Monday, 23 February 2009

lobster

I have to cook a lobster dinner on Wednesday. It's something I've never done. Any tips or advice? I'm thinking of getting three pounds for three people and boiling.

5 comments:

  1. Don't let a small child befriend the lobster. Whatever you do, do not name your lobster Larry.


    I found this online and it corresponds with my experience:

    Bring the water to a rolling boil and add 1 tablespoon salt per quart of water. Put the lobsters in claws first and begin timing from the moment the water comes back to a boil.

    For 1 pound: 5 minutes
    1 1/8 pounds: 6 minutes
    1 1/4 pounds: 8 minutes
    1 1/2 to 2 pounds: 8 to 10 minutes
    more than 2 pounds : 12 minutes

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  2. If you really want to be a baller, you'd cook the lobsters enough to get the meat out cleanly and then finish them (at least the claws) by poaching them in butter. You can find recipes/technique tips online for this... I've only had butter-poached lobster on one occasion, and it was everything I thought it would be.

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  3. I decided on steaming the lobster. It was a catastrophe. I read that the most humane way to kill them is to put them in a pot and slowly raise the temperature. It took a while to get the water boiling and then I steamed for however long. The tails were inedible. tough as nails. the claws were overdone but ok. but basically the meal was ruined. $80 worth of lobster! not something I will probably ever do again. if I ever buy another lobster I will be broiling it.

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  4. Gordon Ramsay says that you steam them, but more importantly stab them downwards through the brain with a knife. It will instantly kill them.

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