How to Cook and Eat a Maine Lobster

I love Maine lobster!  I grew up eating them fairly often in the summertime, mostly simply steamed, and became quite expert at prying all the meat I could from each one.  That has served me well because many people choose to only eat the easy-access tail and claw meat  and I use the uneaten bodies the next day to make a wonderful array of dishes.  Some seafood shops will sell just the body portion after they’ve removed the claw and tail meat  and those are very affordable. There are a few tricks to the whole matter, the tail and claw meat removal is very simple, but it’s not difficult to get to the body meat either and the reward is what I think is some of the sweetest meat in the critter.

Special Note:  It might be tempting to grabbed the pre-cooked whole lobsters you see in the seafood case, but beware!!!  If the lobsters were not alive when they were cooked, the meat will be very off-tasting and mushy. There is an enzyme that is released by  lobsters when they die and any delay in cooking them will result in a very lousy lobster indeed.  Some stores will fish any dead lobsters from their tanks (it happens…) and cook them to avoid throwing them away. If you are not absolutely sure buy one that’s live and kicking!

How to Boil a Lobster:

This is a very traditional way to cook lobster and especially good for cooks who want the lobster ‘dispatched’ as quickly as possible.

• Boil enough water to cover the lobsters in a large pot.
• Add the lobsters head first carefully into the water then partially cover the pot.
• When the water comes back to the boil reduce the heat to a low boil and begin timing.
• How long to boil a lobster:   Boil for 10 minutes for the first pound, then add three minutes for each additional half pound. So a one and a half pound lobster will be cooked in 13 minutes, a 2 pound lobster will be cooked in 16 minutes. Multiple lobsters can be cooked in a pot with this timing – just make sure your water comes back to the boil before starting the clock.
• Remove the cover entirely when the water begins to foam up to avoid spilling over.
• When cooked the lobsters will be bright red.
• Drain the lobsters carefully and let cool until they can be handled.

How to Steam a Lobster:

This maximizes the briny flavor of the lobster and a matter of choice in the boiled vs. steamed lobster preparation debate!

• Bring two inches of water to a boil in a large pot that has a large steamer insert and cover.
• Place the lobsters in the steamer insert and carefully place over the boiling water.
• Cover the pot and begin timing.
• How long to steam a lobster:  Steam for 10 minutes for the first pound and four minutes for each additional half pound.  A pound and a half lobster will take 14 minutes and a two pound lobster will take 18 minutes.
• Check to make sure there is still enough water at the bottom of the pot 10 minutes into cooking.
• Lobsters will be done when they are bright red.
• Drain carefully and allow to cool enough to handle.

How to remove lobster meat from the shells:    This is the fun part!  Roll up your sleeves, have some melted butter, wedges of lemon and a large bowl for juices/shells on hand and dig in. Eat as you go or save some in the butter for the end.

• You’ll need:  Something to crack the shells….this could be lobster crackers, a rock, or the back of a heavy chef’s knife. Also a narrow lobster pick or skewer.
• Twist the tail section away from the body over the bowl to capture the juices.
• Remove the green tomalley (liver) from the top of the tail and bottom of the body.  It is delicious but a repository for too many bad things these days so avoid eating too much.

• You may find some grainy red solid lumps – this is lobster roe and considered a prize by some, myself included.
• If it is a soft-shell lobster you will be able to break the tail in half with your hands, otherwise use your cracker of choice right in the middle and pull the tail meat out.
• Remove the tail fins one by one and remove any meat that didn’t come out with the tail by prying in your pick or sucking it out.

• Pull the strip of meat from the top of the tail (it will pull off easily) and remove any digestive strip that’s there.
• Remove the rubber bands from the claws.
• Twist off the claws from where they meet the body, again over a bowl to capture any liquid.
• Twist off the main claw section from the leg portion and crack open the legs (knuckles) and remove the meat with a pick.
• Pull the small claw part from the large one and pry out the meat .
• Crack the large portion of the claw in the middle and remove the meat.  Sometimes there is a flat solid piece in the large claw meat – remove that.

• So the meat’s out of the tail and claws – what to do with the body and little legs?
• The easiest way to remove the meat from the bosy portion is to remove the small legs first.  just twist and pull the away from the body.

There’s a lot of meat in the small legs – either suck it out, or use a trick I like (especially when I’m getting lobster meat for a recipe) Use a rolling pin to roll down the sections of the legs!

• To get to the body meat, pull the section of the lobster where the legs were attached and pull away from the main shell.
• Grab the body section you’ve removed and with the interior facing toward you break in half lengthwise with your hands.  This will expose chucks of meat between cartilage parts that you can pick out with fingers or your pick.
• If you want to get to the bits of meat in the head you will need to very carefully remove the digestive sack that’s right below the head. Do not puncture it, just slide your fingers gently underneath and pull away and out.
• If the digestive sack has been removed there may be some meat to peel carefully off of it. 

Enjoy your lobster – simply delicious and fresh!