How to Cook a Lobster

There are a number of ways to prepare lobster, including baking in the oven and barbecuing on the grill. The two most popular though by far are boiling and steaming. Of these, our favorite is steaming. We prefer steaming lobster because it is a less messy affair than boiling and we also think it makes the meat more tender and succulent. Less of that coveted ocean fresh, briny flavor is lost to the pot and the risk of overcooking it is minimized.  It’s a great choice for beginners too. All you need is a large stock pot with a tight fitting lid, water (sea water if you can get it), salt (preferably sea salt), unsalted butter, and of course, very fresh lobsters. The addition of a small amount of seaweed to the pot is also popular if available.

The key though is to select the freshest lobster you can. Fresh lobsters are lively – flapping their tails and raising their claws in protest to being handled. They will also feel heavy for their size. Stay away from limp, light lobsters.

Method:

Fill a large stock pot so water comes 2-3 inches up the sides. If you are not using sea water add 2 tablespoons of coarse salt for each quart of water. Bring the water to a rolling boil, and drop the lobsters in head first, one at a time. Be careful not to crowd the pot with too many lobsters – this will vary depending on the size of both your lobsters and your pot. Cover tightly and bring back to a full rolling boil. Once it has returned to a boil start timing.

Steam your lobster for about 10 minutes per pound for the first pound adding 8 minutes per pound for each additional pound. For example, a typical 1 1/2 pound market lobster would take approximately 14 minutes and a two pounder about 18 minutes. It doesn't matter how many lobsters are in the pot, if they are all roughly the same size the cooking time is still the same. While this method is less prone to boil over (very messy) it can and does still happen. If it does, lower your temperature a little at a time until it settles. Half way through the cooking it’s also a good idea to give the lobsters a stir so they cook evenly.

Lobsters are cooked properly when the outer shell turns bright red and the meat is white all the way through, not translucent. One trick to checking if a lobster is thoroughly cooked is to pry the legs (not the claws). If they separate easily from the underside of the body then the lobster is cooked. Carefully remove lobsters from the pot with long tongs and transfer to a high sided platter to cool. Water will drain from the lobsters and they will continue to cook a little after you take them out of the pot.

Serve with melted butter and lemon. Enjoy!