Eating perfectly cooked lobsters is certainly one of the simplest happiness and pleasures in the world! However, how to cook live lobster to perfection is not an easy task to accomplish. Having understood all of your concerns, Fishermen’s Net is going to provide you with a full instruction on how to cook whole live lobster.
You can cook lobster at any time, but especially during the lobster season, you will receive the best quality, freshest and most affordable lobsters.
Why Should You Cook Lobster Alive?
Because lobsters often decay very quickly after death, affecting the flavor and texture of the meat, bacteria are easy to grow. If ingested, the possibility of food poisoning is very high. Therefore, you should cook lobster while it is alive to avoid such problems and enjoy its fresh taste.
How To Cook Live Lobster Humanely?
When it comes to cooking a live ingredient, killing it is obviously one of the parts when processing it. The questions are “Is there any humane way to kill a lobster?”, or “What is the best way to kill a live lobster?”.
The answer is quite simpler than you think! Below are the 4 techniques that you can choose to kill a live lobster humanely.
Keep the lobster extremely cold
To get control of a lobster, just keep them extremely cold either on ice or in the fridge. When a lobster is exposed to a significant change in temperature, death may ensue. Therefore, you should place the lobster in the coldest part of the fridge before cooking it.
Put the lobster into boiling water
This method is commonly used by many people when dispatching a live lobster.
- Fill large pot with 3/4 full of water and add a tablespoon of salt for every quart of water, then bring it to a rapid boil.
- Grasp the lobster by the body and put the head first in to the boiling water. Continue with the left ones. Cover the pot.
- Note the time when the water comes to a boil again, from that point, boil lobsters for 10 - 20 minutes or more.
Depending on the size of the lobster, you can estimate the time you cook lobster.
- 10 - 13 minutes for 1 lb lobster
- 12 - 18 minutes for a 1 1/2 pound lobster
- 18 - 23 minutes for a 2 - 3 pound lobster
- When it's all done, the lobster should be a bright vivid red color, guarantee lobster are not raw or undercooked.
Remember to hold the lobster carefully around the middle to avoid those claws, since they can hurt your fingers.
Blade right between the lobster’s eyes
Using a very sharp knife is another popular technique for the question “How to cook a live lobster humanely?”. The purpose of this method is to kill this creature instantly with only one swift cut. In specific, please have a look at the picture below to learn how to do it.
What Size Should A Lobster Pot Be?
It does not matter whether you decided on steaming or boiling the lobster, you should pick a pot with lots of room. This is because if you crowd too many lobsters in the pot, the heat will not circulate thoroughly around them. In case you do not have a big enough pot, try cooking the lobster in batches by using more pots.
Here is what you can take for reference. A 4 or 5-quart pot will certainly work well for a couple of small lobsters. Meanwhile, a 19-quart pot will be able to cook about 5 - 6 live lobsters of 1 - ¼ lb or a lobster jumbo.
How To Cook Live Lobster At Home With Steaming Method?
Step 1: Use a big-enough pot in order to be able to hold the lobsters and fill them up with water. Specifically, after adding water and lobster into the pot, it should come up sides about 2 inches.
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Step 2: Add 2 tbsps of sea salt for each quart of water.
Step 3: Bring the water to a rolling boil, then put the lobsters into the pot (One at a time, and head first). Make sure to cover the pot tightly, return to a boil as quickly as possible, and start counting the time.
Step 4: Steam one lobster for 7 minutes per lb, and add 3 more minutes per lb for each additional lb thereafter. Please have a look at the table below to know the approximate steaming time.
Step 5: Take out the lobster with tongs with extra care, since they will be very hot. Set the lobsters aside in a large bowl for about 5 minutes to cool before cracking the shells.
How To Cook A Live Lobster With Boiling Method?
Step 1: Same as the steaming method, use a big-enough pot and fill it from ½ - ⅔ full with water.
Step 2: Add 2 tbsps of sea salt for each quart of water. Then, bring this amount of water to a strong boil over high heat. You can also add lobster spices as herb to add aroma to your dish.
