I always wanted to try lobster. Does any one have suggestions on how to cook it?

Question

And which parts of the lobster do you eat?

Answer 1

Lobster Tips:

How to tell when a lobster is fully cooked:

The outer shell of the lobster will turn bright red. The meat should be white, opaque and firm. The tail will curl under and will resist your attempt to straighten it out. The two front antennae and walking legs of the lobster will pull out easily.

Are all lobsters the same?

The lobster found in the cold Northern East Atlantic waters from Maryland northwards are called (Latin) Homarus Americanus. These are a true lobster and in most New England states I think it may be "Illegal" to call anything else a lobster. Warmer water lobsters are technically a crayfish or Spiny Lobster. A true lobster has two large claws and a smoother shell. Both are delicious.


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How to buy a fresh lobster:

Lobsters are sold or graded by size.

Chickens or Chix are 1 lb. Or less.
Quarters are over 1 lb.-2 oz. to 1 lb.-4oz.
Halves are 1 lb.-6oz. to 1 1/2 lb.
Three Quarters are over 1 1/2 lb. to 1 3/4 lbs.
Deuces are over 1 3/4 lbs. to 2 lbs.
2-3 lbs. are over 2 1/2 lb. to 3 lb.
Jumbos are 4 lbs. and up.
Quarters through Deuces are the most popular and are called "Selects"
Missing a claw, you are a cull.

Do not buy a dead uncooked lobster. The stomach of a dead lobster continues to digest the lobster itself which can be both offensive and potentially dangerous to humans. If you flip a lobster upside down in your hand and the tail flops back towards the floor limp, it is likely dead or soon to be. Get one with some fight left in it!

How old is this thing?

A lobster takes about seven years to reach one pound in body weight. After that it takes about 4 years to gain each additional pound. A "Four Pounder" could be almost 20 years old.



Lobster Risotto

Ingredients:

4 ea 1-1.25# lobster (live)
1 onion (small, chopped)
5 oz unsalted butter (chilled in small cubes)
1 qt lobster stock (made from the lobster shells)
1 cup white wine (that you would drink)
10 oz arborio rice
2 oz grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (optional)
Salt & Pepper
Procedure:

Note: when buying lobster the smaller it is for its weight the fresher the lobster. Always buy the lobster that feels the heaviest for its' size. Lobster actually looses weight the longer it is kept in a tank, although the shell does not shrink. The lobster should be very lively with a hard shell.

Bring a large pot of heavily salted water (like seawater) to a boil. Separate the claws from the bodies of the lobster. Add the claws to the boiling water and cook for 3 minutes. Add the bodies and cook both for another three minutes. Put the bodies and claws directly into a large bowl of ice water and chill well.

Clean the meat from the shells being careful to keep the claws, knuckles and tail meat intact. Chill for use later. Make lobster stock using the shells and strain through a fine sieve. (call if you have questions about this).

Pre-heat the oven to 400f. Bring the stock to a boil in a deep pot. Sauté the onion and rice in a large pan. Add the wine and allow it to cook into the rice stirring constantly. Begin to ladle in the stock slowly allowing each ladle to be absorbed before adding the next. Stir gently as needed. When the rice is 3/4 cooked begin to add the butter slowly, allowing the rice to absorb it. With an additional knob of butter place the lobster tail and claw meat in the oven to heat. When the rice is cooked, but still nutty, add the lobster knuckle meat and allow the rice to thicken to a consistency that will just hold on the plate. Add the parmesan and season to taste. Rest the rice for two minutes.

Serve on a warm plate with the lobster on top of the rice and the butter from the lobster pan drizzled on the plate. ENJOY.



Classic Boiled Lobster

Available throughout the year, fresh lobsters should be purchased live and stored for only a few hours prior to cooking. It is imperative that lobster be cooked live or killed just prior to cooking. Here a fragrant lemon-herb dipping sauce complements the creamy white meat of the lobster.

Makes 8 servings

Preparation time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

1 cup butter
2 tablespoons lemon juice
4 teaspoons parsley, minced
4 teaspoons tarragon, minced
4 teaspoons watercress, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
8 lobsters, 1 1/2 pounds each
4 lemons, cut into wedges

Preparation:

Melt the butter in a skillet; add the lemon juice, parsley, tarragon, watercress, salt, and pepper. Transfer the dipping sauce to a bowl.

Fill an 8-quart stock pot two-thirds full of salted water and bring to a rolling boil. Add the lobsters, cooking in batches if necessary, and boil until they are bright red, 10 to 11 minutes.

Replenish the salted water as necessary and be sure to bring the water to a boil in between every batch.

Use tongs to place the lobsters on a platter. Serve with the lemon-herb dipping sauce and lemon wedges.

Tips for fabrication:

If fabricating the lobsters, wait for the first batch of lobsters to cool until they can be handled. The second batch of lobsters can be cooked while the first is cooling.

Separate the lobster in between the tail and the torso area. Make sure to do this over the sink or a bowl as there is quite a bit of liquid that will appear.

Separate the claws from the torso, as well as the knuckles from the claws.

Using kitchen shears, cut each edge of the underside of the tail shell and remove. The tail can be served in the shell or can now be removed in one piece.

