Serves 4

INGREDIENTS: Lobster

1 large (2 ½lb) cooked spiny lobster
2 tbsp butter
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 ½ cups fresh lobster stock
¼ cup white wine
¼ cup double cream
1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

INGREDIENTS: Coconut Rice

1 fresh coconut (grated)
2 cups warm water
1 cup Basmati rice
2 sprigs thyme
1 clove garlic, crushed
½ small onion, finely diced
½ stem celery stalk, finely diced
Salt to taste

METHOD for Lobster:

Cut the lobster in half lengthwise, and remove the meat from the tail. Remove any meat from the head and set aside.Clean the lobster shell of any impurities.Reserve shell. Cut the meat up in to pieces. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots; cook and stir until transparent. Stir in the lobster stock, white wine and double cream. Add lobster meat, bring to a boil, and cook until reduced by half. Mix in the parsley, salt and pepper. Preheat oven broiler to medium-high heat. Place reserved lobster shells on a broiling pan or baking sheet. Spoon the lobster mixture into shells. Sprinkle with a topping of Parmesan cheese. Broil for 3 to 4 minutes, just until golden brown.

METHOD for Coconut Rice:

Extract the milk from the coconut by letting sit in warm water for 30 minutes, then strain. Use coconut milk to boil rice and add thyme, garlic, onion, celery and salt. Bring to boil, lower heat and simmer until liquids have evaporated and rice grains are cooked. Fluff with a fork before serving.

To Serve:

Serve rice immediately with lobster au gratin and pan roasted vegetables.

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

4 pre-cooked lobster tails
3 tsp olive oil
2 cups Arborio rice
1 cup pre-cooked lentils
½ cup onions, finely diced
1 ½ cups butternut squash, cubed
1 cup dry white wine
4 cups vegetable stock
1 cup Parmesan cheese,
finely grated
¼ cup heavy cream
2 tsp. chives, chopped
Salt & pepper to taste

METHOD

Remove flesh from lobster tails, being careful to keep shells intact. Slice flesh into medallions. Reserve shells and set lobster aside. Pre-cook lentils for 10 minutes in 2-3 cups of boiling water. Set aside. Heat olive oil over medium heat; add onions and sauté gently for 1 to 2 minutes, until translucent and not browned. Add rice stirring constantly for another 2 minutes. Pour in the wine, add the butternut squash and lentils, continue to stir. Add 1 cup of stock, lower the heat and cook stirring occasionally for about 15-20 minutes adding stock as needed until rice is tender and creamy. Season with salt and pepper, finish with parmesan cheese, heavy cream and fresh herbs. Top risotto with lobster medallions and decorate each plate with a shell.

Lentil-butternut Squash Risotto with Spiny lobster tail

The Antigua and Barbuda Fisheries Regulations became law on February 1st, 2013. The regulations are comprehensive, covering the registration, construction, certification and inspection of local fishing vessels, oversight of foreign fishing vessels, local fishing licenses, local commercial fishers, artificial reefs and fish aggregating devices,and detailed fisheries conservation measures.

Conservation measures, as laid out in the regulations, cover the protection of lobsters, marine turtles and conch, in addition to other marine animals such as parrotfish, coral, cockles, whelk and sea eggs. Closed seasons have been introduced to protect these animals in their breeding season, and there is also legislation to protect immature animals that have not yet grown to full size.

The lobster closed season starts on May 1 and runs until June 30 each year. During this period fisherfolk are not allowed to catch, sell, buy or keep any Caribbean spiny lobster. At other times of the year undersize lobsters, or lobsters with a body length of less than 3 ¾ inches, or weighing less than 1 ½ pounds must be thrown back into the sea undamaged.

Closed season for Spiny Lobster 1st May-30th June

The closed season for conch, and in particular, for queen conch, which is considered to be an internationally endangered species, runs from July 1 to August 31 each year. The regulations also cover the protection of immature conch (with a shell under 7 inches in size) at all other times of the year and these may not be harvested.

The implications of these regulations for hoteliers, restaurateurs and myriad local eateries in Antigua and Barbuda are obvious. Lobster and conch are removed from the menu for the duration of their closed season. A spokesman for the Fisheries Department of the Ministry of Agriculture says the conservation measures for Caribbean lobster and queen conch are proving effective, and that while some warnings have been issued no penalties have had to be applied.

We must congratulate and thank our hardworking fisher folk and chefs for complying with the new regulations. Both must be creative about finding other seafood dishes to tempt their patrons during closed seasons, but it appears that both the suppliers and the purchasers of these protected marine animals have accepted the premise that future stocks of lobster and conch can only be ensured by responsible fishing today.

closed season for queen conch 1st July-31st August