Lobsters are a snap
to cook. There are two schools of thought
on how to best cook live Maine Lobster.
One is boiling and one is steaming. (We’ll
get to grilling in another section!). Steaming
cooks whole lobsters more slowly than boiling,
so it reduces the chance of overcooking.
It also makes less of a mess, but heck,
that’s what bibs are for.
For cooking a bunch of lobsters, boiling
gives you even, fast cooking. Steaming can
be a bit more tricky than boiling for most
folks. We know a friend who loaded a tall,
narrow pot with about 10 lobsters and wondered
why the steam didn’t get all the way up
the pot to cook the critters on the top
of the pile. Remember to not overload your
cook pot and that the size of the pot, as
well as the ratio of water to lobsters is
critical in steaming.
Steaming
The first word of caution is DO NOT OVERLOAD
THE POT! We’ve seen too many people try
to steam a large group of lobsters all at
once in a big pot. They stacked them in
deep and then wondered why the top ones
were still alive! The steam will not rise
up through a tall stack stuffed in a pot
so don’t cook too many at once in a pot.
The ratio of lobsters to the pot is important;
a 4-5 gallon pot is ideal for steaming 6-8
pounds (3-5 whole) of lobster. Put 2 inches
of salted water in the bottom of a large
kettle. Set a steaming rack inside the pot
and bring to a rolling boil over high heat.
Put in the live lobsters, one at a time,
cover the pot, and start timing. Re-arrange
the lobsters halfway through cooking. Steam
a lobster for 13 minutes per pound, for
the first pound. