There’s a good reason why sweet, mild lobster is a treat from the ocean: the meat from these flavorful crustaceans tastes great on a sandwich roll, in a creamy seafood pasta, or even in an Eggs Benedict. But a lot of seafood lovers say that eating the lobster whole is the best way to enjoy this seafood treat, which can be scary.
For people who have never eaten a whole lobster before, it might be hard to figure out how to start. The hard shell doesn’t make it easy to get to the soft meat. With the help of Steve Kingston, owner and seafood expert of The Clam Shack in Kennebunk, Maine, we’re giving you clear, step-by-step instructions on how to get the most out of these tasty morsels. Advertisement.
While claws and tail meat understandably garner top billing, a whole lobster’s body offers hidden edible treasures for the intrepid gourmand. Let’s explore expert techniques to extract every morsel from knuckles to legs and demystify what’s safe and scrumptious beyond the usual claw cracks.
Anatomy of a Lobster Body
A lobster’s body consists of
- Head area with mouth, eyes, and antennae.
- Hard upper shell protecting inner flesh.
- Segmented abdomen fused to broad tail.
- Eight walking legs plus two large front claws.
- Internal meaty flllets encased within shell.
While not as tender as tail or claw, the body still provides tasty, subtle flavors and textures worth savoring.
Edible Parts of a Lobster’s Body
Many assume just claws. tail. and knuckles merit eating but lobster bodies contain small edible amounts of
- Leg Meat – Chewy but sweet nuggets inside each leg.
- Body Meat – Thin fillets lining the upper interior shell.
- Roe – Coral-like unfertilized eggs from females.
- Tomalley – A soft green liver-pancreas paste.
With care and proper tools, these unassuming body parts become indulgent bites that shouldn’t go to waste.
Techniques for Extracting Leg Meat
Cracking open lobster legs takes patience but unlocks hidden morsels:
- Twist legs firmly where they meet the body until separated.
- Use lobster picks, skewers, or small forks to probe open ends of leg shells.
- Alternatively, simple bite, suck, and chew legs for a hands-on approach.
- Take care when chewing as leg shells can be razor sharp.
Season legs with lemon or dip in melted butter to enhance their mild sweetness.
Coaxing Out Body and Knuckle Meat
The upper body cavities and knuckles by the claws contain tender meat perfect for picking:
- Insert a narrow lobster pick and wiggle gently to loosen body fillets.
- For knuckles, crack open the hard shells with lobster crackers first.
- Use fingers or picks to gently scoop out body and knuckle meat once freed.
- Go slowly and take care not to shred meat, which ruins texture.
Every morsel counts – be thorough and take time exploring inner crevices.
Roe – To Eat or Not to Eat?
Roe, the coral-like lobster eggs, elicit mixed reactions:
- Many savor roe raw as a delicacy with its mild briny flavor.
- Others are squeamish about consuming unfertilized eggs.
- Can be cooked into sauces or seafood soups as a thickener.
- Adds a subtle sweetness and rosy orange hue.
- Okay to skip if texture is unappealing.
Roe offers pillowy texture and delicate ocean essence for adventurous eaters.
Tomalley – Lobster Liver and Pancreas
Tomalley, the soft green goo in a lobster’s body, gets mixed reviews:
- Prized by some as a silky delicacy eaten on its own.
- Enhances sauces, stews, and seafood dishes when sautéed in.
- Contains nutrients but also potential marine toxins in some lobsters.
- Unpleasant color and mushy texture turns off less bold eaters.
- Probably safe if consumed in moderation.
Approach tomalley based on your daring – a little adds depth but isn’t mandatory.
Claws and Tail still Lobster’s Crown Jewels
While legs, knuckles and body meat deserve nibbling, lobster’s supreme indulgence remains in its claws and tail:
- Claw meat offers supreme tenderness easy to extract whole.
- Tail needs minimal work to unveil large, succulent fillets.
- Boasting delicate flavor and pillowy texture, these are the prime cuts.
- Their accessibility makes claws and tail the clear first choice.
- But don’t ignore the extras buried throughout the body and shell.
For a complete lobster experience, savor all edible elements from tip to tail.
Key Tips for Maximizing Whole Lobster Eating
To extract every sweet morsel, heed this advice:
- Have proper tools – picks, small forks, crackers and skewers.
