How to Boil Lobster
Few foods epitomize luxury and decadence like lobster. You can find recipes for lobster in just about every kind of dish, from lobster lasagna to lobster mac and cheese. But for lobster beginners, it's wise to start with the basics by learning how to boil lobster. Even lobster connoisseurs can appreciate the scrumptious simplicity of boiled lobster. So whether you're just starting to test your culinary claws or you're looking to perfect your tried and true technique, follow this step-by-step guide for how to boil lobster.Transcript
-Hi! I'm Christina for recipe.com. You came on a good
day because today we're making boiled lobster. I have 2
very special guest stars with me today. They just don't
happen to know they're also dinner. Here's all you need.
Of course, you need 2 lobsters. These are 1 to
2 pounds each and then we have some clarified butter.
Got to have the clarified butter to dip the lobster
in.
And then here I have 8 quartz of water with
about 2 teaspoons of salt. So, my salted water is
boiling and ready to go. Now here, I have 2
live lobsters. You're gonna wanna get this fresh from your
grocer that day. Otherwise, you can store them in the
refrigerator up to 24 hours, but for the freshest most
delicious taste, you do wanna use them right away. Okay,
the water is boiling. Let's do this. It's not gonna
be like a scene out of Julie & Julia, I
promise. Just pick them up. Right behind the eyes there,
plunge them in, head first to the boiling water.
Dinner time! There's one and there is two. Put the
lid on. They won't try to climb out. They're not
screaming, I promise. We're gonna turn it down, let it
simmer for about 20 minutes and then you have boiled
lobster for dinner. Okay, get ready for the big reveal.
It's gonna be lobster magic. And there you go. Look
at the color of that lobster. It went from that
dark color to this bright red. And as you know,
it's done.
Before you can crack open the lobster, you need to
let it cool down until it's cool enough to handle.
And in that time, you can make some clarified butter.
I have some here ready to go. All you need
to do is slowly melt about a quarter cup of
butter and don't stir it while it's melting. Then once
it's completely melted, pour off the top glare which is
nice and clear and discard the milky bottom. I can't
wait to dip some of this lobster meat into that
clarified butter.
Let's dive into these lobsters. The first thing you wanna
do is cut off these rubber bands. We were grateful
for them-- for them before, but we certainly don't want
them now. Okay. The next step is we're gonna remove
the tails. Just lift it up and twist it right
off.
So after you've removed the tail, you can see there's
a little bit of the tamales here, which is the
liver. You just wanna get that out of there. Now,
with some kitchen shears, I'm gonna expose the tail meat.
If you see a little black vein running down the
middle of the tail, just remove that and discard. So,
cut through the tail and that lobster tail is ready
to dip in the butter and enjoy. Then I'm gonna
twist the claws and remove them from the body.
Okay. So using a nut cracker, break open the claws
and then you can use a small fork to remove
the meat from the claws. So, I've removed all of
the meat from one of the lobsters. That's ready to
go. I'm gonna do the exact same thing with the
second lobster. You can just dip that delicious lobster meat
into your clarified butter. It's like a fancy restaurant right
at home and that's how you make boiled lobster.
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What You'll Need
- 8 quarts water
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 1- to 1 1/2-pound live lobsters
- 1 recipe Clarified Butter (see recipe below)
Step By Step
1
In a 12-quart kettle bring water and salt to boiling. Grasp each lobster just behind the eyes; rinse lobsters under cold running water. Quickly plunge lobsters headfirst into the boiling water. Return to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Drain lobsters, remove bands or pegs on large claws.
2
When cool enough to handle, place each lobster on its back. Separate the lobster tail from the body . Cut away the tail membrane to expose the meat. Remove and discard the black vein running through the tail. Remove meat from tail. Twist the large claws away from the body. Using a nutcracker, break open the claws. Remove the meat from the claws. Crack the shell on remaining part of the body; remove meat with a small fork. Discard the green tomalley (liver) and the coral roe (found in female lobsters). Serve lobster meat with Clarified Butter.
3
Melt 1/4 cup butter over very low heat without stirring; cool slightly. Pour off clear top layer; discard milky bottom layer.
When you learn how to boil lobster, you won't have to rely on a restaurant whenever you have a craving for this culinary classic. Remember that when it comes to how to boil lobster (as with nearly anything in the culinary world), practice makes perfect. The more lobsters you boil, the easier it will get.
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