Lobstah Fest 2011 - First Shell, Part Deux

One of the things I love most about vacationing in Rockport each year is that there is no plan, no schedule, no required duty.  Whether you are a guest or a family member, you're on your own and free to do as you please.  Feel like relaxing at the beach?  Grab a chair and head on down.  Hungry?  The cupboard and fridge is yours to raid.  Just make sure we are always stocked with the important stuff - beer and bourbon.

I had given my mum the Michael's Genuine Cookbook for her birthday in May and between all of the hustle and bustle of getting the house set up and summer getting into full gear, she hadn't had a chance to use it yet.  So, when Jackie and Paula said they wanted to make a breakfast from the book, I said to have at it.  And that they did, using the provisions we secured at the market the day before.

Full kitchen

The two ladies were up and at 'em in the wee hours of the morning, Paula kneading dough for a breakfast pizza and Jackie whipping up some homemade ricotta that would top some crostinis with apricot jam.

I accepted the role of pizza master, working the dough into a couple of pans using my whiskey glass roller technique.  As I rolled, the ladies wrapped bacon around some peaches for David, grillmaster, to finish off on the grill.

Jackie placed the peaches on top of arugula and finished them with some shaved parmesan and a drizzle of balsamic.

The pizza was topped with a light layer of sauce, sauteed leeks, pancetta, cheese, and a couple of eggs, you know, cuz it's breakfast and stuff.  I love a good yolk on my pizza, mmm hmmm.

Good way to start the day

After nibbling pizza and licking a few plates clean, the breakfast was Soco Approved.

Breakfast feels good in ma belly!

I was well nourished when the clock struck 10am, signaling that it was time for a dip in the ocean to fully wake up.  Shortly thereafter it was a long, arduous day of lounging in a beach chair, playing beach games, and drinking beer.  I'm not sure how we accomplished it all on empty stomachs but there was good reason for that...  The Beach Blast Lobster Fest was soon to follow!
 
This year, we started shuckin' around with some oysters to kick things off.

Next we got into a couple pounds of steamers... 

Meaty Bivalves

I love steamers and this year's batch was unbelievably good!  You didn't even need to dip them in butter.  Just...

Remove the shell...

Peel back the neck...

Give it a dip in the hot stock from the steamer pot...

and pound it down!

Once the steamers were gone it was lobstah time!

You can't have a lobstah fest without a lobstah shirt!

Getting intimate with dinner...

These leftover guys would be broken down and made into lobstah rolls the next day.  Waste not, want not!

We finished off all of the lobster we could handle, putting back a few beers and a few bourbons.  Night rolled in and a full moon lit up the bay on Long Beach.  We headed on down to take it all in and have a nightcap.

Under a full moon, you can become a...

 

SUPAHSTAH!!