Do You Eat the Body of a Lobster? A Guide to Enjoying the Whole Crustacean

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.

Lobster is a luxurious shellfish delicacy that many people only get to enjoy occasionally When you have the chance to indulge in a whole lobster, you definitely want to make the most of it and get every last bit of delicious meat out of the creature But when it comes to a lobster’s body, some people are squeamish about eating that part. So do you eat the body of a lobster? Let’s find out!

The short answer is yes, you can and should eat the meat from the body, also called the torso. This section contains tasty flesh, known as the lobster “tail meat”. While small, there is succulent meat worth extracting. With the right techniques, getting the body meat out is easy. Here is everything you need to know about savoring the entire lobster, including how to access the body meat.

Anatomy of a Lobster

To understand how to eat a lobster properly, it helps to know what makes up its anatomy. A whole lobster consists of:

Claws – The large crusher claw contains a decent amount of meat. The smaller pincer claw has a little less meat but is easier to crack open.
Knuckles – The segment connecting the claws to the body. Contains a small amount of tender meat.
Legs – Less meat than claws but still worth sucking out.
Tail – This contains the largest chunks of premium tail meat.
Body – The midsection where you’ll find the tasty green tomalley.
Head – Avoid eating the face area which contains the stomach/guts.

Extracting the Body Meat

The body houses the lobster’s digestive organs in the head area. You’ll want to remove the entire head and discard it. The remaining torso is what you can crack open to access the meat. Follow these steps:

Twist off the tail and remove the claws and legs.
Flip the lobster over and pull off the head by firmly gripping it and twisting clockwise.
Use shears or a knife to slice the body lengthwise.
Crack open the two halves of the body by hand or with a lobster cracker.
Pick out the meat using a fork or lobster pick.
Scoop out any roe or tomalley if desired.

Take care when removing the head and opening the body to avoid releasing anything unsavory from the digestive tract. Work over a tray or plate to catch any drips.

What’s Inside the Body?

When you open up the body, here’s what you can expect to find inside:

Meat – This will be minimal, perhaps a spoonful per lobster. But it’s tender and tasty.
Roe – If female, bright red lobster eggs will be present. These have a delicate flavor and pop when you bite into them.
Tomalley – The green liver and pancreas. Some love its rich, salty flavor while others find it unappetizing. It’s safe when the lobster is fully cooked.
Veins/Intestines – Greyish fibrous veins run through the flesh. Avoid these and the dark intestinal tract.
Shell – The firm shell lining the body protects the meat inside. Be sure to pick out any stray shards when eating.

Cooking the Perfect Lobster

To get the optimal texture and flavor from a lobster, proper cooking is key. Follow these expert tips:

Cook live lobsters if possible for maximum freshness. Choose active lobsters that are still moving.
Boiling or steaming are best. Aim for 10-15 minutes for a 1-1.5 lb lobster.
Time it just right so the meat is opaque and firm but not chewy.
Allow it to cool briefly before cracking and eating for easiest shell removal.
Serve with drawn butter, lemon wedges, and excellent crusty bread for dipping juices.

Undercooking risks illness while overcooking makes the meat rubbery. Check for an internal temperature of 140°F. The shell should turn bright red when done.

Tools for Extracting all the Meat

Having the right tools on hand makes getting out every bit of lobster meat much simpler:

Crackers – Essential for breaking through the tough shell and claws. Look for stainless steel versions designed for seafood.
Pick or fork – Needed for pulling meat cleanly out of tight spaces. Opt for a double pronged fork.
Kitchen shears – Helpful for slicing through the body and tail shell.
Mallet – A soft mallet lets you crack the shell without damaging the meat.
Bib and wet wipes – Because things will get messy!
Small bowl – Keeps shells contained as you work.

Aside from the crackers, most of these are likely already in your kitchen. Having them assembled ahead of time prevents messy fumbling.

Tips for Extracting the Most Meat

Follow these pro tips when breaking down your lobster for maximum enjoyment:

Work slowly and methodically. There’s no rush, so take your time.
Twist and pull limbs and joints off before cracking shells. This retains more meat intact.
Crack shells just enough to expose meat. Too much force crushes the delicate flesh.
Use narrow tools like a pick to pry meat out of tight spaces in joints.
Suck meat out of legs, then use a rolling pin to push out any remnants.
Spoon out tomalley and roe in one piece if possible to avoid contamination.
Save the rich brown juices in the body to soak up with bread.

