Hence their skill at disguise and their nesting places in wrecks of old

Hence their skill at disguise and their nesting places in wrecks of old boats. Some fishermen have found a perfect use for old bangers, running them into the ocean at low tide.Lobsters are as unfriendly to each other as they are to man, indulging cannibalistic urges if put, untied, into a vivier (cold water tank) with their fellows. When captured, these normally slow-moving creatures are galvanised into frenzied bursts of activity. They fan the five segments of their tail, and lash the water, hurling themslves backwards like rocket, like oarsmen at the start of the Boat Race.There is an on-going argument as to what might be the kindest way to kill a lobster. The so-called “scream” of a lobster dying in a pot of boiling water is disturbing, but it is surely a myth – the sound being the noise of air escaping.

But chefs don’t relish a charge of cruelty, and debate the merits of various means of killing. The traditional way, perhaps the quickest and best, is to pierce the back of the skull with a sharp-pointed knife. Anton Mosimann, however, favours immersing the head in boiling water to despatch the lobster swiftly and effectively. The rest of the body can then be immersed to cook, but take care not to do this too hastily, as it will lower the water temperature to below the lethal boiling point. The idea that the kindest way is to start cooking your lobster in cold water, so that it drowsily surrenders life, is now discredited.Having said there is no lobster like a Scottish lobster, the professional chef with a responsibility for banqueting can’t always afford to be too sniffy. Canadian lobster cost perhaps three-quarters the price of the native variety.

At the Savoy Hotel, the Maitre Chef des Cuisines, Anton Edelmann, admits to using both. “Scottish lobster is best – firm, sweet, with good flavour – but Canadian lobster isn’t bad. The rule is, if we are going to serve it straight, it needs to be Scottish. If we are going to play around with it, mask it with sauces and so on, it can be Canadian.”The perfectionist chef with concerns for conservation faces a dilemma. “The Canad-ians only send us males; it’s illegal for them to take the hen lobsters They are looking to the future, preserving valuable stock. I must admit when I buy Scottish lobsters, I always specify hen lobsters because they have the better flavour But it’s worth thinking about.