- Take time and go slow – rushing damages texture and flavors.
- Suck crunchy legs, don’t just discard them after cracking claws.
- Probe every leg segment and body chamber thoroughly with pick.
- Be bold with roe and tomalley instead of defaulting to squeamishness.
- Cracking all parts before eating lets flavors mingle delightfully.
- Pair body meats with aiolis, lemon, or garlic butter for enhancement.
With preparation and an adventurous mindset, even novice diners can master the whole lobster.
Frequently Asked Questions About Eating the Lobster Body
Here are answers to common questions about consuming all edible parts of a lobster beyond just the claws and tail:
What parts of the lobster body can you eat?
The legs, knuckles, upper body cavity, roe, and tomalley all contain small amounts of edible meat.
How do you get the meat out of lobster legs?
Crack the shells with your teeth, then suck and squeeze out the meat. Tools like picks also help coax it out.
Is it safe to eat lobster roe?
Yes, the unfertilized coral-like eggs are mild in flavor and fine to eat, but some find the texture unappealing.
What does lobster tomalley taste like?
Similar to liver or foie gras with an intense creamy, earthy flavor and mushy texture.
What are the best parts of the lobster to eat?
The supreme tenderness and abundance of meat make the tail and claws the prime choices for eating.
Do you have to eat the lobster body?
No, claws and tail alone provide a satisfying experience, but eating the body provides a fuller flavor experience.
While claws and tail satisfy most diners, don’t neglect the legs, knuckles, roe and other tasty morsels hidden throughout a whole lobster’s body. With strategic cracking and picking, you can savor this coveted crustacean from head to tail.
Step 1: Assemble your materials
Youll want to start by making sure you have everything you need, including the lobster. Certain lobsters are easier to eat than others, Kingston says. “If youre buying lobster, you should try to choose 1 to 1. lobsters with new shells that weigh 5 pounds. The shells will be soft enough to break with your hands or a nutcracker if you need more force. Hard shell lobsters can be tougher to crack, but a nutcracker will still do the job,” he explains.
New shell lobsters, which are also called “soft shell lobsters,” are in season from early June to mid-November in cold water areas like Maine and other parts of New England. If your local fishmonger brings in Northeastern lobster during that time, you’ll probably be getting new shell lobsters. From December through May, most seafood shops carry hard-shell lobsters. If youre not sure which ones are in stock at any given time, ask the fishmonger for guidance.
Regardless of the type of lobster, its helpful to have the following equipment on hand:
- A nutcracker and/or lobster scissors. This tool can help you crack tough shells open so you can get to the meat inside.
- An oyster fork or a seafood pick. Forks that aren’t made for scraping meat out of tight places like the claws and tail are too wide. If you want to get into tight spots, you can use a smaller oyster fork or an even thinner seafood pick.
- Napkins. You’ll want to be ready for the mess that comes with eating a whole lobster. Keep more napkins than you think you’ll need on hand. If you want to go the extra mile, grab a lobster bib and a wet wipe as well.
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Step 3: Shuck the lobster tail and head
The meat in the lobster tail is the firmest and richest, so you’ll need a clear plan for getting to all that goodness.
Kingston says, “To separate the tail from the carapace, hold the body firmly in one hand and bend the tail backwards until it breaks away.”
Break the tail open by squeezing the shell until it cracks, exposing the meat. You can then pull the meat out with your hands or a seafood fork. Tail meat is firmer than claw meat, so its less slippery and easier to grab with your fingers.
If you start at the wide end of the tail and pull the center flap toward the narrow end, you can get even more meat. Lobster experts call it “skin” because it feels soft and fleshy. You can eat the meat under the center flap, but Kingston says to stay away from the black or green vein in the middle of the tail, which you should cut out and throw away.
The tail can be pulled away from the shell, and the head can be done the same way. Take out your fork or pick and use the sharp tines to scrape out the small pieces of meat that are still soft inside the head. get to work!.
Note: You may see green and red material around the tail and body meat. The red materials are eggs, while the green is tomalley (the lobsters liver). While both are technically edible, the FDA warns against eating tomalley due to potential toxins in lobster-heavy waters, which can be passed along to humans through the tomalley. Advertisement