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Lobster 101


Rachel Perlow

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In the NY forum we've been discussing the great prices for lobster this week at Shop Rite in NJ. I got a couple 3+ pound beasts (at the Englewood location - last day of the sale). Normally I steam them (an inch or so of water at the bottom of the pot, throw in the chicks and steam for about 12 minutes), but I'm at a slight loss as to how to deal with the monsters. Can I just steam them whole? How long? Should I boil them instead? Grill them? Par cook and butcher into parts?

I'm not going to do anything fancy or make stock with the leftover shells. And, I don't want to pre-kill them either. I just want a simple lobster dinner.

OK - hit me with your advice.

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I would still steam them instead of boiling them as you don't want to submerge the lobsters in water.

You may need upto 35 minutes to finish them off,in your water why not slice a few lemon and add some peppercorns,bay leaf and onions.This will add a nice little perfume to your court bouillion.

I always take a wooden skwerer and run it from the tail (underside) to the cavity because when the lobster cooks it keeps the tail meat straight for a nice presentation

Turnip Greens are Better than Nothing. Ask the people who have tried both.

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I agree with all of the above as a direct route to a simple lobster supper.

Yum!

Steven A. Shaw aka "Fat Guy"
Co-founder, Society for Culinary Arts & Letters, sshaw@egstaff.org
Proud signatory to the eG Ethics code
Director, New Media Studies, International Culinary Center (take my food-blogging course)

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The only time I cooked Lobster, I cut it in half whilst it was still alive and roasted it in a hot oven for around 8 minutes or so, and served it with a buerre blanc. Lovely, but killing it gave me the willies, and I note you say you don't want to have to pre-kill the thing.

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I use 2 & 1/2 ups. In a Low pressure steamer they take about 20 minutes.

On major seafood evenings, I cook 15 at a time in a braising skillet filled with court bouillon. They take the same amount of time. About 20 minutes.

Nick

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:blink: cook that baby in about 2 inches of sea salted boiling water. once it comes to a boil simmer it 8 minutes per pound. works every time! just have lots of butter melted,,,nice crust bread and some chilled white wine! damn im getting hungry! haaaaa! enjoy!
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Steaming isn't a precise operation, but 20 minutes seems closer to the mark. The standard advice is 13 minutes for the first pound and 3 minutes for each pound thereafter. One way everybody says to test is to see if the antennae come off easily. Me, I like my lobster on the rare side so I'd probably go 18 minutes or so. But 20 should do the trick if you don't open the pot to check on them too often and you have a good head of steam going in there. At 35 minutes I'd think you'd have an overcooked lobster but if the shells are super-hard and the steam isn't that strong it could drag out that long, maybe. Steaming is forgiving, so don't worry too much.

Steven A. Shaw aka "Fat Guy"
Co-founder, Society for Culinary Arts & Letters, sshaw@egstaff.org
Proud signatory to the eG Ethics code
Director, New Media Studies, International Culinary Center (take my food-blogging course)

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The Moore family always split the live lobster in half and broiled broiled them. It is a different flavor from steamed or boiled lobster. Having had lobster that way all through my formative years I think it's still my preference.

I once had dinner at the Old Original Bookbinders with the head of some national seafood pruveryors' association. He clued me into a half and half - half steamed or boiled and then finished off under a broiler. That was awfully good too.

Holly Moore

"I eat, therefore I am."

HollyEats.Com

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Mmmm Lobster!

In the bottom of my canning pot I put a couple inches of water, brought to a boil with some lemon rind, a handful of sage from the garden and some kosher salt.

The bigger lobster went in first for about five minutes then was joined by her slightly smaller sister. After 10 more minutes I took the bigger one out, cut it in half (boy was she full of roe) and put her on the grill (keep in mind this was convenient because the lobster pot was on the side burner of the Weber (kitchen under renovation remember)). Ten minutes later they were both done. One with slightly charred shell the other only steamed. (I do have claw and body of the steamed lobster left over to play with tomorrow. That's a lot of lobster.)

Both were delicious in their own way. But I think I prefer the moistness retained by the steamed only lobster, as the grilling dries out the smaller legs - the meat within which is one of the benefits to springing for the larger lobster in the first place. I suppose if you are just doing chicks, you may as well benefit from the brittling of the shell and additional flavor that grilling adds since there is no meat in those little legs of lobsters under 1.5 lbs.

