviar or black truffle surcharge.
We certainly wouldn’t use it in a roll of any kind.
Hmmm… maybe I could do a really decadent lobster roll for a fine dining menu?

Yeah, a lobster roll has been on the menu for a few years and sells well and I've also used a lobster roll, a smaller version, along with lobster bisque that is also made every week from our lobster production as a dip for a play on the roast beef dip as part of a tasting menu. I serve it with a brown butter mayonnaise and garnish with crispy shallots. We make our own top sliced buns then fry on the flat top as well.

 

[Jade Emperor]

@pictonguy - that looks delicious!

 

[pictonguy]

It sells well, personally I'm not a fan of lobster but in a lobster roll I do find it pretty tasty. Give me crab, especially king crab and I'm a happy guy.

 

[Jade Emperor]

Absolutely. I go crabbing every season, and we get blue swimmers and sand crabs which are both beautiful eating. I make bisque from the shells because MrJade has to have them completely shelled.
I like lobster, but I went to the market today and it was $97/kg! Too rich for my blood.

 

[pictonguy]

Yeah, I'm paying 15.00/lb from my seafood purveyor. But you have to keep in mind of the yield and I'm going to get about 5oz of meat from a 1.5lb lobster for example which works out to 2 lobster rolls, basically the lobster portion for a roll costs 11.25 and most smaller finer dinning establishments like to see foods cost not exceed 30%, so it's not exactly a cheap menu offering but it's manageable. I process the heads and shells to make bisque and that brings down my overall costs considering the bisque is mostly a freebee. I had to take our u10 scallops off the menu earlier in the year they were pushing over 50.00 a lb., which just didn't work.