While lobster is a hugely popular seafood, there are several things that could go wrong
when prepping and cooking this buttery delicacy. Here are the mistakes everyone makes when
cooking lobster. From picking the right kind of lobster to cleaning it, you'll be ready
to rumble.
Cooking a lobster can definitely be more intimidating than some home cooking tasks — largely because
you're likely dealing with a live animal.
Sure, it's not exactly the same thing as slaughtering a chicken, but for those who aren't used to
handling their food while it's still moving, it can seem daunting. And once you get in
front of a real, live lobster that basically looks like a giant sea monster with claws,
you may be rethinking your entire menu for the evening.
One of the things that throws people off is the color of the lobster. If you've only come
across them cooked before, you might assume that they're always that vibrant orange and
red color. But that's simply not the case, at least not while the lobster is still kicking.
They're actually most often a dark greenish color when you buy them live. But you shouldn't
let the appearance of these creatures freak you out. Once you start going through the
process, you'll realize that it's a lot simpler than you originally thought.
We can all doubt ourselves in the kitchen sometimes, but you shouldn't let that stop
you from going forward with your lobster-cooking experiment — you've got this!
We've all seen those sad-looking lobsters crawling over each other at our local grocery
store. But is that really the best place to buy these crustaceans? According to J. Kenji
López-Alt of Serious Eats, not exactly. The best place to buy a lobster is directly from
a fisherman, if you know one and have access to one. That way, you know you're going to
get a lobster that's as fresh as possible.
If that's not possible, you'll want to look for a small-scale fish market. These places
often focus on quality and freshness, ensuring you'll be getting the highest-quality product
you can, as soon as it's out of the ocean.
If you live farther from the coast, though, you may have a difficult time finding fresh
lobster near you. In that case, it's a good idea to order online. And yes, they still
come live if you choose to do that. Worst comes to worst, you can always order pre-steamed
lobster meat if you really have to — at least that makes things easier for you, right?
If you're making lobster for a lot of people — or if you're just feeling extra indulgent
— then you may be tempted to choose the largest lobster available wherever you're
buying it. The bigger, the better, right? Well, maybe not that big. When it comes to
lobsters, bigger isn't always better.
In fact, it may be better to choose a smaller lobster. First of all, remember that larger
lobsters are going to be more expensive. Since this is already a pricey food, you don't want
to overdo it when it comes to your wallet.
But choosing a lobster by its size also comes down to taste. According to HuffPost, larger
lobsters are all older lobsters, which means their meat is often tougher and less appetizing.
They won't taste as fresh or as tender as younger lobsters, and that's what you really
want, isn't it?
Instead of looking for a lobster that's over two pounds, it's better to find one that's
around a pound and a quarter. That size of lobster should provide you with plenty of
meat, while that meat is likely to be higher-quality than it would be if you chose a larger one
from the tank.
Perhaps the most common mistake people make when it comes to cooking lobster is overcooking
it. This is true of different types of seafood, which is often more delicate than other types
of meat. The fact that many people aren't super familiar with how to prepare it further
complicates things.
Because of that, you'll want to keep a close eye on the time to ensure that you don't leave
it cooking for too long. Doing so could result in a rubbery texture.
The actual cooking time comes down to different factors that you'll want to note, like how
large your lobster is, how much of it you're cooking at once, and the cooking method you
choose to use.
Regardless of how long you decide you need to cook your lobster, we recommend using a
timer so you're not just relying on your senses alone. This may take a bit of extra work,
but it'll pay off when you finally bite into a juicy, well-prepared piece of lobster meat.
While the main downside of overcooked lobster is a less-than-appetizing main course, undercooking
it is a more serious matter — as it can potentially make you and your guests sick
with food poisoning. So you'll want to take care to ensure that your lobster is cooked
all the way through before you consume it.
"Yes he is! And I have proof!"
Fortunately, it's pretty easy to tell if your lobster is cooked, as it largely comes down
to color. The outside of your lobster's shell should be a nice, rich red color when it's
ready to eat. This means that all of the greenish-blue hue should be long gone. More importantly,
though, you'll want to look at the lobster meat itself.
Does it still look translucent, or has it turned white? If it still looks a bit translucent
when you cut it open, that's how you'll know if you need to cook it for longer to ensure
it's safe to eat.
Of course, the best way to ensure that any kind of meat is completely cooked through
is to use a meat thermometer — it doesn't get much easier than that.
There's a good chance that every time you've seen a lobster cooked in a movie or a TV show,
it was being boiled. That's certainly one way to cook it, but many agree that it's not
the best method, especially if you aren't cooking a lot of lobster at one time.
While it's totally okay to boil a lobster if that's how you want to cook it, this method
simply doesn't result in the best flavor possible. Submerging it in water can actually reduce
the amount of flavor you get from your lobster, according to GQ, which is the last thing you
want considering that lobster has a very mild flavor to begin with.
If you're looking for a traditional preparation method in lieu of boiling, you should try
steaming the lobster instead. This is easier, as you don't have to wait for that massive
pot of water to boil. When you steam it, you're aiming for around six minutes per pound.
