Choosing where you source your food is of the utmost importance, according to Jonathan Sawyer — and it’s even more important with delicate items like seafood, particularly pricy items like lobster. 

“I cannot stress it enough, get to the people who sell you food. Especially the more expensive items,” he says.

While, of course, he notes that many don’t have easy access to top-notch fishmongers, he encourages home cooks to think outside of the box. “We do all typically use a grocery store that has the same or similar people working the specialized departments,” he says. “So introduce yourself, say thank you, let them know they are a part of your table. Then, when the time comes to buy truffles or lobsters or maybe a special cut of pork, they’ll remember you and reciprocate appreciation.”

If you don’t have a lobster purveyor near you, he adds, you can always source your lobsters online. If you do, he says, be sure that they’re shipped in the most humane way to ensure you get the best quality product. Lobsters, he says, should be shipped individually to keep them from fighting in a dark, wet box.

“When done correctly, it looks like an old school postal box, with each lobster in its own mail slot, covered in seaweed from harvest location,” he says.