Lobster stew is found in a variety of cuisines. Two famous versions are Menorcan ''caldera de llagosta'' and

Maine Maine () is a state in the New England and Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the northeast and ...

lobster stew.

Spain

There is a variety of Catalan lobster stews. Perhaps the most famous is the

Menorca Menorca or Minorca (from la, Insula Minor, , smaller island, later ''Minorica'') is one of the Balearic Islands located in the Mediterranean Sea belonging to Spain. Its name derives from its size, contrasting it with nearby Majorca. Its capi ...

n ''caldera de llagosta'' (

Catalan Catalan may refer to: Catalonia From, or related to Catalonia: * Catalan language, a Romance language * Catalans, an ethnic group formed by the people from, or with origins in, Northern or southern Catalonia Places * 13178 Catalan, asteroid #1 ...

). Lobster is added to a

sofrito (Spanish, ), ( Catalan), (Italian, ), or (Portuguese, ) is a basic preparation in Mediterranean, Latin American, Spanish, Italian and Portuguese cooking. It typically consists of aromatic ingredients cut into small pieces and sautéed o ...

onion An onion (''Allium cepa'' L., from Latin ''cepa'' meaning "onion"), also known as the bulb onion or common onion, is a vegetable that is the most widely cultivated species of the genus ''Allium''. The shallot is a botanical variety of the onio ...

tomato The tomato is the edible berry of the plant ''Solanum lycopersicum'', commonly known as the tomato plant. The species originated in western South America, Mexico, and Central America. The Mexican Nahuatl word gave rise to the Spanish word ...

es, garlic and parsley and boiled, and is eaten with thin slices of bread. It is a signature dish of Menorca, and even the

monarchy of Spain , coatofarms = File:Coat_of_Arms_of_Spanish_Monarch.svg , coatofarms_article = Coat of arms of the King of Spain , image = Felipe_VI_in_2020_(cropped).jpg , incumbent = Felipe VI , incumbentsince = 19 Ju ...

has been known to travel to Menorca to enjoy it. This dish is only available during spring and summer, because the local lobsters are protected and can only be captured between March and August. A very similar recipe which also includes

saffron Saffron () is a spice derived from the flower of ''Crocus sativus'', commonly known as the "saffron crocus". The vivid crimson stigma and styles, called threads, are collected and dried for use mainly as a seasoning and colouring agent in ...

, green peppers,

wine Wine is an alcoholic drink typically made from fermented grapes. Yeast consumes the sugar in the grapes and converts it to ethanol and carbon dioxide, releasing heat in the process. Different varieties of grapes and strains of yeasts are m ...

and brandy can be called ''langosta a la catalana''. Another recipe involves a sauce of lobster blood and chocolate.Alan Davidson, ''Mediterranean Seafood'', 1972, p. 280

New England

Lobster stew, along with the

lobster roll A lobster roll is a dish native to New England. It is made of lobster meat served on a grilled hot dog-style bun. The filling may also contain butter, lemon juice, salt, and black pepper, with variants made in some parts of New England replacin ...

, is one of the most popular lobster dishes in

. It is similar to

New England clam chowder Clam chowder is any of several chowder soups in American cuisine containing clams. In addition to clams, common ingredients include diced potatoes, salt pork, and onions. Other vegetables are not typically used. It is believed that clams were us ...

in that it is based on milk. Unlike most Maine lobster dishes, it uses shelled lobster meat. Jasper White, "Traditional Lobster Stew", ''Lobster at Home'', 1998, , p. 52

References

Spanish soups and stews Culture of Menorca Catalan cuisine New England cuisine Lobster dishes {{Balearics-stub

Spain

New England

See also

References