I just bought a
lobster, now what?
When storing fresh lobsters at home
before cooking them, keep them cool ~ not frozen. Lobsters
will stay alive for hours in a refrigerator. Do not store
lobsters in fresh water.
How to cook
lobsters
The two most common ways to cook lobsters are
steaming and boiling.
To steam lobsters:
put about 2 inches of seawater or salted fresh water in a large
kettle. Bring the water to a rolling boil. Put in the
live lobsters, one at a time, grasping them just behind their
claws. Let the water boil again, and begin timing. Allow
18 minutes for 1 to 1 ¼ pound hard-shell lobsters, and 20 minutes
for 1 ½ pound or larger hard-shell lobsters. If they are
new-shell (softer shell) lobsters, reduce the cooking time by 3
minutes.
To boil
lobsters: fill a large kettle ¾ full of water, allowing
about 2 ½ quarts of water for each lobster. If seawater is not
available, add 2 tablespoons of salt for each quart of water.
When water boils, put in the live lobsters one at a time and let the
water boil again. Lower the heat, cover, and simmer about 15
minutes for 1 to 1 ¼ pound hard-shell lobsters, and 20 minutes for 1
½ to 2 pound hard-shell lobsters. Reduce cooking time by 3
minutes for new-shell lobsters. When the antennae pull out
easily, the lobsters are done.
How to eat
lobsters
Twist off the large claws
Crack each claw with a
nutcracker, pliers, knife, hammer or rock.
Separate the tail from the
body by arching the back until it cracks.
Break off the tail
flippers.
Insert a fork and push the
tail meat out in one piece. Remove and discard the black vein
which runs the entire length of the tail.
Unhinge the back shell from
the body. The green part in the body is the "timalley" or
liver, which some people consider the most delicious part of the
lobster. The coral colored roe is also edible.
Open the body by cracking
it apart sideways. Lobster meat lies in the four pockets (or
joints) where the small walking legs are attached. The small
walking legs also contain meat which can be removed by
sucking.
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