One
of the great things about Maine lobsters is the fact that they can be
prepared in a number of different ways. Boiling, baking and steaming
whole lobsters are the most common and popular ways to prepare lobster.
Here are some tips:
• Boiling - When boiling a lobster, first fill a large kettle
with water. Add about two tablespoons of salt for each quart of water
in the kettle. Wait a few minutes until the water is at a rolling boil.
Then place one live lobster, head first, into the boiling water at a
time. The water may stop boiling for a moment after a lobster is dropped
in so be patient until the water begins to boil again.
Cover and boil for 15 minutes. An easy way to tell if the lobster is
ready to be eaten is by the appearance. The shell should be bright red
and the tail will curl.
• Baked lobsters - First, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Then
place the lobster on its back and split it from head to tail and remove
the guts. Then place the lobster on a baking pan and stuff it with melted
butter to keep it moist. Don’t overcook or the meat will be rubbery.
In all, bake at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes. After that, reduce
the heat to 350 degrees and continue to bake for another 10-15 minutes.
• Steamed lobsters - Steamed lobsters are one of the most popular
ways to prepare lobster in the New England area. To begin, pour about
two inches of water into a stock pot and bring to a boil. Add a pinch
of salt. Once the water has been brought to a boil, place the lobster
head first, one at a time into the pot. After this has finished, cover
and return to a boil. About 18 minutes should be allowed for each pound
of hard-shell lobsters.
A good general tip is to place lobster in the freezer for about 15
minutes before cooking to disable movement. Then you can remove the
rubber bands on the claws before cooking,
Of course there are many other different ways to use the lobster after
the initial meat cooking. There are entire Web sites and cookbooks devoted
to delicious lobster recipes. Those who have tried a lot of different
recipes often end up settling on one specific recipe that they like
best, but there are many to try.
Serve whole and plain with lemon butter for dipping or remove the
meat for use with ravioli.
One of the most important things to do is to use Maine lobster whenever
possible. These are widely regarded as the most delicious lobsters and
their taste will really come out when a specific recipe is being prepared
to accentuate their taste. The specialized flavor of a Maine lobster
stems from their cold, deep habitat.