How to Boil Lobster

Lobster is a very flavorful seafood. There is not much you need to do in order to enjoy this delectable crustacean. That’s why it is mostly served steamed or boiled in restaurants.

If you want to serve the best lobster then, you must learn how to boil lobster perfectly. This is key as boiling is the simplest, easiest, and most effective way of retaining the flavor of the seafood while trying to make a masterpiece of a recipe out of it.

Learn More about Lobster

Before we delve deeper on the process of boiling lobster, you must first understand the nature of this wonderful seafood.

Lobster tastes delicious. In fact, with a stock of flavors it has on its own, you can serve it with nothing at all, except a small bowl of your favorite dipping sauce. You can serve it boiled, steamed, grilled, or baked. You may add a few spices to enhance its flavors but you need to make sure they are not overpowering so as to maintain the taste of the seafood alone.

Some cooks also find mixing lobster meat with other dishes such a smart move. You can mix lobster to yours salads, spreads, and stews to give it a nice flavor of the sea.

Many parts of the lobster can be eaten. The best part is the meat found in the front claws and the tail. These parts are the meatier parts. The legs and the other parts of the body contain less meat but they are still delicious and worth getting.

It is very important to cook your lobster right. That’s the only way you will be able to enjoy its goodness. If you mistakenly overcook your lobster, you will get tougher and less succulent meat. If you under cook it, you would not like the taste as well. You better be guided well. Lobsters are quite expensive. You must never waste it by cooking it the wrong way.

How to Boil Lobster

To boil a lobster, you will need a large pot. Make sure that it has enough room for your seafood. Lobsters are huge. They usually come in a pound or two pounds or even more pounds of weight.

As with boiling other food ingredients, timing is everything here. You must ensure to time your cooking properly to enjoy the best-tasting boiled lobster. The basic idea is to cook a pound of lobster for 10 minutes. You should add three minutes more for every extra pound there in. A 2-pound lobster will cook in 13 minutes; a 3-pound lobster will cook in 16 minutes; a 4-pound lobster will cook in 19 minutes and so on and so forth.

You must allow the water to boil first before putting your lobster. If you plan to season your lobster, put in the spices and seasonings onto the water before boiling it.

When the water starts a fierce boil, it is time to put in your lobster. Drop the lobster headfirst onto the boiling water. Let it cook in high heat. As the water starts to boil again, that’s when you will start to time.

There has been quite a concern regarding the most humane method of boiling a lobster. Some concerned citizens think that immersing a live lobster onto a pot of boiling water is plainly cruel and inhumane. That’s why several relaxing methods have been introduced to make the lobster feel like nothing at all when it is being cooked. One of those methods is by numbing the lobster through freezing. Put in your lobster in the freezer for five to ten minutes before boiling it. You will see that the lobster will make only a few tail flicks, which is a sign, as they say, that the lobster felt less pain.

Do not Overcook your Lobster

Overcooking your meat is a no-no for lobsters. As mentioned earlier, this is quite an expensive investment that you should learn to handle properly. Overcooked lobsters will have a tough meat that tastes almost bland. The meat will also shrink and become mushy and stringy. To tell if your lobsters are done, check the following tips:

* The shell will turn bright red.

* An antennae will come off easily if you pull it gently.

* Properly cooked lobster meat is firm. Its color should be white, not translucent.

* The liver of the lobster, also known as the green tomalley, will turn greenish yellow in color when the lobster is cooked.

Once your lobster is cooked, it is ideal that you serve it immediately, while it is hot. You can use a cracker to crack the shell and expose the meat or you may also use a knife to cut through the claws. You may prepare a simple dressing of mayonnaise, melted butter, and lemon juice as your dipping sauce.