And then there is the fussing with shell. I also suggest a dish towel to protect your hands while cracking. If you have picked crabs before, it is similar, but with a little more water because there is a lot more room inside the shell of a lobster. The claws and the tail have the most meat. A little less presentation, but also less work. If you are in it for fun, read on!
There is a lot of discussion on how to humanely kill a lobster and when it comes down to it, there are 3 ways that are considered to be acceptable, some more than others. First, let it be known that experts believe that lobsters do not feel pain, although they do sense changes in temperature.
Their nervous system is purely skeletal and resembles that of an insect. They also have no brains. You can be scared or feel pain without a place to process it. They also do not have vocal chords, so the myth that they will scream when put in the pot is also false. There might be noise, but it is just spitting of the cold lobster going into a hot pot. Whatever you do, keep your lobster cold in the fridge until you are ready to do it.
This slows down their reflexes and keeps them calm. When making a steamed lobster or whole lobster options 1 and 2 are your best bets. The thought of boiling something alive seems alarming, but many chefs will tell you that head first into the hot water or steam pot is actually the best way to go for you and the lobster. However, many folks think this is outdated and inhumane.
This disconnects the nervous system immediately. Cut off the Tail- Others just use a clever and cut off the tail. Other legs might move as a reflex, this is normal. How long you will cook the lobster depends on how large the lobster is and what technique you are using. Here we are steaming lobster which takes a little longer than other methods, but is the most gentle and will yields sweet, delicate meat.
A large stock pot or even a turkey frying pot will work. Fill the bottom with about inches of water or other liquid options and salt. If you were on the ocean or in Maine, they would probably use sea water. I like to use alcohol, whether it be beer, wine or sparkling wine. It can result in sweeter meat and the alcohol will burning off while cooking. If you omit this, add more water to the pot.
Place a steam basket or steaming rack at the bottom. Bring water to a boil. If you are putting live lobsters into the pot, keep the bands on its claws to protect yourself. If you stab them first, you can remove the bands before cooking. When steaming or boiling, add lobsters, head first into the pot and cover.
Cook according to chart. As you can see it is about 10 minutes plus 2 minutes for every quarter pound. If cooking multiple and one is more on top than the other, make sure to open halfway through cooking to rearrange them so they cook evenly.
This accounts individual lobster size, not total lobster size. Try to get lobsters that are similar in weight. Before you get started eating your lobster , know that there will be water and there will be mess. Have some paper towels ready and be in a work space that can stand to get a little dirty, like a large cutting board.
Twist off the tail. It should remove easily with just a little wrist action- no special tools needed. You now have 4 large pieces- the body, tail and two claws.
I like to start with the tail because this is the largest piece of whole meat. Some lobstermen insist on removing the claw bands before cooking. The rubber bands, they say, impart an off taste to the water and to the lobster. Only salty and experienced lobster lovers should remove them before cooking. Is there a humane way to kill a lobster? Cooking lobster is an art, and if you do not get the timing just right, you might be in for a tough or chewy lobster. Never overcook your lobster.
This makes the meat tough and stringy a huge bummer! We find most of the cooking time suggestions found on the internet are way too long. In the winter, lobsters have a harder shell and therefore require more time to cook. In the summertime lobsters have a softer shell and require less time to cook.
How big of a lobster pot do you need? The answer is: BIG. Whether you steam or boil, pick a pot with lots of room. Do not crowd the lobsters in the pot, as the heat will not circulate evenly around the lobsters — you want even circulation for even cooking.
If you do not have a large pot, we suggest cooking lobsters in batches, or using a couple of pots. If you add the same amount of water in each pot, the lobsters should cook at about the same time. A quart soup or pasta pot will work well for a couple of small lobsters. The pot does not have to be heavy-duty, because the water will actually boil faster in a lighter gauge metal pot.
Should you steam or boil your lobster? Pulling crustaceans out of a big pot of boiling water can make a mess. With steaming there is less chance of a boil over. Both of these traditional cooking methods have both pros and cons described below. Confused about what size lobsters to order? Check out our tips for picking the perfect lobster to cook up at home.
