Steamed Lobster

INGREDIENTS

Lobsters of your size preference

Unsalted or salted butter, melted (for serving) – Plan on 1/3 to ½ stick per person serving

Large bowl for shells

PREPARATION

Bring 2" water to a simmer in a large stockpot. CAREFULLY REMOVE THE ELASTIC BANDS ON THE CLAWS!!! (If this step is not done or cannot be done, it will not be a complete loss, but some say it adds to the flavor to not have the elastics in the steaming pot) Add two 1 1/2-lb. live lobsters (yes, alive) and quickly cover pot—walk away if you need to. Steam lobsters until shells are bright red and meat is cooked through, about 15 minutes for the 1.5 pounders. Start the timer after the water has come back to a boil. Remove from pot with tongs and let cool 5 minutes before cracking. Serve with melted unsalted butter.

Notes on Time for different size and quantity of Lobsters:

The average time is 10 minutes per pound size of lobster. So for a 2 pound lobster, 20 minutes. And if 4 2 pound lobsters, still 20 minutes.

• Size - Steam Time
• 1 pound - 10 minutes
• 1.25 pound - 12 minutes
• 1.5 pounds - 15 minutes
• 2 pounds - 20 minutes
• 2.5 pounds - 25 minutes
• 3 pounds - 30 minutes

If they are larger lobsters, 3 pounds and above, stay with the 30 minutes. Steamed lobsters should be of the same relative size when cooking. So don’t mix a 1 pounder in with a bunch of 4 pounders.

CRACKING OPEN YOUR LOBSTER

The most fun, messy, and best part about enjoying your lobster dinner! Some people either go straight in with their hands or use a lobster cracker to break the shell and use a fork to retrieve the meat.

The Claws and Knuckles

Twist the claws right off the body. Use a cracker and a fork to remove the meat from the claws and knuckles. A lot of juice will be inside, which some people love to drink straight from the claw before cracking it open, or just drain into a bowl.

The Lobster Tail

Twist the tail off the body. Squeeze the tail and it should crack down the middle, which will make it easier to use your fork and remove the meat. Remove the black vein that runs down the middle of the tail. Easiest way is once the tail meat is removed from the shell, peel back the thin strip of meat on the top and the black vein will be in there and should pull right out. You may have to get a little messy here. Tip: There is meat in the flippers of the tail as well!

• The Legs – Bite down on them and squeeze the meat into your mouth.
• The Tomalley (Green substance in the body) – Give it a try, some consider this a delicacy.
• The Roe – The ‘Red’ roe turns red after cooking and is delicious – it will appear black if it isn’t cooked enough, so cook it more and it should be all red.

The Lobster Body

some purists maintain that if you have a big enough lobster, it is worthwhile to eat the meat in the ribs. Stay away from the feathery looking pieces they are the lungs and inedible. But there is pockets of meat in between the cartilage pieces on the side.

When you have a piece of meat out of the shell, dip it in the butter (really swirl it around and cover it) and eat it up! Some prefer to clean the whole lobster and put all the meat in the butter dish and then eat it, others just eat each piece by piece as it comes out. What is your favorite way?

Get ready with a lot of paper towels or napkins and enjoy!

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