Step 3: Put the lobster into the pot (one at a time, and head first). You should make sure to keep the underside of the body away from you. This is just in case the lobster flips the tail splashing boiling water all over you.
Step 4: Cover the pot tightly, and return to a boil as quickly as possible. Be sure to keep the water boiling throughout the boiling time (As in the below table).
Step 5: Take out the lobster with tongs with extra care, since they will be very hot. Set the lobsters aside in a large bowl for about 5 minutes to cool before cracking the shells.
How To Cook Whole Live Lobster With Microwaving Method?
The microwaving method helps cook the lobsters in their own juices, and helps the shell impart extra flavor as well. In addition, the lobsters will stay hotter for longer, as they are cooked in thick shells. Here are the essential materials for this technique.
- One gallon of plastic food-safe zippered freezer bag per 1 ¼ lb or 1 ½ lb of lobster.
- Half of the lemon used to spear on the rostrum above the lobster’s eyes.
- Rockweed used to add more flavor to your fabulous lobster dish.
The lobster should be cooked at the highest setting of your microwave for the amount of time as in the table below.
See details How to grill whole lobsters at home if you want more flavor for your Maine lobster.
After cooking lobster, instead of eating it immediately, you can process it into many other delicious dishes such as lobster thermidor, lobster bisque,...
How To Reheat Lobster?
Reheating a cooked lobster within the first 24 hours is not so complicated! All you need to do is reheat it in its shell in your microwave for around a minute or less. Alternatively, just gently steam it in the water for approximately 2 - 3 minutes (This also depends on the lobster’s size).
If you cannot reheat your lobster within this time, it is best to take the meat out of its shell. Then, keep it in a covered bowl or a zip lock bag, and store it in the fridge. The out-of-the-shell lobster meat can be kept refrigerated for up to 2 - 3 days. You can still enjoy the meat cold in lobster rolls or warm by heating it up in a saucepan with a little butter.
See how to make the best surf and turf steak and lobster for a hearty meal.
How To Know If A Lobster Is Cooked?
A lobster is cooked when its shell entirely turns red. Furthermore, the meat of a properly cooked lobster will become cream white all the way through with no translucent areas.
On the other hand, you can use a thermometer to check on lobster meat. When the lobster is perfectly cooked, the internal temperature should be read between 135 - 140 °F.
After cooking is finished, you should enjoy it with side dishes. You may be wondering what to serve with lobster, read our blog post!
Some Tips To Cook The Perfect Live Lobster
20 minutes before cooking, you should put the raw lobster in the freezer compartment of the refrigerator, so that it can fall asleep, then you will easily handle them without danger.
It is still advisable to keep bands tied around lobster claw to inhibit their activity. And since it's also hard for you to cut them off, lobsters can attack you and get in the way of cooking.
Be sure to choose lobsters that are still active and have nice, long, unbroken antennas. You can rest assured if you order live lobster at Fishermen's Net.
Poke a few holes in the body and tail of the lobster after cooking to let excess water escape, and it will be drier when eaten.
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How To Separate Meat From Lobster?
First, you should grasp the tail and twist it away from the body, or use a knife to cut down the intersection between the tail and the head.
Then separate the meat from the tail shell by using lobster shears to cut along the sides of the tail.
Use a knife to cut along a groove just enough to get the dark black thread on the tail body.
Use a nutcracker to easily break the knuckles and claws and remove the flesh. Or you can use a skewer to pull the meat out.
You can also get a visual reference from the following video.
Read more: How to eat a whole lobster for beginners?
That is all for today’s topic. Now you know how to cook live lobster to perfection. Fishermen’s Net hopes that with our instruction, you will have unforgettable moments with lobster.
Visit our blog for more useful tips related to the lobster. Feel free to contact us via the below contact information if you have any further questions or requests.
- Website: www.mualobster.com
- Address: 849 Forest Ave, Portland, ME 04103
- Tel: +1 (207) 772-3565