PS - poodles love cooked lobster roe.

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I suppose if you are just doing chicks ...

Please. This is a family site.

Steven A. Shaw aka "Fat Guy"
Co-founder, Society for Culinary Arts & Letters, sshaw@egstaff.org
Proud signatory to the eG Ethics code
Director, New Media Studies, International Culinary Center (take my food-blogging course)

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Rachel, sounds like you can move up to the advanced Lobster course :wink:.

We only cook lobster at home once or twice a year, and our favorite way of preparing it is to pre-cook by steaming and then finish on the grill. I split the lobsters in half and brush with butter melted with tarragon, basting with extra butter a few times while it's on the grill. The butter keeps the lobster moist while it gets that great charred smoky flavor. Ironic, because I never use butter with steamed lobster, it's so sweet on its own. Note: if the claws are really large, snip them and cook a few mintues longer than the tail.

Sometimes I precook the lobster, then take all the meat of the shell and make Lobster Scampi. Not my preferred Lobster ish, but my husband practically swoons over it.

Leftover lobster means lobster rolls. Instead of the traditional mayo/celery/lobster salad, I make a spicy Russian type dressing with Hellman's, cayenne pepper, paprika and Tabasco. Chopped celery is optional. We had this last summer on some buttered, toasted brioche rolls we picked up at Zabar's and it was unbelievably delicious.

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I've tried Keller's method of butter poaching. Amazing texture and flavour.

"I've caught you Richardson, stuffing spit-backs in your vile maw. 'Let tomorrow's omelets go empty,' is that your fucking attitude?" -E. B. Farnum

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Serving fine and fresh gratuitous comments since Oct 5 2001, 09:53 PM

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Approximately 12 minutes in a very large kettle over a powerful flame, timed from when the water returns to the boil after the lobsters are placed in the kettle. Put a ton of salt in the water.

General rule is 10 minutes for first pound plus 3 minutes for each additional.

Steven A. Shaw aka "Fat Guy"
Co-founder, Society for Culinary Arts & Letters, sshaw@egstaff.org
Proud signatory to the eG Ethics code
Director, New Media Studies, International Culinary Center (take my food-blogging course)

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The things live in salt water, and some of the best places boil them in actual sea water.

Steven A. Shaw aka "Fat Guy"
Co-founder, Society for Culinary Arts & Letters, sshaw@egstaff.org
Proud signatory to the eG Ethics code
Director, New Media Studies, International Culinary Center (take my food-blogging course)

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The things live in salt water, and some of the best places boil them in actual sea water.

where they live has little to do with how their environment would affect the insect if it were suddenly raised to 212 degrees, give or take.

as for the last part of your comment, i will assume that it's factual, and will take it into consideration.

thanks.

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They're not insects, and where did you read that salt toughens the meat?

Steven A. Shaw aka "Fat Guy"
Co-founder, Society for Culinary Arts & Letters, sshaw@egstaff.org
Proud signatory to the eG Ethics code
Director, New Media Studies, International Culinary Center (take my food-blogging course)

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I've tried Keller's method of butter poaching. Amazing texture and flavour.

Could I get more info on this procedure? Are you actually melting, I would assume, several pounds of butter and simmering the lobster in that?

I'm sure it tastes good, but the idea of removing the meat from the butter saturated shell sounds dangerous to me.

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I prefer to either pre-kill a lobster or cook it humanely. There are two alternatives recommended by the RSPCA:

(1) Put it in the freezer for two hours, where it gradually goes unconscious. It can then be skewered or split without a struggle.

(2) If boiling or steaming, start with cold water and bring it gradually to a boil. The lobster passes out as it gets warm.

There are those who argue that a lobster feels no pain and that the frantic scratching in the pot is merely a reflex action. They tend to include those for whom any slow preparation or cooking method would be an added expense or an inconvenience.

John Whiting, London

Whitings Writings

Top Google/MSN hit for Paris Bistros

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john, how long do you humanely boil the lobsters to death, assuming 2 lb lobsters.

thanks.

also, do you eat fish that has been pulled from the water and suffocated to death? or do you prefer those that are lulled to sleep before pulled aboard. :wink:

:blink:

They tend to include those for whom any slow preparation or cooking method would be an added expense or an inconvenience.

or those who don't care.

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