What to Avoid Eating

You’ll want to steer clear of the following parts when eating lobster:

Face/stomach – This houses the digestive tract which you do not want to consume.
Gills – The feather-like gills can look unappetizing. They don’t offer much meat.
Veins – The grey fibrous vein running through the tail meat.
Intestines – Part of the dark digestive tract.
Shell – The tough external skeleton obviously should not be eaten.
Cartilage – The thin clear layer on the tail, which can be unpalatable.

So focus your feasting on the succulent claw, leg, and tail meat as well as the tomalley in the body.

Making the Most of Leftovers

If you have leftover lobster meat, there are ample ways to use it up:

Toss with pasta or rice along with herbs, garlic, and olive oil or butter.
Mix into risotto near the end of cooking for lobster risotto.
Fold into scrambled eggs or an omelette.
Top a salad of baby greens and veggies.
Enjoy in lobster rolls with a New England-style hot dog bun.
Fill ravioli or tortellini pasta with it.
Sprinkle over pizza before baking.

With some creativity, you can give new life to every last morsel of leftover lobster.

Indulge in the Complete Lobster Experience

When demolishing a lobster, don’t let the body section go to waste. Crack it open to uncover the tail meat within along with the prized tomalley. By working carefully but confidently, you can extract every last bit of meat from snout to tail. Gather the proper tools ahead of time and take a slow, steady approach. With these tips and techniques, you can savor the full lobster eating experience. So grab your lobster cracker and lobster bib to fully indulge in this amazing crustacean!

Step 2: Shuck the claws and knuckles

Kingston says, “A lobster has three parts: the claws and knuckles, which are its arms; the main body; and the tail.” Kingston recommends starting with the claws.

The claw and knuckle need to be broken away from the body. You can use your fingers or a nutcracker or lobster scissors for extra force. “Be careful of the water thats going to come out every time you crack the shell. Then, break the claw away from the knuckle,” Kingston says.

Once you’ve taken the claw off the knuckle, use your fingers to pull off the claw’s “thumb.” To get the meat out of the bigger part of the claw, cut it in half with your hands or a nutcracker. Then, use an oyster fork to gather the meat. “Take care not to grind [bits of the] shell into the inside meat,” says Kingston.

Dont forget about the knuckles either, Kingston says. “This is arguably the sweetest and tenderest meat in the whole lobster, so dont miss it. Broken the knuckle with your fingers or a nutcracker to get to it. Use a fork or pick to remove the meat. You can also use seafood scissors to get a cleaner cut. “Slide the scissor into either end of the jointed knuckle close to the shell, avoiding the meat. Snip to the opposite end, and then flip it over and repeat,” Kingston says. Advertisement.

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

How to Shell and Eat A Whole Lobster

FAQ

What part of a lobster do you not eat?

The feather-shaped cartilage inside the larger claw, along with any of the cartilage and feathery parts within the body of the lobster aren’t digestible as well. As far as the eggs, also known as the roe, and tomalley are concerned, both can be eaten if you like, despite the FDA’s warnings about tomalley.

What part of the lobster should you remove?

Alternatively, cut the tail in half lengthways, then extract and discard the tract. For the head, twist and pull away the large pincers. Pull away the legs and remove and discard the feathery gills (dead man’s fingers). Behind the eyes and mouth is the grit, or stomach sac; remove and discard this.

Do you eat the back of a lobster?

Lobsters have various edible parts, with the majority of the meat found in the tail and claws. The legs and body also have some meat, but in smaller amounts. However, it’s best to avoid eating the tomalley, a green substance found in the body, as it may contain toxins.

Can you eat a lobster?

What are the edible parts of a lobster?

The edible parts of a lobster include: 1. The meat: The most succulent and sought-after part of the lobster is its meat, found in the tail, claws, and legs. The meat is rich, sweet, and tender. 2. The tail: The lobster tail contains the largest amount of meat. It is renowned for its firm texture and exquisite taste.

Do lobsters have meat?

Yes, the lobster body contains a small amount of meat. However, it is not as commonly consumed as the tail, claws, and legs due to its relatively small size and challenging extraction process. 2. Are the tomalley and roe edible? Yes, both tomalley (the green liver) and roe (eggs) found inside the body of a female lobster are edible.

How do you eat lobster legs?

“The legs are thin, but depending on the size of the lobster, they can have a good deal of tasty meat,” King says. “You can use a rolling pin or wine bottle to push the meat out of the legs onto a flat surface. You can also just dip the legs in some drawn butter and suck on the legs to pull the meat out this way.” 4. Tackle the body