Boiled Lobster
For the simplest way to prepare fresh lobster at home, all you need is a pot large enough to fully submerge your lobster in boiling water. Look for lively lobsters — they should seem active, not sluggish, when you purchase them — and purchase your live lobster the day you plan to cook it, storing it in the coldest part of the refrigerator in a loose paper bag, covered with a damp cloth or newspaper. Choose lobsters with a weight of about 1 1/2 pounds; they’ll have more tender meat than their larger counterparts and yield enough meat for 2 lobster rolls (6 to 8 ounces total). Salted water helps season the lobster meat as it cooks, much like it does to pasta. This recipe calls for one lobster, but the method works for two; any more and you will have to boil in batches. Serve the lobster simply with melted butter, on top of a lovely green salad, or in your favorite type of lobster roll: Connecticut-style (with butter), Maine-style or a combination of both.
- Preparation:
- Cooking:
- Total:
- Serves: 1 person
Ingredients
- Salt
- 1(1 1/2-pound) live lobster
- Melted butter (optional), for serving
Instructions
Step 1
Fill a large pot three-quarters full with water and bring to a boil over high. Salt the water. (A good rule of thumb is to add 3 tablespoons of salt for each gallon of water.)Step 2
Quickly add lobster to the boiling water, plunging it head first and making sure it is completely submerged. Immediately cover and cook until the lobster is bright red and meat is just cooked through, 9 minutes. (Start timing as soon as you cover the pot; the water will come back to a boil in 1 to 2 minutes.) If the water starts to boil over, leave the pot open just a crack (but as little as possible, to retain the high heat and continuous boil).Step 3
Meanwhile, set up a large bowl or roasting pan of ice water. (It should be large enough to submerge the whole cooked lobster.)Step 4
Using tongs, transfer the cooked lobster to the prepared ice bath and cool completely, about 5 minutes.Step 5
Working over a large cutting board, remove the meat from the lobster: Holding the tail with one hand and the head with the other, twist the lobster to separate the body from the tail. Starting from the base where the claws connect to the body, twist off and separate the claws from the body. Using kitchen towels to protect your hands, separate the knuckles from the claws by twisting them apart.Step 6
For the tail meat: On the cutting board, turn the tail underside facing up. Using scissors, start at the open side and snip down the center of the shell that covers the meat; using two hands, firmly spread open and split the shell, then carefully remove the tail meat in one piece.Step 7
For the claws and knuckles: Gently wiggle and pull off the “thumb” of the claws, then using a meat mallet or lobster cracker, gently crack the claw shells and remove the meat. (A small fork or tweezers are helpful in getting into the small crevices.) Repeat for the knuckles. (Scissors can help to cut through the thinner knuckle shells.)Step 8
Discard lobster head and shells or reserve for lobster stock.Step 9
If necessary, rinse the lobster pieces in the ice water to clean off any remaining bits of shell. Pat dry well and keep chilled until ready to use. Serve with melted butter or reserve the cooked lobster for lobster rolls or another use. (For warm lobster, melt some butter in a small saucepan and add the lobster; baste until warm, about 2 minutes.)