The Gross Lobster Mistake One Contestant Made On Hell's Kitchen
It's pretty safe to say that no one wants to eat poop. (No matter how fancy the creature creating it, it can't make the thought any less disgusting.) Which is why people were appalled when a contestant on "Hell's Kitchen" forgot to clean the poop out of her lobster when breaking it down for her dish.
One clip on the show's Twitter page features host Gordon Ramsay pointing out chef Elise Harris' mistake. He states, "That's the poop sack. That you do not want to crunch on." Elise looked horrified at her mistake, while the other similarly grossed out contestants looked on.
Similar to shrimp that have not been deveined, the lobster's tail is where its intestines are (per AZ Animals). The lobster's primary digestive gland — referred to as a "tommaley" (which sounds like tamale) — is in the main body, which then sends the animal's waste down the tail, where it is excreted out through the lobster's anus at the base of the tail. While Cooks Illustrated points out that some people actually enjoy eating the tommaley, similar to people eating liver or other organ meats, the "poop sack" or intestine can ruin the delicate taste of the lobster. As Ramsay noted, "One tiny sack of [sh*t] can destroy the flavor of a $60 lobster."
Many people think it's really nasty
According to Lobster Science, many lobsters are "seasoned" — aka left in a water tank for 2-3 days before being sold. During this time, the lobsters, who aren't eating, should naturally empty out their bowels. However, all chefs will want to clean it out of the tail before serving, just in case there's any residue.
Plenty of YouTube users reacted with horror at the "Hell's Kitchen" food offense. There was a lot of snark, too, as Elise hadn't been a fan favorite. One user pointed out Elise's supposed ego and that she had boasted about being the strongest person on her team, until she "proceeds to serve a lobster with the doo doo sack." Another noted, "She got a huge slice of humble pie and she has no one to blame but herself." And another viewer cheekily pointed out, "Guess she made a sh*tty decision," to which another replied, "She literally served Ramsay sh*t on a plate."
Massachusetts-based contestant Jennifer Normant later stated on camera, "Elise, you need to come up to New England to learn how to break down a lobster, because you do not leave the poop sack in a lobster. It's not edible."
Contestant Benjamin Knack, though, said it all. With a little squeezing hand gesture, he said, "Poop. That's what I think of Elise's lobster."