I’m not sure about you, but lobster is a rare treat in our household because it’s so expensive. ‘Poor Mans Lobster’ with melted butter is a dish that is made with white fish, so it tastes just like lobster, but it doesn’t cost a fortune.
When the first European settlers reached North America, lobsters were so plentiful that they would reportedly wash ashore in piles up to 2 feet high. Their bounty made them a precious source of sustenance during hard times—and gave them a lowbrow reputation as the poor man’s protein. Instead of this leading to seafood festivals and celebrations like the clambake, colonists were just super embarrassed by all of, what they called ‘the ‘cockroaches of the sea’. These hard-shelled creatures were even used as fertilizer and fish bait because there were just so many around. Dirt-cheap because they were so copious, lobsters were routinely fed to prisoners, apprentices, slaves and children during the colonial era and beyond.
However, all this started to change in the mid 1800’s because of canned food and trains. Lobster actually became one of the most popular canned products on the market. Later, during World War II, canned lobster was used to feed soldiers.
Once railroad transportation began to make travel easier, more and more people began to experience the taste for lobster. Thanks to the cheap price tag and the copious quantities, lobster was served on passenger trains. Passengers were intrigued by the dish and word began to spread about the rediscovered cuisine.
Before long, demand and prices for lobster both increased, as the crustacean was ultimately rebranded by the North American population from a food for the poor to a far more decadent dish.
Today, poor man’s lobster refers to a dish made of white fish, cooked in the style of lobster, mimicking many of the similar flavors. Once simmered in boiling water, dipped in butter, with a squeeze of lemon, it takes on a taste like cooked lobster.
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- 908 gm boneless cod filets, fresh or frozen
- 4 cups water
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 1/2 Tbsp salt
- 6 Tbsp butter, divided
- 1/2 lemon
- 1 tsp Paprika
Ingredients
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- Preheat broiler.
- In a bowl, mix together water, sugar & salt then add to a large skillet.
- Place fish filets in the skillet & bring to a gentle simmer. Cook the cod by avoiding a hard boil during the poaching step. Keep the water at a gentle simmer & watch the cooking time closely ... overcooking is the main cause of rubbery fish.
- After poaching, transfer the cod to a baking sheet, brush with some melted butter & season with paprika.
- Broil for about 7 minutes on low until fish flakes easily with a fork.
- Brush with more butter & juice from the lemon & serve.
- This meal is nice served with broccoli or green beans & roasted potatoes or rice. We added some 'Cheddar Bay Bread' as well.