First, is steaming lobster better than boiling? Not necessarily. It all comes down to how you like to cook. Steaming cooks whole lobsters more slowly than boiling, so it reduces the chance of overcooking and offers more control. It also makes less of a mess! Go with steaming if you plan on serving whole lobster at a sit down dinner. Keep the lid on tight to keep in the steam. A steamer rack is not a necessity; it just keeps the lobsters from getting charred on the bottom of the pot.
You can also use a vegetable steamer rack or an upside colander inside the pot. If the roe inside a female body is blackish and appear gelatin-like, instead of the customary red, it may undercooked.
Put the lobster back into the pot until the roe is red. The roe is edible, but can be rinsed out. Learn more about lobster eggs, also called the coral.
See chart to avoid over- or under-cooking. For steaming time, use the weight of your individual lobsters , not the total weight of all lobster being cooked. Start your timer when the steaming water returns to a boil. Another common mistake is adding to the cooking time just because you are cooking more than lobsters in the pot. Cooking Clams with your lobsters? Place the netted bag of clams on top of the lobsters and steam both at the same time.
For cooking a bunch of lobsters, boiling gives you even fast cooking. However, boiling lobster tends to water-log them.
If you are shelling lobsters ahead of time, go with boiling. Why boil lobsters? High, intense heat cooks the meat quickly, making it easier to remove from the shell. So boil your lobsters if you plan to pick the meat to make homemade lobster rolls or other dishes.
When you boil lobster, the shell retains a lot of water. Pierce the body and tail with a knife to help drain the water and keep you from making a mess. Hold the underside of the body away from you, because the lobster have a tendency to flip the jointed tail, splattering water.
You can cook more than one lobster in a pot as long as there is enough room and water to cover the lobsters. If you do not have a big enough pot use two smaller pots or cook your lobsters in batches. For boiling timing, use the weight of your individual lobsters , not the total weight of all lobster being cooked. Yup, you can zap them in the microwave. It actually steams the lobster in its own shell — not the most elegant way to get the job done, but it works well in a jiffy.
First things first, humanely dispatch the lobster immediately before microwaving. Second, only microwave one lobster at a time! Does microwaved lobster taste the same?
Microwaving a lobster cooks it in its own juices and the shell imparts extra flavor. It also stays hotter longer since it cooks in a thick shell and the bag. No problem! Broiling lobsters achieves a thin layer of sear atop the lobster, giving it something like a crisp smoky flavor. Broiling is also a great option if you plan on adding a flavorful crust to the top of the meat.
This simply is not true. It is very easy to overcook seafood, especially big lobsters. The issue we see again and again is the recommended cooking times are often too long.
Overcooked lobster will be tough and chewy no matter if you steam or boil them. Bonus points for using your reheated lobster in a lobster roll check out this recipe! Cooking lobsters at high altitude takes more time since water boils at a much lower temperature, and evaporates faster. At high altitude the air has less oxygen and the atmosphere becomes much drier.
To compensate for the lower boiling point of water, the cooking time must be increased — but not the heat. How many minutes should you increase the time? Try adding about 2 minutes to our lobster cooking times. Also, cover the pot tightly when cooking. To avoid overcooking and undercooking your lobsters, use an instant read food thermometer to check internal temperature. Stir the lobsters halfway through cooking. Let the lobsters rest for 5 minutes or so after cooking to allow the meat to absorb some of the moisture in the shell.
Put 2 inches of seawater or salted water in the bottom of a large kettle. Set a steaming rack inside the pot and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Add the live lobsters one at a time, cover the pot, and start timing. Halfway through, lift the lid careful—the steam is hot and shift the lobsters around so they cook evenly. They may still be underdone when the shell turns red.
Jasper White recommends cooking lobsters for the recommended time, then cracking one open where the carapece meets the tail.
Twist off the claws.
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