Tom Aikens: In the heat of the kitchen, a knife is the quickest solution
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Your support makes all the difference.The Crustastun sounds like another gadget that's going to get broken and relegated to the back of a kitchen cupboard.
In a professional kitchen, traditional methods are paramount – that's why chefs train – although that doesn't stop some people trying to introduce new technology.
I either send a sharp knife straight through the lobster skull or, if a delivery arrives the night before service, I'll put them in the freezer to send them to sleep. The old-fashioned ways are a sign that a chef is confident in their skills.
I don't know a single chef who would object to cooking lobster – we're all quite barbarian anyway, so this is just an extension of that. If a menu carries lamb, beef or chicken, objecting to lobster seems a bit hypocritical.
Lobster is one of the few products you can guarantee has been slaughtered humanely – because it happened in your own kitchen. During my training, killing and cooking lobster was just another stage of the learning process; I never felt apprehensive or intimidated by it.
Diners are aware of the process and I have never experienced objections to having lobster on the menu.
The writer is a Michelin-starred chef
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