When I received my Bowdoin acceptance letter, I pictured myself making lobster and going to lighthouses every weekend. Turns out this was much more of a pre-college fantasy than a consistent weekend plan. But I have tried to explore what Maine has to offer in terms of restaurants and fresh seafood when I can.
This past weekend, my friend Michael and I took a trip up the Maine coast to Owl’s Head lighthouse and picked up a live lobster on the way home to make for dinner. Making lobster is so incredibly easy it’s shocking, it’s the claws you’ve got to watch out for…kidding! At $5/lb, Maine lobster is reasonably priced right now, and the price is dropping as summer rolls around. You can find this lobster (and a vast selection of other seafoods for that matter) at little shacks off Route 1 if you drive North from Brunswick.
So get your friends together, drive up the coast, and find some Maine lobster, just make sure you have someone to watch the lobster in the car. To pick up a live lobster, hold it firmly by the back, and no matter how freaked out you get, DON’T LET GO. If you don’t have a lobster pot (which you probably don’t because you’re a normal college girl), all the social houses have them so you can cook there or borrow a pot.
It is absolutely necessary that the water is boiling when you put the lobster in the pot. When the water is fully boiling, grab the lobster by its back (leave the rubber bands on the claws) and drop it in the pot, then place the lid firmly on the top of the pot. You can put more than one lobster in a pot, just make sure there is enough room in the pot. Lobster only takes about 8 minutes to cook, give or take a few minutes. Click here for how to eat a lobster follow this link. If you don’t have lobster crackers (another odd kitchen supply to have in a Brunswick Apt), you can use anything from a fork to a screwdriver to crack the claws. Making lobster is the perfect weekend activity, and it’s something that should be on your checklist for before you graduate this small college in Maine.