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curry lobster

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Gluten Free Seafood

Curry Lobster With Potato.

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I’m definitely not impressed by lobster in any form or fashion. I personally think is highly overrated and I’d much prefer shrimp any day… well except for pepper lobster. While I did enjoy the Curry Lobster With Shrimp I shared a while back, it’s not something I’d crave. In doing this Curry Lobster, if you’d like to go with half the water and add coconut milk to make up the other 1/2 of liquid needed, it will add a lovely sweet undertone to the overall curry sauce.

You’ll Need…

2 lobsters (about 3 lbs total)
2 1/2 tablespoon veg oil
1 medium onion (diced)
5 cloves garlic (smashed)
1 green scotch bonnet pepper (cut 1/2)
1 ripe Scotch Bonnet pepper (whole)
3/4 teaspoon cumin seeds (geera)
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon Caribbean Green Seasoning
2 tablespoon curry powder
2 1/2 – 3 cups water
4 medium potatoes (pre-boiled in salted water)
3/4 teaspoon salt (adjust)
2 tablespoon finely chopped parsley *

Notes! If doing this recipe gluten free, please go through the full list of ingredients to ensure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary requirements. Especially the curry powder you use as some may have fillers. I used two scotch bonnet peppers, use any spicy pepper you like or can source. Optionally, you may leave them out or use as much as you can handle. Please follow along with the use of the video below.

Clean, trim and cut the lobster into pieces. Hit the claws to crack them so we get the curry flavors deep within. Yes, you may use lobster tails if you wanted to.

Peel and cut your potatoes into 1/4’s and boil in salted water (about 3/4 teaspoon) until tender. Drain and set aside. Heat the oil in a deep saucepan and add the diced onion, smashed garlic and geera seeds (cumin). Cook for 3-4 minutes on a low heat.

Add the green scotch bonnet pepper (cut in half) and the Caribbean Green Seasoning. A green scotch bonnet will not be as fiery as a ripe or fully mature one, but it will still have a kick. A couple minutes later add the curry powder and stir well. Continue cooking on low.

The goal is to NOT BURN anything, especially the curry or you’ll have an offensive tasting curry sauce at the end. Never BURN curry! After 4 minutes add the water, turn the heat up and bring to a boil.

As it comes to a boil add the whole scotch bonnet pepper (I explain why in the video below) along with the prepared lobster to the pan and stir well. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for 4 minutes before adding the pre-cooked potatoes.

Be sure to mix well so the potato gets covered with the tasty curry sauce and in the process, soak up some of it.

After 3-4 minutes, it’s time to taste and adjust the salt to your liking and as you turn off the stove, toss in the finely chopped parsley. Should you prefer to use cilantro or Shado Beni (culantro), do you. If you find that the gravy or sauce is a bit runny, you may crush a few pieces of the potato to thicken things up. However do keep in mind that the residual heat in the pan will further cook things, plus as it cools it will thicken up further.

Seafood

Curry Lobster With Shrimp.

2 Comments on Curry Lobster With Shrimp.

Seafood and Curry lovers, I got YOU! The delicious combination of wild caught shrimp and lobster claws in a CLASSIC Caribbean curry sauce… no need for coconut milk, but rock it if you feel the need. This is one of my all-time favorite way to use curry with seafood and I can guarantee it will be yours too!

You’ll Need…

1 lbs lobster claws (pre-cooked)
1 lb shrimp (shell on, deveined)
2 tablespoon coconut oil
1/2 medium onion (diced)
1 scotch bonnet pepper (sliced)
5-7 cloves garlic (smashed)
1 medium tomato (diced)
1 heaping tablespoon Caribbean Green Seasoning
1 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 tablespoon curry powder
1 teaspoon dehydrated pimento peppers flakes (optional or use fresh if you have)
1 teaspoon dehydrated Shado Beni (optional or use fresh if you have)
1 teaspoon Anchar Masala
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoon parsley (chopped fine)

Important! I used previously cooked lobster claws (on sale) in this recipe, so they only had to be reheated (after being thawed) in the curry sauce. If doing this recipe gluten free, please go through the list of ingredients to make sure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs. Especially the curry powder you decide on using. Anchar Masala can be found at your local West Indian supermarket or if you cannot source it, feel free to use roasted cumin (geera). I used dehydrated Shado Beni and Pimento Peppers (aka seasoning peppers), feel free to use cilantro (fresh) if you can’t source the Shado Beni. Fresh pimento is best IMHO, but it’s what I had on hand. However, feel free to leave it out if you cannot source it.

Thaw the Lobster claws and give them a quick rinse under cool water. I was able to get wild caught shrimp which were deveined, but had the shell on. That shell will give you great flavor. Wash with cool water and lemon juice (not mentioned in the ingredient list). Drain!

In a saucepan on medium flame, add the oil, onion and garlic. Turn the heat to low.

3 minutes later add the Scotch Bonnet pepper (as much as you can handle) and remember to wash your hands with soap and water immediately after. Habanero peppers work great in this dish as well, but you can also use your fav spicy pepper.

