This East Lothian seafood company brings the fine-dining experience to your kitchen
We’d usually be preparing for party season, looking forward to hosting friends and family at sparkling festive soirées. However, with COVID still casting its anti-social shadow, our guest lists are undoubtedly a lot smaller this year. With this in mind, we can plump for quality over quantity on the food front and try something extra special that might usually bust the budget and what’s more indulgent than lobster?
In fact, why not assign what you’d usually spend on Great Aunt Sybil’s sherry and treat yourself and your household to the height in gastronomic luxury—an East Coast Lobsters seafood platter.
Image: East Coast Lobsters
East Coast Lobsters was founded earlier this year by husband and wife team Phil and Annabel Mill-Irving in response to COVID.
Combining their love of seafood with top-notch culinary skills, ECL delivers fresh seafood to customers who can enjoy restaurant-quality food in the comfort of their own home.
Having worked as a chef on superyachts catering for a diverse range of clients with many demanding requests for over 12 years, Phil certainly knows his craft. We decided to sample everything ECL has to offer, all in the name of research, of course…
First of all, hands up if you’re ever so slightly intimidated by seafood and shellfish? Avoid buying it because you have no clue how to cook or prepare? Well, if your hand is raised—high five. But don’t let it put you off. Phil is kind enough to do most of the work for us! Hurrah, no shell or claw cracking to be done here. Phil has purposely kept his recipes pared-back to allow for the freshness and flavour of the sea to shine through, and the cooking instructions are super simple, which is very reassuring, otherwise may have felt a little intimidated by the task ahead. Even the most inexperienced of cooks can rise to the occasion, and take away tips and newfound confidence for the next time they come to prepare such a dish.
The main platter is a sight to behold. Laden with the finest, whole North Berwick lobster slathered in garlic butter is juicy and tender; crab claws slide easily out of the shell. At the same time, the langoustines and hot smoked salmon fillets with a homemade aioli dip are finger-licking tasty. We seriously recommend the half shell scallops which come topped with either chorizo or gratin and are sweet and utterly delicious.
Phil has also designed a trio of sides to accompany the seafood without trying to steal the show. Rosemary roasted baby potatoes are low on ingredients but high on flavour while the focaccia bread was a revelation, particularly when dipped into the freshly cut coleslaw.
As more of us dine from home, the food often has to exceed expectations to make up for our all too familiar surroundings, lack of service or pomp. This is when great Scottish produce, prepared simply but beautifully, with minimal effort required to enjoy comes into its own. While pricey, East Coast Lobsters is certainly worth shelling out for.