The word Lobster brings forth a concept of both dining in luxury or at perhaps outdoors at dock restaurant that celebrates seafood. For others it manifests the idea of cooking a lobster at home for oneself or guests. Here are some ways to prepare a Lobster at home. The information presented is from researching expert advice.
Lobsters are cooked in a few various ways. Most popular, are broiled, boiled, baked, and steamed. Experts say that steamed or boiled Lobsters are most preparable. In fact, it is a steamed lobster that brings forth the more slightly tender meat. Boiling is quicker and easier to time exactly, and this is the method that makes the lobster meat come out of the shell easiest.
The experts also say that Lobster boiled or steamed in sea water maintains its characteristic ocean taste. Boiling in well-salted water is the next best thing.
To prepare a “baked lobster,” you need partially cooked lobster meat, parboiling is the recommended way to go. By parboiling, or blanching, the lobster cooks just enough so that the meat can be easily removed from the shell. By chilling the meat down one can reuse it later in a dish that calls for further cooking.
Jasper White’s authoritative Lobster at Home (Scribner, 1998) mentions when boiling, “Choose a pot large enough to hold all the lobsters comfortably; do not crowd them. A 4- to 5-gallon pot can handle 6 to 8 pounds of lobster. Fill with water, allowing 3 quarts of water per 1-1/2 to 2 pounds of lobster. Add sea salt (to taste) to water. Bring the water to a rolling boil. Add the live lobsters one at a time and start timing immediately. Do not cover. 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.”
For timing, use the weight of individual lobsters, not total weight of all lobsters being cooked.
Weight / Boil Time
1 pound / 8 minutes
1 1/4 pounds / 9-10 minutes
1 1/2 pounds / 11-12 minutes
1 3/4 pounds / 12-13 minutes
2 pounds / 15 minutes
2 1/2 pounds / 20 minutes
3 pounds / 25 minutes
5 pounds / 35-40 minutes
As for steaming, “Jasper White’s Authoritative…” recommends choosing a pot large enough to hold all the lobsters comfortably; do not crowd them. A 4- to 5-gallon pot can handle 6 to 8 pounds of lobster. 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.”
For timing, Steaming has a different scale listed below.
Weight / Steam Time
1 pound / 10 minutes
1-1/4 pounds / 12 minutes
1-1/2 pounds / 14 minutes
1-3/4 pounds / 16 minutes
2 pounds / 18 minutes
2-1/2 pounds / 22 minutes
3 pounds / 25-30 minutes
5 pounds / 40-45 minutes
Cooked lobsters will turn bright red, but that’s not the best indicator of doneness, especially for large lobsters. If it’s done, the meat will have changed from translucent to white.
When baking the lobster, after parboiling, never bake a lobster at over 140F and when grilling an already parboiled lobster it is recommended to use a bamboo skewer to prevent the tail from curling. It is wise to slice the shell without cutting the meat to allow for more even cooking.
For those who wonder why lobsters must be looked alive, the answer is quite simple. In a dead uncooked lobster bacteria can rapidly multiply thus releasing dangerous toxins. Cooking it alive attacks this situation.
Hopefully, you learned something that may come in handy the next time you choose to cook your next lobster.
