When I first started plotting the holiday dinner menu, I thought I would like to serve some nice lobsters with a vinaigrette of some sort. But a visit to seaside market a few days before brought the shocking news that the lobsters I had in mind, large rock lobsters alive and kicking and about 1 kilo each, were a shocking P1,800 a kilo (USD36)! I 
wasn’t feeling that giddy so I decided to downscale my appetizers to large prawns. But on the day of the dinner, at the Salcedo market, I spied some terrific looking baby lobsters at just PHP560 a kilo, an utter bargain! I bought 10 pieces which amounted to less than 2 kilos and hoped for the best. This dish is also more stunning with bright red pomegranates but the only ones I could find locally were these more pinkish version. Not to worry, they tasted just as good. So here goes, a very elegant looking, fresh tasting lobster appetizer a la Marketman…
First steam the lobsters until just cooked and allow these to cool. I put some lemon in the water hoping that will have some effect on the lobster, not sure it does. Then when cool, cut each lobster tail in half lengthwise with a good solid knife. 
Clear out any mucky stuff. Prepare an assembly line of ingredients to make plating a breeze… pomegranate seeds/arils, baby arugula microgreens, sliced grape tomatoes, and a vinaigrette made with olive oil, mustard, some champagne vinegar and pomegranate juice and seasoned well with salt and pepper. Just before serving, make sure you coat the half lobster tail with dressing, then sprinkle the plate in whatever arte manner you prefer and drizzle with vinaigrette. This is good for say, two bites, but it is a terrific mix of crustacean meat, sweet hits of pomegranate, and a sharper vinaigrette, bitterness from arugula, etc.… This dish is cold, has color, flavor and visual interest…AND it is incredibly easy to make!
9 Responses
Who can resist lobsters in any form or substance? Not unless you have allergy to them. They are always a palate pleaser. Your plating is crowd drawer – like Bon Appetit.
My kids love pomegranates. Where did you find it?
I have been wanting to use pomegranates in a salad! Thanks for a great recipe :)
Maricel, I found some at the wickedly expensive fruit vendor in the basement at Rockwell. These weren’t too pricey but they weren’t the reddest either…
what did you do with the lobster heads, MM? made a stupendous bisque, i hope…
millet, how did you guess? Actually, thanks for reminding me, they are in the freezer as Mrs. Marketman was supposed to make lobster stock/broth but forgot! She makes a mean lobster bisque but it took time over three days to make it the last time… Christmas Eve four or five years ago!
I don’t think we should encourage eating baby lobsters, as this may lead to a serious decline in their numbers. I was guilty of indulging in these small lobsters when I saw them in the Sidcor market a few months ago, but I regretted my decision after when I learned that there were size limits imposed on US caught lobsters to prevent over-fishing.
Derrick, fundamentally, I agree with you completely. But there are no size restrictions here, and worse, since income levels are so incredibly low, these specimens would never have been thrown back in to begin with… but yes, I agree we shouldn’t encourage their harvest… Following the same logic, however, we would have to curb our consumption of a LOT of seafood that is harvested too young, in huge nets, etc. and made into patis, daing, meals, etc. when they could grow to larger, more productive beings…
Sounds and looks fantastic. What a feast you had!
I had some lobster “ala plancha” recently which was absolutely delicious. Am trying to figure out how to make them in that manner. The microgreens are a lovely edible garnish. Its just too bad they are so hard to find! You are lucky you have your sukis!