| Level: | Intermediate |
| Total: | 41 min |
| Prep: | 30 min |
| Cook: | 11 min |
| Yield: | 4 lobsters |
Ingredients
- 4 live lobsters, 3/4 to 2 pounds
- Drawn Butter, recipe follows
- Coral Butter, recipe follows
- 1/2 pound unsalted butter
- 1/2 pound unsalted butter
- 1 to 4 tablespoons lobster roe (eggs), also called coral, preferably uncooked
Instructions
- Choose a pot with a tight-fitting lid that is large enough to fit the lobsters comfortably with enough room for the steam to circulate around them. Wrap the lid tightly with a kitchen towel. Place a steamer basket or an upturned colander in the pot, and pour in cold water to a depth of about 2 inches. Cover and bring to a boil.
- Meanwhile, put the lobsters on a cutting board. Place the tip of a large, heavy knife at the cross marks on the back of a lobster’s head. In one quick motion cut down through the head to the cutting board. Repeat with the remaining lobsters.
- To keep the tails straight and ensure even cooking, slip a thin wooden skewer through the length of the lobster’s tails.
- When the water is boiling, quickly add the lobsters to the pot and cover. Steam the lobsters, shaking the pot occasionally, until cooked through, about 8 minutes for 3/4 to 1 pound lobsters, about 10 minutes for 1 to 1 1/4 pound lobsters, and about 11 minutes for 1 1/2 to 2 pound lobsters.
- Remove the lobsters from the pot and, if you are serving them whole, set them aside for several minutes to rest. Using the back of the heavy knife or a mallet crack the claws. Transfer the lobsters to plates and serve with drawn butter and lobster claw crackers.
- To remove all the meat from the lobster: Transfer the lobster to a colander in the sink and rinse under cold running water to stop the cooking. Using your hands, twist the claws, knuckles, and tails off of the lobsters. Reserve the bodies for making broth.
- On a work surface, rest the tails on their sides and, using the palm of your hand, press down on them to crack the shells. Holding a tail with both hands, with the belly facing you, break the tail shell back and pop out the meat. Repeat with the remaining tails. If you have female lobsters (the swimmerets at top of the tail are soft and have hair-like wisps protruding from them), you may want to prepare coral butter, (recipe follows) with the roe. The roe are the dark green eggs located in the body and the top of the tail. Carefully cut open the top of the tail and the body and remove the roe.
- Grab the “thumb” of a lobster claw and move it back and forth. Try to wiggle the shell off of the meat while pulling out the internal piece of cartilage, leaving the meat attached to the claw (this is a tricky maneuver, if it doesn’t work you should be able to shake the meat out). Place the claw horizontally upright with the curve of the claw facing up. Using the heavy part of the blade of the knife, with a short and swift motion, crack the back end of the claw. Drop the claw to its side and, with the back of the knife, crack the side of the back of the claw. Remove the cracked back end of the claw and wiggle the meat out from the shell. Repeat with the remaining claws.
- Place the knuckles on the work surface and cover with a kitchen towel. Using the back of the knife, crack the knuckles. Using your hands, remove the shell from the knuckles and carefully pick out the meat. You may also use kitchen shears to cut open the knuckles and remove the meat.
- Place the butter in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Boil for 1 minute.
- Set the saucepan aside and let the butter settle, undisturbed. The milk solids will come to the top of the butter and the watery whey will collect on the bottom. Skim off the milk solids with a spoon and pour the drawn butter into a serving bowl or several small ramekins, taking care not include the watery liquid in the bottom of the pan. Serve.
- Yield: about 1 cup
- Place the butter in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Boil for 1 minute.
- Set the saucepan aside and let the butter settle, undisturbed. The milk solids will come to the top of the butter and the watery whey will collect on the bottom. Skim off the milk solids with a spoon and pour the drawn butter into a small bowl. Wipe out the sauce and return the drawn butter to it.
- Place the roe in a medium bowl and whisk lightly to break it up. Heat the butter over medium heat until just hot. Gradually pour the warmed butter over the roe, while whisking, until the eggs turn bright red. Serve with lobster or other shellfish.
- Yield: about 1 cup
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 4 servings |
| Calories | 941 |
| Total Fat | 94 g |
| Saturated Fat | 59 g |
| Carbohydrates | 0 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 0 g |
| Sugar | 0 g |
| Protein | 28 g |
| Cholesterol | 467 mg |
| Sodium | 655 mg |
Reviews
I didn’t have any lobster so I substituted kielbasa. We were also out of butter so I replaced it with 2 percent milk. Hubby just loved it!!!!
For the person who said 10 minutes is not enough time for four one-pounders I say you are uninformed. As long as the water is at a full boil and generating plenty of steam, and you have a tight fitting lid, 10 minutes is exactly right. for 6-8 lobsters, the ones at the top may need a little more time, but only a couple minutes. 30 minutes to steam four lobsters is unnecessary, but since steaming is gentler, you wont ruin them. 25 minutes boiled however? Where are you from, Kansas? (no offense for those from Kansas – you’re my go to folks for BBQ!.
There’s no need to straighten the tail out, which is why this recipe loses a star. Too many will have a hard time fitting the lobster in their too small pots with that approach, and it’s just not necessary.
This is an uninformed recipe! Firstly, 10 min. is not enough to steam several 1 lb. lobsters in a home setting! 20 min to boil, 25 to thirty to steam. “Roe” is not “eggs”! Try pre-eggs! If you have a lobster with eggs, (berried, it is illegal,and the eggs would be on the outside! Also, (roe is bright red to orange. Additionally, there was no mention of the “tamale”, or the green liver which is to die for? And lastly, to get the tail meat out easily, bend back the tail fans until they break off, then use your finger to push the tail meat out.
Good recipe although I’ve never had a problem of uneven cooking in the tail, nor have I had to split their heads. Matter of preference, I guess. I especially like the Coral Butter. Further hints for getting ALL the meat: backwards-chew the tail fins (think artichoke leaves roll the 8 legs with a rolling pin, wine or beer bottle or whatever, towards the open end. Meat should slide right out if you’re using the right amount of pressure… Split open the body lengthwise top-to-bottom and pick out the meat especially around the “knuckle” areas where the legs were attached. With these additional steps, I usually get enough for a generous lobster roll or maybe two depending on the size of the lobster.
THIS IS SOME GOOD EATING FOOD
this is an excellent recipe for beginners. Answers all of your questions.