Okay, this one comes with a caveat. If you decide to boil your lobster, this won't be
a problem — you can put it headfirst into the pot without killing it and the lobster
will die quickly.
However, if you decide to go with any other cooking method, you'll want to kill it beforehand.
After all, as you can guess, putting a live lobster on a grill is probably not a great
idea — it's going to fight and experience more prolonged suffering. Therefore, you should
kill it before you cook it.
"Chris, I got us lobsters for dinner!"
"Cool! Can, can I kill 'em?"
"Hmm, let me think. Of course you can kill 'em, sport."
But how?
According to the BBC, it's actually a lot simpler than you may assume. Many first stun
the lobster, often with a 20-minute ice bath, and then finally kill it with a lengthwise
knife cut to the head. Does that sound brutal? Sure. But just remember, if you've ever had
lobster at a restaurant, someone had to do this for you.
Regardless, if this is the kind of thing you get squeamish about, it may be understandably
difficult to do. One thing's for sure, you want to get to it quick, before the lobster,
uh, gains the upper claw.
"Arghhhh!"
"Stop! You're hurting him!"
"No, that's just air escaping. They can't feel anything."
You already know our stance on boiling lobsters, but if that's what you're doing, you need
to make sure you have the right equipment. That's because boiling lobster involves a
large pot if you're going to do it right.
According to New England Today, you can easily cook a lobster or two in a 4 to 5-quart pot.
However, if you have more lobsters than that, you're going to need something bigger. Otherwise,
the lobster won't cook that quickly and, if your cooking times get thrown off, you could
end up with an over- or undercooked lobster.
So, the size of the pot ultimately depends on how many lobsters you're cooking. New England
Today suggests that you find a pot that holds between 16 and 19 quarts of water at a time.
This means that you may have to make a special purchase for the occasion, but it'll be worth
it when you taste how good your lobster comes out of a properly prepared pot.
Along with steaming and boiling your lobster, you can actually grill lobster too, which
is perfect for a seafood-centric cookout. But there's one cooking method for lobster
that's often overlooked, and we think that needs to change. Did you know you can actually
roast your lobster?
Food52 says that there are some huge benefits to cooking your lobster this way. First of
all, roasting will cook the meat more slowly, which also means that it cooks more evenly.
This is great if you're worried about overcooking your lobster. It also results in much sweeter-tasting
meat, which can be a lovely change of pace if you've always had your lobster one way
and with one flavor profile.
Plus, roasting a lobster just has a touch of classiness and exciting culinary experimentation
that you simply can't deny.
There are a lot of different types of seafood that you can buy frozen. In fact, if you're
buying from a local grocery store, it might even be better to buy some types of frozen
fish because the "fresh" stuff is really just pre-frozen fish that's already been thawed
so it can go on display.
Therefore, you'll spend less money buying the frozen stuff and you can just thaw it
yourself. But when it comes to lobster, in most cases you definitely do not want to be
buying it frozen, according to Serious Eats.
Lobsters have an enzyme in their bodies that starts breaking down their own flesh almost
as soon as they die. Therefore, you'll pretty much always want to buy your lobster alive
when you can. At the very least, you want to make sure that it's just been killed — and
we mean just, as in you don't even want to let a few hours go by before you start cooking
your fresh lobster.
However, there is an exception to this rule. You can actually buy frozen lobster tails,
as they can be removed prior to that enzymatic breakdown. This might be a smart way to go
if you don't want to cook a whole lobster or you can't find a live one.
"Now have you thought about what animal you'd like to be if you end up alone?"
"Yes, a lobster."
"Why a lobster?"
Lobster costs a lot of money for a reason. Its light, fresh taste is unparalleled and
it should really be the highlight of your plate. Just think of a traditional lobster
roll, which is usually served with either mayo or butter but not a whole lot else.
You may be tempted to add a ton of other ingredients to the dish to up the flavor ante. According
to HuffPost, though, this is not the method you should take if you truly want to enjoy
your lobster for the unique flavor it brings to the table.
Since lobster is so light, it can easily be covered up by other ingredients. Unless you
have a specific dish in mind, you don't need to be mixing a ton of sauces or tossing your
lobster with a bunch of subpar ingredients. Instead, you should just let this fantastic
ingredient speak for itself and prepare it with as little culinary competition as possible.
When you order lobster at a restaurant, you're probably not getting the whole animal. Instead,
a chef will likely pick out the most prized pieces and present those to you. But when
you get to cook a lobster for yourself at home, you'll notice that there are other nooks
and crannies — from which you can pull delicious, savory meat.
In that spirit, one part of the lobster you may not have tried before if you haven't made
it at home is the tomalley. Per Thrillist, tomalley is actually the lobster's liver,
which appears as a soft greenish area near the lobster's tail.
Tomalley is known for having a super strong flavor and a very creamy texture. Quite a
few people in the know really love this part of the lobster, so make sure you don't throw
it away when you're done cooking.
Instead, save it and give tomalley a try, perhaps served up on some bruschetta or crackers.
While some admittedly dislike it, others think that tomalley is one of the best parts of
lobster. Who knows? It may become your new favorite too.
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