How To Boil And Eat Lobster - Simply Recipes

Why Make This

• The recipe simplifies boiling lobster so you can confidently cook it at home.
• Instructions show exactly how to crack the shell and extract every piece of lobster meat.

We don't have American lobsters out here in California. Well, we do, but they're shipped in from New England, and frankly, they just aren't as good as lobsters bought near the sea shore on the East Coast.

So whenever I'm in New England in the summer (according to my local friends, summer is the best time for lobsters, they're more plentiful and therefore less expensive), I make a point to have some.

Now, there are many ways to cook lobster, and probably just as many ways to eat them. Boiling is the most straightforward way to cook lobster, though you can easily steam them too.

I like my lobster dipped in hot, melted butter, so that's what is presented here. Some people just like a squirt of lemon juice, or dipped in mayonnaise. Some people meticulously extract the meat from every little leg. I skip them and go for the claws, knuckles, and tail.

For me, cooking lobster is something you do for a gathering of friends and family. It's so much fun, so messy, and so good, it's just meant to be shared.

How To Buy and Store Lobster

When choosing live lobsters from the market, look for the ones that are most lively, don't have any noticeable cracks on their shells, and have all of their parts (not missing legs or claws). Look for lobsters that are 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 pounds, which is a good size for the average eater.

As soon as you get your lobsters home, put them in the refrigerator to keep them cold. Do not store them in tap water. Store them in a sturdy paper bag in your fridge.

If you have to transfer the lobsters, pick one up by its body, not its claw or tail.

Lobsters can live only up to 36 hours after they've been removed from seawater, so buy lobster the day you intend to cook it, and don't wait too long to cook it.

Happy Memories of Cooking Lobster

Years ago, my first job out of college was in Boston; I lived in the North End, above D'Amore's Italian restaurant on Salem Street, right across from a little fish market. I was amazed that I could buy fresh lobster across the street from where I lived, at the fish market, for $4.99 a pound, still a luxury at that time, but within reach. (This summer, 27 years later, I bought lobster for $5.99 a pound, a bargain for this Californian!)

That summer, as often as I could, I rounded up friends to enjoy a lobster feast. I still have the big aluminum pot I used.

Do you have a favorite lobster memory? Or special tips for buying, storing, cooking, or eating lobsters? Please let us know about it in the comments.