Poor Man's Lobster

It works

I heard about this lobster hack years ago, but never put it to the test. After getting peppered by some Twitter followers to try it out, I gave it a shot.

Poor Man’s Lobster is an affordable lobster alternative using cod, halibut, or any mild flakey white fish - you simmer the fish in water, salt, and sugar and the resulting product is said to taste like lobster. Did it work?

The answer is somewhat to yes. While the flavor isn’t exactly like lobster the taste and texture is certainly similar. I especially like this dish because my children love lobster and I don’t have the budget to feed them lobster boils 7 nights a week, so this is a wonderful alternative.

The key here is to finish it with freshly drawn warm butter (perhaps that’s why I like it?) and a healthy dose of lemon and citrus zest. If you have toasted garlic, add that as well. Obviously, this would go great tossed in pasta or atop grilled fresh bread with evo and sea salt. Give it a shot! Have fun.

Recipe:

1 # halibut, cod, or any mild white fish cut into cubes

1/2 gallon water

1/2 cup salt

1/2 cup sugar

1 lemon juiced and zested

4 tablespoon butter melted

freshly chives or herbs

Add the water, salt and sugar to a pot and bring to a simmer. Add the fish cubes. Simmer (don’t boil) for about 8 minutes. Strain and toss with the melted butter, lemon juice, lemon zest and fresh herbs.