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 one of the most prized seafood delicacies, renowned for its sweet, succulent meat and exquisite flavor. But when served a whole lobster, you may find yourself wondering – what parts can I actually eat? As avid lobster lovers, we decided to take a deep dive into this delicate crustacean and explore exactly which parts are edible.
The Most Common Edible Parts
The most commonly consumed parts of the lobster are
The Tail
The lobster tail contains the largest portion of meat. It is treasured for its tender texture and mild salty-sweet taste. Lobster tail can be served grilled broiled, baked, or boiled. It’s often seen on menus in lobster tails, lobster Thermidor, and surf and turf dishes.
The Claws
The claws are another highly desirable part of the lobster, containing a generous portion of flesh. The crusher claw has a firmer consistency while the pincer claw meat is more delicate. Claw meat tends to have a slightly sweeter flavor than the tail. The knuckles where the claws connect to the body also harbor tasty morsels of meat.
The Legs
The legs offer smaller yet worthwhile bits of meat. Legs are enjoyable on their own but are also perfect for incorporating into seafood stews, pastas, and risottos to add an extra punch of lobster flavor.
Beyond the Basics: Other Lesser Known Edible Parts
In addition to the most popular parts, there are other less utilitarian sections of the lobster that are edible to more adventurous eaters:
The Body
While small and often overlooked, the body does contain some usable meat. It takes a bit more effort to extract but can be picked out and added to recipes.
The Roe
The red roe or eggs from a female lobster have a delicate texture and unique flavor, The roe may be eaten on its own or used to garnish seafood dishes
The Tomalley
Referred to as the lobster’s liver and pancreas, the green tomalley is considered a delicacy by some. It has an intense seafood flavor and can be used as a component in sauces.
Parts You Can’t Eat
Some parts of the lobster should not be consumed:
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The stomach – can have an unappetizing muddy flavor
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Intestines – contain waste particles
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Eyes and mouth – mostly inedible cartilage
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Shell – made of chitin, which is indigestible (though lobster stock can be made from the shell)
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Antennae – also contain tough cartilage with little meat
Cooking and Preparing Lobster
When cooking lobster at home, we recommend either boiling or steaming. Boiling rapidly cooks the lobster all the way through while steaming gently cooks the meat. If opting to steam, cook the claws for 2-3 minutes longer than the tail since they are thicker.
Many people struggle with extracting the meat. Use sturdy kitchen shears for tail and scissors for legs. Crack the shells with a mallet or cracker. Go slowly and be careful not to damage the meat.
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
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.