Cooking a live lobster can be intimidating, but take it one step at a time and you’ll have a delicious dinner in no time! Please note this was my first time cooking a live lobster and is written in the hopes of preparing other first-timers for both the process and the emotions involved.
| Servings | Prep Time |
| 1-2 people | 10 minutes |
| Cook Time |
| 15-20 minutes |
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Cooking a live lobster can be intimidating, but take it one step at a time and you’ll have a delicious dinner in no time! Please note this was my first time cooking a live lobster and is written in the hopes of preparing other first-timers for both the process and the emotions involved.
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Ingredients
- 1 lobster (about 2 lbs)
- salt
Servings: people
Units:
Instructions
Ways to kill a lobster humanely:
- A) Put in head first to boiling water. This is supposed to instantly kill it and is Alton Brown’s preferred method (he’s the guy on Good Eats). B) Freeze for 15-30 minutes before cooking it. This is a pretty hands-off approach which is supposed to make the lobster numb. C) cut the lobster between the eyes and sever the spinal cord. This seems the most difficult emotionally to me. Ultimately I chose Alton Brown’s advice which was incredibly stressful… mostly because my pot wasn’t a big lobster pot.
- Boil 15 minutes (according to Maine folk) or 20 minutes (according to fish market folk), remove from water and drain. Snip off elastic bands. You could remove those prior to cooking, but I was nervous about being pinched and the folks at the fish market told me it was fine to leave them on.
- Next, prep the lobster for eating. Cut the tail in half longways. Next, pop the claws away from the body. Once they are free, use a knife to separate the joint. Insert and twist. Watch out, there might be some cooking water trapped in there. Arrange the pieces on a platter and enjoy with heaps of Vanilla-Shallot Dipping Butter.