Lobster Question?

Question

I love lobster normally cooked and presented in a resturaunt. I have never cooked any whole lobsters just tails. Is buying a whole lobster worth it? How much meat is really in a whole one? Walmart sells them for like $13 or $14 a pound. And how do you cook em?

Answer 1

It is actually very simple. You will need a LARGE stock pot.

1. fill pot deep enough to totally cover lobster
2. bring water to full boil
3. season water with salt, pepper and a seafood boil seasoning -- I like emril's essence
4. Place lobster into boiling water

The lobster will scream -- just want to prepare you

It will need to bil for about 2-3 minutes per pound


Remove from water -- make a big mess and wear a smile

Answer 2

Your garden variety 1 1/4 lb lobster -usually called a chicken lobster- is going to be about 65-75% waste depending upon:
Your ability to get the meat out of it
Whether or not you plan to use the carcass as a base for a stock/ sauce -great idea
And how much water weight your lobster contains -really important
Lobsters as we all know have exoskeletons. In order to grow your lobster must grow a new skeleton under the old one and then get rid of the old one -or molt
When this happens a lobster will have a higher percentage of water.
How to tell ? Pick him up mid- thorax and squeeze him . If he is soft and mushy put him back and find a lobster that you can't squeeze
As lobsters get bigger their percentage of edible meat goes up -as does their cost
Lobster meat is highly perishible and as such the lobster must be very much alive when you buy it and just prior to cooking it.
Do not buy or cook a lethargic lobster- it is actually dangerous.
I personally prefer to broil a lobster rather than steam it, I think it gives greater flavor.
To broil a lobster you will need some melted butter
place the broiler pan in the lowest position
turn on broiler
Flip lobster on his back
Using a real chefs knife , place the point where the leg valley meets the tail and in one swift motion cut downward bisecting his mandibles
Turn the lobster around and bisect his tail
Reach in with a finger or two and pull the tail meat free of the shell and then return it too the shell . This will make eating it easier.
Using your fingers spread/ crack the lobsters shell open
Behind the mandibles is a marble sized sac , this is the lobsters stomach. Throw it out,
You will also see a green gooey structure ,this is the lobsters liver .remove it and either reserve for sauce or discard
To cook crack the inside of the claws a couple of times with the back of your chef's knife
Butter the tail and inside of the cavity ,If you wantyou can add bread crumbs or an appropriate seafood stuffing mixture to the thorax
Place on a baking /cookie sheet for 7-9 minutes until tail meat is firm but still gives to the touch
enjoy

Answer 3

You will most likely get more meat if you are just buying the tail (usually $20-$35 / #).
If you buy a 2# Maine lobster you'll end up with about 10-14oz of lobster meat (40% yeild). You can purchase any size tail but I wouldn't serve less than a 12-14oz tail.

I enjoy eating a whole lobster a lot more than just the tail. Each section of the lobster tastes different and has a different texture to enjoy. I usually only eat lobster at home.
Buying it at a restaurant is usually way overpriced.

Boil a large pot of water. Overseason the water with salt, pepper, white vinegar, fresh lemons cut in quarters, onions, garlic, celery, carrots, bay leaves, peppercorns, white wine.

Let that boil for at least 15 minutes.

Add red potatoes and ears of corn to the water for your side dishes. cook for 15 minutes

Add your LIVE lobster to the boiling water and cover with a lid. Boil for 3 minutes and turn the heat down and cook for another 5-8 minutes depending on the size. Remove the lobsters from the pot and let drain on a sheet pan (to remove excess water) remove the claws by twisting them while wrapped in a towel and place back in the pot for another 3-5 minutes.
(The claws take longer to cook than the tail so I like to seperate them & cook them longer).

Strain the claws, corn and potatoes from the water.
The garlic, onions, celery and carrots taste great too.

Serve them right away with lots of butter & it will be great

Answer 4

Well a chicken lobster, they're smaller about 2lbs average isn't worth the price but the bigger ones might be but it all depends on how bad your craving for the lobster is. Anyways there's a lot of meat in a lobster besides the tail but it all depends on your preference, you have the legs and claws and there is some meat in the head thats edible but I don't eat it. Also from the answer above, the lobster does not SCREAM. It's just the air escaping it's shell.

Answer 5

I think the answer depends on you...
There is some work involved in cracking a lobster open and getting the meat out. Also, you need to ensure you cook it properly, basically until it's red but, you can usually have the store steam it for you to ensure it's cooked properly if you're uncertain. Good luck!

Answer 6

Free lobster recipes and for everything lobster visit http://www.lobsterhelp.com

Answer 7

I'm not sure if they are worth buying and not sure how much meat is in them because I don't eat them.......but, I DO know that they steam it until it is bright red in a big pot. here's a good site that can show you recipes on how to do it....for FREE too!

www.recipezaar.com