The perfect pairing of sparkling wine with lobster
Bubbles and bugs
A pairing of lobster and Cap Classique is one of the ultimate symbols of luxury. But the ‘bug’ of the ocean is widely misunderstood.
When Lord Byron wrote that “a woman should never be seen eating or drinking, unless it be lobster salad and Champagne, the only true feminine and becoming viands”, he was clearly speaking of a privileged haut monde.
If one were to rank foods according to their association with decadence, oysters, caviar and perhaps truffles would be among the most luxuriant. Lobster is very much part of this elite group of gastronomic indulgences. There’s something decidedly romantic about eating a lobster that has been cooked on an open fire with little more than a parsley-butter sauce drizzled over the white flesh. And, as Lord Byron so wisely suggested, a glass of the finest bubbly pairs incredibly well with the almost-sweet, soft, delicate meat.
It was for this reason that we headed up the West Coast to sample some of the fi nest lobsters available in South Africa – with bottles of SA’s top Cap Classique in tow. The little town of Jacobsbaai, 10km from Saldanha, is picture-perfect – typical Weskus cottages, white walls and thatch roofs dot the landscape. It’s here that I, for the first time, met Marco Simal, at the live tank facility, located on an island connected to the mainland by a small bridge. Marco’s family has leased the island from the government for the past 30 years and has built a thriving export business.
West Coast rock lobsters are brought in from Saldanha Bay to the facility where they spend a few days in live sea-water tanks, which naturally flush out all impurities – a process known as purging – after which they are packed for export to China, Japan, Europe and the United States.
Marco points out that because the majority of SA lobsters are exported, locals rarely get access to this delicacy. So, with sustainable, traceable lobsters on hand, Marco, together with friend Franco Puccini, took it upon himself to test the local market. For a short time they had a stall at the Neighbourhood Goods Market in Cape Town where, in addition to selling live lobsters, Marco explained how the ‘bugs’ should be treated before and during cooking. But it proved to be difficult to convince hesitant locals that lobster, contrary to popular belief, is easy to prepare.
Many are simply put off by the thought of taking home a wriggling crustacean to kill themselves, preferring to buy the dead, neatly packaged, frozen variety – at the expense of taste. Lobsters are, of course, also expensive, and in tough economic times people are increasingly tempted to buy the R20 lobster sold (usually illegally) on the side of the road, rather than pay considerably more for a product that is sustainable and tastes better. Yet Marco is still determinded to change people’s perceptions of lobster as being ultra-exclusive, while at the same time encouraging customers to be conscious of quality and environmental sustainability.
But, for now, Marco is happy to simply share his passion with friends. Sunday afternoons are spent cooking lobsters in a make-shift braai on the factory’s lawn that overlooks the rocky bay until the sun sets over the Atlantic. The hours spent eating lobster with one’s fingers, carefully removing every tiny morsel of flesh from the pink shell, is testimony to the fact that, despite the luxurious appeal of lobster, it is best served and eaten simply.
GET COOKING
Of course, like truffles, oysters and caviar, lobsters are expensive; which is perhaps why even enthusiastic cooks rather pay to eat lobster in a restaurant than make a hash of it at home. And there is the question of killing the squirming lobster yourself.
It’s a lot easier to kill and cook a lobster than you may think, insists Marco. “You don’t want to boil it alive,” he says. Aside from the fact that many consider it to be an inhumane way of treating bugs, Marco explains that boiling water shocks the lobster, sending adrenaline surging through its body, toughening the muscles and resulting in meat that is not so succulent. Instead, he suggests that you submerge the lobster in fresh water for around 20 minutes (lobsters can survive only in sea water) or pierce a knife through the lobster’s head, between the eyes, killing it instantly. One can also freeze the lobster, but Marco suggests that for best results freezing should be avoided.
He recommends cooking lobster on an open fire, basting it occasionally with a marinade made simply from melted butter and parsley. It’s perfect served with spaghetti tossed in olive oil, chilli and parsley together with crusty fresh bread. If you’re feeling adventurous, the organs, which should be removed from the lobster before cooking, can be fried in butter. When quizzed on what drink pairs best, Marco responds, “Anything with bubbles goes well with lobster! Beer, bubbly, whatever takes your fancy.”
FISHING FOR THE FUTURE
‘Sustainability’ is a word being thrown around by a host of people in the fishing, environmental and restaurant industry, but what does it mean and why should you care?
The SASSI (Southern African Sustainable Seafood Initiative) list was created in 2004 as a reference point to guide consumers in making an informed decision on the seafood they purchase at the fishmonger and order at their local restaurant. SASSI lists species in three sections according to sustainability (i.e. the ability to withstand current fishing pressure); green, orange and red. Green species are the best choice for cooking at home and eating at restaurants as they are commonly available and are from relatively healthy and well-maintained populations. Orange species may be legally sold; however, as a consumer you may want to think twice before ordering a fish that appears on the orange list as increased demand may compromise a sustainable supply. It is illegal to buy or sell any species on the red list.
West Coast and South Coast rock lobsters sit safely on the green list as seafood that can be freely sold and consumed. Natal Deep-Sea Rock Lobster is classified as orange and East Coast Rock Lobster is off limits, having been flagged as a red species.
IT’S IN THE GENES
Marco’s interest in seafood is not surprising; his grandfather, together with his uncle Gaston Fernandes, opened a fi sh shop called Lusitania Fisheries on Waterkant Street in Cape Town in the early 1940s, where Gaston began to distribute seafood to hotels and restaurants. As demand grew, Gaston started to fish for lobster and other seafood. (The first order was 24 lobster at just one shilling and six pence each.)
In 1967, Gaston left his father’s business and opened a wholesale distribution outlet in Bree Street, Cape Town, distributing seafood to hotels and restaurants in the Western Cape. Distribution soon spread to other areas of South Africa and finally into the export markets, growing into what today we know as the Lusitania Group.
The original Lusitania Fisheries fish shop is still in existence today and is now owned by family friends.
WHERE TO EAT LOBSTER
Marco insists that the best place to eat lobster is at home on the braai, but if you must eat it at a restaurant, we suggest:
BELUGA
Green Point, Cape Town,
TEL: 021 418 2948
BAIA
V&A Waterfront, Cape Town,
TEL: 021 421 0935
CTFM SANDTON
Sandton City Shopping Centre
TEL: 011 884 8529
(Interestingly, although CTFM Sandton serves fresh lobster, the menu states ‘crayfish’.)
THE ILLEGAL TRADE
Most lobsters which have been caught illegally (often by private fishermen who have exceeded their small quota of four per day during the limited season or by those who simply don’t have quotas) have not been through a process of purging, meaning that the digestive tract still contains various impurities. This is evident as soon as you slice open your lobster – the long, thin tract will be full of grey remains and must be removed before cooking.
Importantly, all lobsters caught must meet the government’s 75mm carapace (the hard upper shell) standard in order for the lobster population to remain sustainable. But the 75mm standard is rarely met in the case of lobsters bought for R20 at the side of the road. These lobsters are in almost every instance caught illegally, outside of government’s fishing restrictions, and contribute to a declining and unsustainable population.
WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LOBSTERS AND CRAYFISH?
Many restaurants and locals mistakenly refer to lobsters as crayfish. According to Marco, crayfish (also known as crawfish) live in fresh water. Like lobsters they have larger front claws and are most common in the USA. True lobsters are found in the Atlantic and have characteristically large, flat, edible claws. Rock lobsters (also called spiny lobster) are mostly found along the Australian and South African coastlines. Their front legs are only marginally larger than those at the back.
