If you've ever wondered how to boil lobster, this is the recipe for you. I've got an easy set of step-by-step instructions on how to cook whole lobster, New England style, for a delicious lobster dinner.
Growing up in New England, it was common to find live lobsters in tanks at many local grocery stores. But it was only until recently that I felt comfortable cooking them myself. After all, it can feel intimidating to cook live seafood!
It's a beautiful skill to be able to prepare fresh lobster. Whether you're hosting a seafood boil, a cookout (I love pairing this with my impossible smash burgers!), or preparing Connecticut lobster rolls, it's a wonderful treat for a special occasion. So grab a big pot, and let's get started!
Sourcing Lobster
Let's talk about sourcing options. If you're in the New England area (and some other coastal areas in the US), it's relatively straightforward to find lobster near you. You can pick them up at many local grocery stores and fish markets.
If you live in a landlocked state, having them shipped to you is a great option.I recommend Luke's Lobster, Island Creek Oysters, or Red's Best. Lobster is expensive, so make sure to order delivery from a reputable source!
Now, let's talk about sizes. While larger lobsters offer more meat, they can be less tender. I find that smaller, 1.25 to 1.5 pound varieties strike a perfect balance. They're easier to handle and cook, ensuring a delicious lobster dish every time.
Special Equipment
You'll want a big pot and tongs for cooking the lobster. For shelling, you'll need a few more specialized tools.
Lobster Cracker: This specialized tool helps crack the lobster shell, particularly the claws, to access the meat inside. If you don’t have a lobster cracker, you can use a nutcracker.
Lobster Shears or Kitchen Scissors: These are used to cut through the lobster shell, especially the tail section, to help remove the meat without damaging it.
Seafood Picks or Forks: These small, narrow tools help extract meat from the smaller, harder-to-reach parts of the lobster, such as the legs and joints.
How to Cook Lobster
- Put the lobster to sleep: Place lobsters on a sheet pan in the freezer for 30 - 60 minutes.
- Get the water ready: Fill a very large pot (preferably metal) with water, ensuring enough room for them to cook. Salt water generously and bring to a rolling boil over high heat.
- Snip the bands: Remove the lobsters from the freezer. They should now be sleeping, or at least calm enough that you can snip the rubber bands off with kitchen shears or a sharp knife.
- Cook the lobster: Carefully hold the body of the lobster, and add to the boiling water, one by one. Lobster is done when the meat is opaque and firm but not tough. The internal temperature should be around 135 -140°F (57-60°C). A general guideline is to boil a 1.25 pound lobster for about 8 -12 minutes, adding 2 - 3 minutes of cooking time for each additional quarter pound.
- Remove and cool: Remove from the pot with tongs and allow the cooked lobsters to cool on a plate until you can handle them.
Serve as is, on a large platter, with melted butter (or better yet, clarified butter), and a squeeze of lemon juice. Or, follow the instructions below for shelling them before serving.
Shelling and Shucking
- Separate the Parts: Separate the claws, tail, and legs by twisting each section and pulling away from the body.
- Remove the tomalley: Tomalley is a soft, green substance part of the lobster's digestive tract. Some people enjoy eating it for its rich flavor, while others prefer to discard it. The tomalley is found in the body cavity of the lobster. Use a small spoon or your fingers to scoop out the tomalley. If you prefer not to use it, you can discard it.
- Clean the Body: After removing the tomalley, clean out any remaining parts or use the lobster body for other recipes or stock.
- Crack the Claws: Use the lobster cracker to crack the claws and knuckles. Extract the knuckle and claw meat using seafood picks or forks.
- Cut the Tail: Use kitchen scissors to cut along the underside of the tail shell. Open the shell and remove the tail meat in one piece.
- Extract the Leg Meat: Use seafood picks or forks to push or pull the meat from the smaller legs (or, just suck the meat out one-by-one).
If desired, save any lobster shells for seafood stock.
Tips
- For best results, use a meat thermometer to gauge when the meat is done cooking to prevent a chewy lobster texture. The internal temperature should be around 135 -140°F (57-60°C).
- For a smoother cooking process, don't skip the freezing step! That ensures the lobster will be easier to handle.
- Don't discard the leftover cooking liquid or seafood shells! You can make a delicious seafood stock with it for crab stew, lobster bisque, or lobster chowder.
Recipe FAQs
This totally depends on your preference! Hard shell lobsters are more prevalent in the winter months and have a firmer texture with more meat. Soft shell lobsters are a bit more sweet and tender but contain less meat.
Make sure to generously salt the water to flavor the meat!
Lobster cooks quickly, and overcooking it, even by a few minutes, can cause the meat to become tough and rubbery. Lobster should be cooked until it is just opaque and firm to the touch.
You can store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 - 4 days.
For beginners, it's easiest to boil it whole. That said, different parts of the body do cook differently, so the best way to prevent overcooking is to break it down.
If you go this route, you will need to kill it first, then break down the body into the claws, knuckles, and lobster tails. For more details, you can check out this Serious Eats post.
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Happy eating! Love, KarishmaHow To Boil Lobster
Equipment
- Large stock pot
- Kitchen scissors, or lobster shears
- Seafood crackers
- Seafood forks
Ingredients
- 2 live lobsters, 16-ounce to 24-ounces each
For serving:
- Clarified butter, or ghee
- Lemon wedges
Instructions
Cook the lobster:
- Chill 2 live lobsters on a sheet pan in the freezer for 30 minutes to an hour.
- Fill a very large pot (preferably metal) with water, ensuring enough room for them to cook. Salt water generously and bring to a rolling boil over high heat.
- Remove the lobsters from the freezer. They should now be sleeping, or at least calm enough that you can snip the rubber bands off with kitchen shears or a sharp knife.
- Carefully hold the body of the lobster, and add to the boiling water, one by one. The lobster is cooked when the meat is opaque and firm but not tough. The internal temperature should be around 135 -140°F (57-60°C).Note: A general guideline is to boil a 1.25 pound lobster for about 8 -12 minutes, adding 2 - 3 minutes of cooking time for each additional ¼ pound.
- Remove from the pot with tongs and allow the cooked lobsters to cool on a plate until you can handle them.Serve as is, on a large platter, with clarified butter and lemon wedges. Or, follow the instructions below for shelling them before serving.
Shuck and shell:
- Separate the claws, tail, and legs by twisting each section and pulling away from the body.
- Remove the tomalley: The tomalley is found in the body cavity of the lobster. Use a small spoon or your fingers to scoop out the tomalley. If you prefer not to use it, you can discard it.After removing the tomalley, clean out any remaining parts or use the lobster body for other recipes or stock.
- Crack the Claws: Use the lobster cracker to crack the claws and knuckles. Extract the knuckle and claw meat using seafood picks or forks.
- Cut the Tail: Use kitchen scissors to cut along the underside of the tail shell. Open the shell and remove the tail meat in one piece.
- Extract the Leg Meat: Use seafood picks or forks to push or pull the meat from the smaller legs (or, just suck the meat out one-by-one).
Notes
- For a smoother cooking process, don't skip the freezing step! That ensures the lobster will be easier to handle.
- Don't discard the leftover cooking liquid or seafood shells! You can make a delicious seafood stock with it.
Nutrition
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
