Home Cooking & Good Spirits
Lobster
Cooking lobster right, plus two mouth-watering recipes
BY
Jonathan King and Jim Stott
PHOTOGRAPHY
Jonathan King and Jim Stott


Cooking Guidelines
Generally, the guidelines for how to cook a lobster is as follows:

1 pound: 5 minutes
11⁄8 pounds: 6 minutes
11⁄4 pounds: 8 minutes
11⁄2 to 2 pounds: 8 to 10 minutes
More than 2 pounds: 12 to 14 minutes

When they are ready, serve with melted real butter and squeeze some fresh lemon juice right into each dipping bowl for a lighter flavor. We like to add corn on the cob, crusty French bread, and a fresh salad to complete the meal.

All that’s left to do it to get out the crackers, the tiny forks, plenty of napkins and a chilled Pinot Gris, white burgundy or, our favorite, ice-cold beer and you’re set for the best down-east feast you’ve ever had.

At almost $10 a pound currently it is hard to believe that lobsters were originally used in Maine to fertilize the soil and to fill the hungry tummies of children, servants, and prisoners! In Massachusetts, servants actually rebelled and demanded their contracts stipulate that they would not be forced to eat lobster more than three times a week. Indeed, the prized “taste of Maine” now loved by locals and tourists alike, was once a poor man’s food.

Up until 1850 lobsters were caught in the tidal pools that dot every mile of the rugged New England coast. That was the year that the lobster trap was invented and now more than 6,500 Maine lobstermen couldn’t be more grateful! As most of you know, in the United States the lobster industry is regulated by law to protect the “crop” for future generations. Every lobsterman is required to carry a gauge to measure the distance from the lobster's eye socket to the end of its carapace (the body). There is a legal minimum size of  31⁄4 inches and a maximum of 5 inches in Maine, meant to ensure the survival of healthy adult males. Additionally, all lobster traps must contain an escape hole so small lobsters can escape. We didn’t realize that lobsters can easily escape the set traps and have been known to defend the trap against other lobsters sneaking in to steal their food. In fact one study conducted at the University of New Hampshire estimates that only 10 percent of lobsters that encounter a trap actually enter and that only 6 percent will be trapped inside the pot.

Once you’ve bought your lobster at the local pound (look for the ones that are squirming and lively not lethargic), don’t be intimidated by cooking them. Even though there are lots of ways to grill, bake or boil lobster, we prefer and recommend steaming; it is a great yet simple way to cook, but not overcook, the delicate meat. The best setup is a steamer insert placed inside a lobster pot fitted with a heavy lid. Be sure not to crowd the pot too much and keep the water at a serious rolling boil. It's better to cook the lobsters in several small batches than to rush it by cramming them into one pot. If you’ve steamed or boiled the lobsters they will stay hot for quite a while so you can easily cook just a few at a time.

 

RECIPES


New England Seafood Chowder
Lobster BLT