Cooking TipsCooking Live Lobster Right
One of the first things that you have to come to terms with in cooking live lobster is the fact that you will be the person that will place a living creature in water that is boiling. Most people feel squeamish about this. They are not sure they can do it. This is what makes cooking live lobster so different.Cooking lobster can seem like a challenge for some people, but it"s really not that difficult.
So what do you do with this lobster once it arrives, after all it needs to prepared for the dinner table. For starters the best thing to do is leave it in the package that it arrived in. Most likely it is an insulated foam box that also has frozen gel packs. This serves one primary purpose which is to keep your precious lobster cool and comfy during transit. Whatever you do, don"t put it in fresh water, this will actually kill the lobster and we definitely do not want that to happen, at least not yet!
Lobster is best cooked alive, however if it doesn"t arrive alive as long as it was kept cool it will still be okay to cook and to eat. The next thing to do is prepare the cooking area for you freshly delivered live Maine lobster.
Lets move forward with the preparation which will ensure you are cooking your live lobster correctly.
Prepare a large stock pot by adding water and bringing this to a boil. It is also important to know what size the lobsters are in order to ensure the proper cooking time. Generally speaking an invoice will be included that lists the contents and will specify the size of the lobsters. Also, if you ordered the lobsters online then just make a mental note of the size when ordering. Lobsters are measured in pounds vs. inches or some other measurement. The following chart lists the different weights and the accompanying cook times for each weight range:
1 lb. to 1-1/4 lbs. 15 minutes
1-1/2 lbs. to 2 lbs. 17-20 minutes
2 lbs. to 3 lbs. 20-minutes
3 to 6 lbs. 24-28 minutes
6 to 7 lbs. 28-30 minutes
8 lbs. & up. 4 minutes per pound
Once the stock pot has come to a boil it is now time to cook the lobster! Make note of the time for cooking and either set a timer or mark the time when cooking was started as well as when the lobster will be done.
Grab the lobster firmly around the body, behind the two main lobster claws. Put the lobster head first into the boiling water. To make sure you don"t burn yourself you can simply release the lobster as it is entering the water. Their is the possibility that the lobster will kick a little so make sure that the lid to the lobster stock pot is put on immediately. The lobster is cold and will most likely stop the water from boiling as the temperature adjusts. This is normal and the water will begin to boil again momentarily. Leaving the lid on the stock pot helps to get the water boiling again quickly and ensures proper cooking throughout your fresh lobster.
Once the timer has gone off it is time to remove your cooked lobster. Use heavy duty utensils to remove your cooked lobster. They can sometimes be heavy so simple salad tongs most likely will not be sufficient. Once removed be careful not to grab or touch the lobster with your hands, they are extremely hot and will burn your skin. Let the lobster cool a little and then place it on the serving tray for presentation.
If the detailed directions are followed properly then there is no question that you will have cooked your live lobster properly. It is not a difficult process and anyone can pull this off with ease. Even if this is the first time you have ever cooked a live lobster be confident that armed with the correct information you can cook your lobster like a master chef.