For spiny lobster, hit the shack

Spiny-LOBSTER season opened Oct. 3, and for many in Southern California that means it’s time to head to a little shack in Newport Beach. Now, usually when people talk about “shacks” in Newport, they’re being ironic. But not with Pearson’s Port seafood market. A rough one-room structure at the end of a short pier, it looks as if a strong wind might send it sailing across the bay.

Nonetheless, Pearson’s is one of the more remarkable seafood markets around. That’s certainly not because of the variety of its offerings -- on a big day it might have only half a dozen types of fish for sale. It’s the quality that brings folks to Pearson’s, which was started 36 years ago by Vi and Roy Pearson. Today, their daughter-in-law Terese Pearson runs the place, and most of what she sells is caught either by her husband, Tommy, on his boat, the Harvest, or by a dozen affiliated fishermen along the California coast.

That means the selection is usually limited to spinies, spot prawns, rock crabs, spider crabs, yellowtail, dorado (mahi-mahi), white sea bass, harpooned swordfish and salmon (local, augmented with farmed Atlantic in the off-season).

And when something isn’t good, Terese will let you know. Asked about the rock crabs in one of their holding tanks, she speaks her mind. “Come back tomorrow and I’ll have new ones. Those have been in the tank five days and they’re just not going to be as good.” When I react with surprise, she laughs: “I’m brutally honest. I’ve got customers who want crab no matter what, and those are for them. But I won’t try to sell you anything I wouldn’t serve you if you came to my house for dinner.”

For the most part, the year at Pearson’s is divided into two seasons: spiny lobster, which they’ll sell until March, and spot prawn, which they sell from April until the end of August. That strict seasonality is only partly because of the quality of the shellfish. Mostly it’s because prawns and lobsters require different water temperatures, and the store is too small to be able to afford two sets of live tanks.

Pearson’s sells its spinies for $16.99 per pound three ways: live, split for cooking, or just the tail. Terese says probably three-fourths of her customers take the split. It’s very easy to cook that way on a grill or under the broiler. Allow about five minutes per side. Spinies can also be boiled or steamed, but the flavor doesn’t seem to be as good.

And whatever you do, don’t even think about throwing away the shells, or Terese will come after you. “Oh my God,” she says, “those shells have the best flavor. There might not be any meat in them, but cook them with sauce and then strain them out. They add a richness to the sauce that’s just wonderful.”

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Pearson’s Port, 100 E. Coast Highway, Newport Beach, (949) 675-6771.

russ.parsons@latimes.com