Cooking any seafood can be a daunting task. Without the proper know-how, it’s easy to go from perfectly done to overcooked in a matter of minutes. It’s stressful to cook lobsters because they’re expensive and usually only served on special occasions. Plus, you have to handle a live animal to get dinner on the table! I’ve cooked lobsters in restaurants in a number of different ways over the years, but I wanted to find the best way to do it, so I talked to Curt Brown, a professional Maine lobsterman and marine biologist. “The beauty of lobster is that it is sustainable, delicious, and so simple to cook,” he reassured. “If you can boil water, you can cook a lobster. ” Really all you’ll need is a tall pot, tongs, shears, and a cracker. With Brown’s easy-to-follow instructions, anyone can cook a lobster like a pro and get all of its tasty meat out.
Maine lobster is world-famous for its sweet, tender meat and rich flavor. If you’ve ever ordered lobster in a nice restaurant, you know just how amazing it can taste when prepared properly. The good news is that with a few simple tools and techniques, you can cook restaurant-quality Maine lobster at home.
As someone who loves eating lobster, I decided to do some research to learn the best practices for selecting storing and preparing these delicious crustaceans. After poring over advice from expert chefs and experienced home cooks alike, I’m excited to share everything I’ve learned about how to cook perfect Maine lobster every time.
Choosing Your Lobsters
The first step to cooking great lobster is picking live, healthy specimens. When buying lobsters, look for ones that are active and lively. Their tails should be straight and firm, not curled under, and their claws should be snapping. The lobster’s shell should look shiny and free of dirt or damage. Avoid any lobsters that are lethargic or foul-smelling.
Bigger lobsters tend to have more flavorful meat, so I like to pick lobsters that are at least 1 to 15 pounds However, smaller lobsters can work just fine too. Maine lobsters come in a range of colors from blackish-green to bright red, so don’t be put off by darker shells – that has no bearing on freshness. The color only changes to vivid red when they are cooked.
Once you’ve selected your lively lobsters, it’s important to get them into a pot as soon as possible. Their meat will start deteriorating quickly after death, so plan to cook them the same day you buy them.
Storing Lobsters Properly
To store lobsters before cooking, keep them cold and damp – but never submerge them in fresh water, which will kill them. Place them on a bed of salty seaweed or damp newspaper in the coldest part of your fridge. I like to put the lobsters inside the cardboard box they came in, then put the whole box into my fridge’s bottom drawer.
If refrigeration isn’t an option, you can also place the lobsters in a cooler with ice packs and seaweed. Just be sure to avoid direct contact between the lobsters and the ice. The ideal storage temperature is around 40°F. If you have large lobsters (2+ pounds), they may survive for up to 48 hours if kept cold like this.
Preparing Your Cookware
Cooking lobster requires a tall stockpot that can fit all the lobsters with a couple inches of water above them. I use my largest soup pot, which is 20 quarts – big enough for two 1.5-pound lobsters with room to move. Make sure your pot has a tight-fitting lid as well.
You’ll also want a sturdy pair of tongs for safely lowering the lobsters into the boiling water and removing them afterwards. Oven mitts or gloves are helpful too. I have a special set of lobster crackers and picks designed to easily extract all the meat, but you can also use nutcrackers, small forks, or even a mallet.
Finally, prep a large bowl for collecting the lobster meat as you remove it from the shells. I like to have a rimmed baking sheet nearby too so I have space to lay out the cooked lobsters.
Killing Lobsters Humanely
There’s some debate around whether lobsters can feel pain. To be on the safe side, I take a couple easy steps to sedate them before cooking.
First, place the live lobsters in the freezer for 10-20 minutes before cooking. The cold temperatures essentially lull them unconscious so they don’t feel being handled. Then, once they’re numb, I hold each lobster firmly on a cutting board and plunge a chef’s knife straight down into the body where the head meets the thorax. This severs the nervous system for a rapid, humane death.
Cooking Methods
There are three main ways to cook lobster at home: boiling, steaming, and grilling. Each method produces delicious results with some subtle differences in texture and flavor.
Boiling
Boiling is a simple, foolproof cooking method that infuses the lobster meat with saltwater flavor. Just fill your pot about 3/4 full with water and bring it to a rolling boil. I like to add 1/4 cup of sea salt for every 4 quarts of water. Once the water is vigorously boiling, use tongs to lower the lobsters in one at a time. Leave the pot uncovered so steam can escape. After 5 minutes, give the pot a stir to help the lobsters cook evenly. Continue boiling until the shells turn bright red – about 9 minutes total for one-pound lobsters, plus 3-4 minutes for each additional pound. When done, plunge the lobsters into an ice bath to stop the cooking. Let them cool for 5 minutes before cracking into them.
Steaming
Steaming is a fast, healthy way to prepare lobster that keeps the meat deliciously moist and tender. Fill your pot with 2 inches of salted water and bring it to a vigorous boil. Place the lobsters on the steamer rack, cover tightly, and steam for the same amount of time as you would boil them. I like to add aromatic ingredients like lemon slices, seaweed, or herbs to the steaming liquid for extra flavor. As soon as the shells turn red, remove them from the steamer and let rest 5 minutes before serving.
Grilling
For maximum smoky flavor, grilling your lobster over hot coals is the way to go. Cut the live lobsters in half lengthwise before grilling. Baste them with a marinade of olive oil, garlic, and citrus as they cook. Grill the lobster halves flesh-side down for 5-6 minutes until the meat firms up and becomes opaque. Then flip and cook shell-side down for another 2-3 minutes to impart that charred flavor. Grilled lobster is always a hit in the summer!
Extracting the Meat
Once your lobsters are cooked, it’s time to crack them open and enjoy! Twist the claws off the body. Use lobster crackers or kitchen shears to break the shells and remove the claw, knuckle, and tail meat in big chunks. Don’t forget the delicious morsels in the legs and tomalley (liver). I like to separate the tail meat from the shell and remove the intestinal vein before serving. Dip the succulent meat into melted butter, lemon wedges, or your favorite sauce!
Step 2: Skewer the tail.
Before you cook the lobster, put a long metal or bamboo skewer through the tail, from the flippers to the body. This will help it lay flat when it’s done. There is no need to do this step because the tail doesn’t need to be curled. However, skewering can help make sure the meat cooks evenly.
Step 1: Prepare your lobster.
Add a few tablespoons of sea salt to the tallest pot and a few inches of water. If you’re cooking at the beach, just use sea water. Cover with a lid and set the pot over high heat.
Clams and other crustaceans break down quickly after they die, so for the best and safest results, start with a live lobster. There are people who just throw the animal into the pot, but it is more humane to kill it right before cooking. To do this, place your lobster on a cutting board. Put the tip of a big chef’s knife on top of the lobster’s head so that it’s straight across from its eyes and the sharp edge points toward the tail. Firmly push the knife all the way through the head, and then tilt the blade 45 degrees to the left. At this point, the lobster might still be twitching a bit, but is no longer alive.