One minute after adding the scotch bonnet pepper, we’ll add the curry powder and move it around the pan. It will go grainy and darker. The low heat will allow us to waken up the spices which makes up the curry powder.

4 minutes later add the black pepper and turn the heat to med/high and in goes the water. Bring to a boil

Add salt, shado beni and pimento pepper, followed by the Caribbean Green Season and stir well. Then in goes the diced tomato. This tomato will help us get a thick gravy and the acid will balance the overall flavor of the dish. Reduce to a simmer.

For more flavor, add the anchar masla and continue cooking for about 4-5 minutes.

Add the shrimp and mix well.

3 minutes later, it’s time to add the lobster claws, mix well and bring to a boil (heat at medium).

2-3 minutes later it’s done, but we have to personalize things. Make sure the salt it to your liking (adjust) and the gravy to the consistency you like. Toss in the parsley, stir and you’re done!

Cooking the shrimp in it’s shell will not only add additional flavor as I mentioned above, it will also help prevent us from over-cooking the shrimp.

Drop me your comments below, tag me on Instagram and don’t forget you can now get my cookbook – The Vibrant Caribbean Pot, 100 Traditional And Fusion Recipes @ CaribbeanPot.com/CookBook/

Seafood

How To Cook Curry Lobster The Caribbean Way.

9 Comments on How To Cook Curry Lobster The Caribbean Way.

If I were to count using my fingers the amount of times this dish was cooked in our home growing up, I’d have room left to count 10 other dishes. Curry lobster (or lobster curry as our Guyanese cousins say) never made it to our dinner table as far as I could remember. However curry crabs (simmered in freshly made coconut milk)  served with flour dumplings was a regular thing. Let’s mimic that curry crab recipe, with the use of these succulent lobster pieces for what could only be described as the ultimate curry lobster.

Quick lobster note… lobsters found in the tropical waters of the Caribbean are different than the ones most North Americans are familiar with (like Maine lobsters). The Caribbean lobster tend to be a bit more boney (spiny), there’s a subtle difference in taste and they have no claws. I remember snorkeling in the pristine waters of Tobago (Buccoo Reef) a few years back and catching my first ever spiny lobster. With no means of sparking up a fire and cooking it.. let’s just say that was the last time a lobster got away from me!

 

You’ll Need…

2 lobsters (about 3lbs)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tomato
1 tablespoon Caribbean green seasoning
1/4 teaspoon roasted geera (cumin)
1/4 teaspoon amchar massala (optional)
4 cloves garlic
1 small onion
2 sprigs thyme
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 scotch bonnet pepper
1 cup water

2 tablespoon veg oil
3 tablespoon curry powder
1/4 cup water to cook the curry
1/4 onion for cooking curry

Wash, clean and cut the lobster into pieces. I used a Maine lobster, so I had claws (crack then a few places for the marinade and curry to do it’s thing from the inside -out)…  season with the salt, tomato, garlic , onion, garlic, green seasoning, amchar massala, black pepper, roasted geera, thyme and scotch bonnet pepper.  Please allow this to marinate for at least 2 hrs in the fridge. Remember to take it out of the fridge about 15 minutes before you’re ready to start the curry, so it comes back to room temp before cooking.

Heat the oil in a deep pot on medium heat and add the diced 1/4 onion. Lower the heat to low and let it cook for 2 minutes. Meanwhile in a small bowl, mix the curry powder and 1/4 cup of water to form a sort of thick paste. Pour in the curry mix and cook on low for about 3-5 minutes, until it starts to cook down, go grainy and start to clump. (see images below)

The goal here is to cook off the raw curry taste and to really intensify the overall curry flavors. Turn up your heat if you find that it’s not cooking down. You should have a thick paste, with signs of the vegetable oil you started off with.  If you’ve not already done so, turn the heat up to medium high and start adding the marinated lobster pieces to the pot, stirring as you do to pick up all that great curry flavors from the bottom of the pot. Try to coat all the pieces of the lobster with the curry base we created. Place the lid on the pot and bring to a boil. It will release it’s own juices. Let that simmer for a couple minutes, then remove the lid and turn up the heat.

The goal now is to intensify the combined flavors of the curry, seasonings and lobster. Burn off any liquid. In the same bowl you marinated the lobster, pour in the 1 cup of water and stir to pick up all remaining marinade. Pour in the water (mixed with any remaining marinade) into the pot and bring to a boil.

The lobster will go a brilliant red/orange color as it cooks and stand out brilliantly against the rich greenish color of the curry sauce. With the pot uncovered, let that cook for another 4-6 minutes or until the lobster is cooked to your liking (try to not overcook). Personalize this curry lobster by tasting for salt and adjusting accordingly and the the gravy or sauce should be as thick as you like.

Since I had my mom’s help in cooking this tasty curry lobster, she usually finishes off her curry dishes with a topping of finely chopped shado beni (aka culantro, chadon beni or bandanya), if you can’t source shado beni, cilantro works great. Add when you turn off the stove.

You can get creative by using coconut milk instead of the 1 cup of water, but I personally find that it mellows the overall taste too much and takes away from the lovey flavors of the lobster itself.

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