Buy fresh. I know, that should be a given, but that can be a challenge when most of our country’s lobster supply comes from Maine. I have tried mail order and that has worked well for us, but I still prefer being able to select my lobster from a trusted fish monger who has them swimming (I hope happily) in a tank.
Bigger isn’t better. I’ve learned this the hard way. For me, the optimal lobster weighs 1.5 lbs, no bigger than 2 lbs maximum. I have found that the larger (older) behemoths yield gnarly meat. Stay on the smaller to average size for tender lobsters.
Cook as soon as possible. If you can, pick them up from your fish monger moments before cooking. Let the lobsters hang out in the kitchen sink as you get your water to a boil. Do not submerge them in fresh water.
If the lobster’s feelings are truly a concern, some say placing the lobsters in the freezer before cooking makes them sleepy and perhaps numbs the pain. But really, the dip in the boiling water will make the process fast. I wouldn’t worry.
Taken From Kitchen Confidante
Boiled lobster: Allow 12 minutes cooking time for the first pound when boiling and an extra minute for every additional quarter pound. You can start the lobsters in cold water but do not begin timing until the water comes to a boil. Be sure the pot is large enough so that the lobster is completely submerged.
• When boiling lobsters, be sure to save the water from the pot. It will be richly flavored and make a good soup base.
• After boiling whole lobsters, pierce the head to let the boiling water drain out.
• Lobster connoisseurs claim the female lobster meat is more tender and often has the coral or eggs. The female can be identified by the limp, soft feelers that line both sides of the lobster body at the tail end. The male's feelers are rough, and the tail is also wider.
• Lobsters have a high proportion of glycogen, a polysaccharide that converts into glucose, a simple sugar. This is why the meat tastes so sweet. Lobster is the sweetest meat of the three most widely-eaten crustaceans followed by crab and then shrimp. The longer a lobster sits in storage, the more its sweetness diminishes.
• Lobsters naturally have one larger forward claw, causing them to be identified as left-handed or right-handed. The meat from the smaller claw is more tender and sweeter, thus considered more succulent. The larger claw has more meat which may not be quite as tender, but still a delightful and treasured taste sensation.
• If you need the tail to come out straight after cooking, run a wooden skewer lengthwise through the tail and meat and remove when done.
• Like shrimp, lobster will become tough when overcooked. When the meat turns opaque, it is done and should be immediately removed from heat.
• When boiling lobsters, be sure to save the water from the pot. It will be richly flavored and make a good soup base.
• After boiling whole lobsters, pierce the head to let the boiling water drain out.
• Lobster connoisseurs claim the female lobster meat is more tender and often has the coral or eggs. The female can be identified by the limp, soft feelers that line both sides of the lobster body at the tail end. The male's feelers are rough, and the tail is also wider.
• Lobsters have a high proportion of glycogen, a polysaccharide that converts into glucose, a simple sugar. This is why the meat tastes so sweet. Lobster is the sweetest meat of the three most widely-eaten crustaceans followed by crab and then shrimp. The longer a lobster sits in storage, the more its sweetness diminishes.
• Lobsters naturally have one larger forward claw, causing them to be identified as left-handed or right-handed. The meat from the smaller claw is more tender and sweeter, thus considered more succulent. The larger claw has more meat which may not be quite as tender, but still a delightful and treasured taste sensation.
• If you need the tail to come out straight after cooking, run a wooden skewer lengthwise through the tail and meat and remove when done.
• Like shrimp, lobster will become tough when overcooked. When the meat turns opaque, it is done and should be immediately removed from heat.
Taken From Home Cooking
- Prepping: Before boiling or steaming, put live lobsters in the freezer for about an hour. Cold temperatures sedate them, after which they can be gently placed head-first in boiling water.
- Cutting: Many chefs and lobster experts say the best way to dispatch a lobster before grilling is with a knife: Freeze the lobster at least 30 minutes, hold it just above the tail, and place it on a cutting board. Look for the cross-shaped indentation in the shell about 2 inches forward of the tail; place the tip of a large knife at this point, with the cutting edge toward the head. Plunge the knife down vertically, then swing it down to split to the lobster in half.
- Storing: Keep lobsters moist with seaweed, wet paper towels, or wet newspaper in a refrigerator or cooler before cooking. Never keep lobsters in freshwater; they can't survive.
Taken From Coastal Living
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