SERVING SUGGESTIONPRAWNS AND LOBSTER

Seafood dinner on the menu?

Ed Lusk, owner of Cal Pacifica Seafood in Ventura, offers these preparations for Santa Barbara spot prawns and ridge backs.

“I like to put the spot prawns on a skewer. Simply brush with lemon-garlic butter and grill them four minutes on each side.” He said you may have to vary the cooking time slightly for larger or smaller prawns.

“As for the ridge backs, boil them,” he said. “Bring water to a boil and throw them in. As soon as the water starts to boil again, take them out. You don’t want to overcook.”

Given the availability of live lobster at retail markets, Michael Wagner, owner of Seafood Specialties in Ventura, suggests preparing fresh instead of frozen.

“Boil the lobster for 10 minutes. Next, put the lobster into ice water for a bit to stop the cooking.”

“Now, split it in half and remove the anal tube and wash out the cavity,” he said.

Final preparation involves “putting a wedge of butter on each half of the lobster and broil 3 to 4 minutes.”

No seasonings?

“Never! It’s all in the butter,” Wagner said. That’s the secret sauce.”