Cut one side of the claw shell away using kitchen shears. The claw meat can be removed in one piece or served in the shell.

If desired, crack the shells of the knuckles with the heel of a chef knife and remove the meat. Be sure to cook the remaining batches of lobsters while fabricating the cooled ones.

Answer 2

Just a suggestion: cooking a lobster from scratch is a bit of advanced cookery. If what you really want to do is find out what good lobster tastes like, I would suggest that you go to as good a seafood restaurant as you can afford and order it there. At least then you are reasonably assured that the lobster will be cooked correctly and you will probably have several choices as to how it is prepared.

As to the parts you eat, the claws and tail contain the bulk of the meat. The legs also have meat in them, and some people swear by the tomally (this is the lobster's liver) in the abdomen.

Good luck!

Answer 3

Boiling is one of the simplest ways to cook a lobster, and is probably best for the squeamish that don't wish to cut up a live lobster with a knife.

Steaming is a great way to cook but not overcook a lobster's delicate meat. In order to properly steam a lobster, you need a sturdy and close to airtight steamer. The best steamer setup is a steamer insert inside a stockpot with a fitted, heavy lid.

To grill or bake a lobster, you must first cut it in half down the center. Make sure the rubber bands around the claws stay on during this process, as you don't want to be dodging the claws while cutting up the lobster.

Answer 4

If you want lobster...but more than just steamed, here are two recipes that I love to eat!

Lobster Roll
1 cup chopped celery (from 3 to 4 celery stalks), drained*
2 pounds freshly picked lobster meat, chilled and chopped into chunks, or 10 pounds live lobsters, steamed and meat removed
3/4 to 1 cup good quality mayonnaise
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, softened
6 hot dog buns
*Cooks Note: When celery is chopped, it tends to release its natural moisture, which can water down the lobster salad and give it a soupy consistency. To avoid this, chop the celery, wrap it in a dry clean towel or several paper towels, and place in the refrigerator for 15 to 20 minutes, allowing the towel to absorb any excess moisture.
In a medium bowl, combine the lobster meat, celery and mayonnaise and gently toss until well mixed. Season with the salt and pepper and chill for at least 30 minutes (or up to overnight) before serving.
Preheat a large heavy skillet over medium flame. Lightly butter both sides of each bun and cook for 2 minutes per side, until golden brown. (The buns may also be toasted under a broiler.) When toasted, stuff them with the chilled lobster salad and serve immediately.

Lobster and Mango Summer Rolls
Segments of 1 lime
1 tablespoon fish sauce (3 Crab Brand)
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1/2 pound pea sprouts
16 Thai basil leaves
1 package rice papers, 6 to 8-inch diameter
2 steamed lobster tails, chilled and sliced
1 large, ripe mango, sliced in long strips
In a large bowl, mix the lime, fish sauce and sugar well. Break up the lime segments. Toss with sprouts and basil. Check for seasoning. Lay out 1 rice paper wrapper and place a small mound of salad at the bottom. Top with lobster and mango. Roll bottom toward the middle. Fold in both sides and continue rolling. Finish roll and let rest. Individually wrap each roll with plastic wrap. Will hold for 2 hours in the refrigerator. Slice on the bias and serve on top of extra salad.

Answer 5

Buy your lobsters which must be alive and get a large kettle of lightly salted water boiling and when at a rolling full boil plunge the lobsters in headfirst and in about ten minutes they will be a bright red and then done and ready for eating.Serve with plenty of drawn (melted) butter. The tail has the larget piece of meat and the claws come next. Most of the front part is discarded. You will also need nutcrackers to break open the claws too.

Answer 6

To cook lobster tail poach in real better from 4 to 6 minutes depends on the size. You can also eat the claws and legs, maybe the innerds if you are up to it. ENJOY

Answer 7

Grilled Lobster with Potato Salad:

1 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled
1/3 cup thawed frozen orange juice concentrate
1/4 cup lemon juice
4 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2/3 cup finely chopped green onions, including tops
Salt
4 spiny or rock lobster tails (1/2 lb. each), thawed if frozen
1/4 cup fresh salmon caviar (ikura, optional)

1. In a 5- to 6-quart pan over high heat, bring potatoes and 3 quarts water to a boil. Cover and simmer until potatoes are tender when pierced, 30 to 35 minutes. Drain. When potatoes are cool enough to touch, cut into 1/4- to 1/2-inch chunks.

2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, stir together orange juice concentrate, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, and green onions. Add potato chunks and mix gently. Add salt to taste.

3. With scissors, cut lengthwise down the center of the top of each lobster shell. Set each tail, underside down, on a cutting board. Force a heavy knife through the cut in each shell to slice each lobster tail in half. Rinse lobster in shell.

4. Lay lobster on a lightly oiled grill over a solid bed of hot coals or high heat on a gas grill (you can hold your hand at grill level only 2 to 3 seconds); close lid on gas grill. Turn once to cook evenly until lobster is opaque but moist-looking in center of thickest part (cut to test), about 7 minutes.

5. Mound potato salad equally onto plates; top with caviar. Place 2 lobster halves around each salad portion.

Yield: 4 servings

Answer 8

broil it, bake it, grill it, or boil it!
go to allrecipes.com!