Out of the City: Grilled Lobsters

Remember last year when I went to New Hampshire with Melanie to stay with her mother and aunt? No? Well, it happened. Mel’s mom Donna made an incredible brisket, and I made a couple salads from How to Cook Everything, and it was just one of the most relaxing weekends and delicious meals of my life. Last weekend we returned, and on Saturday night Donna turned the kitchen, and the grill, over to the kids.

So we drove from Londonderry, where Melanie’s mom’s place is, just over the Maine border to Chauncey’s, a lobster pound and seafood shack straight out of my dreams. While we were there, we stopped for a dozen oysters, some steamers, clam chowder and steamed mussels. An ideal snack. Everything was beyond delicious. The picnic tables are BYOB, as well as BYO Whatever Else You Might Want. Seriously. As long as they don’t sell it at Chauncey’s you can bring it in. People had cheese plates, wine, you name it. One table had a tablecloth and candles (it was pretty classy). Everything we ate was incredible, magical even. Nothing makes me happier than a big bowl of steamers, and these were phenomenal. On the way out, we grabbed five little lobsters for dinner. Chauncey’s food porn:

Now, Grilled Lobster is in How to Cook Everything, but Bittman doesn’t sound to jazzed on the idea. “As for other cooking methods, grilling, stir-frying, roasting and broiling are all good options (but you have to be bored with steaming or broiling to bother).” Thanks Negative Nancy. We were grill happy, and damn if we weren’t going to grill those suckers.

Basically, you just kill them and throw them on the grill. They take about 10 minutes, turned once, and they’re good to go. Grilling gives a nice flavor, but I see Bittman’s point: boiling is pretty foolproof, and the grilling didn’t add so much flavor that I was completely blown away (which is not to say these suckers weren’t some of the best lobster I’ve ever had, because really, they were). It’s not much more impressive, though it can be more fun. We also feasted on Bittman’s No Mayo Cole Slaw (which I made for the first time in NH last year), a smoked country sausage that I acquired on my recent trip to New Orleans at Butcher, Donald Link’s butcher shop (there are no words for how incredible this sausage tastes, NO WORDS), grilled corn, a green salad, and hot dogs from Flying Pigs Farm, which while not eclipsing Hebrew National as my One True Hot Dog, come pretty damn close. It was a memorable meal to say the least.

Then we roasted marshmallows.

Then we drank a ton of these. They’re delicious.

Then we had to go home. Thanks Donna and Lynne for being such gracious hosts, and letting me go wild in your kitchen. I hope I don’t have to wait another year to do it again!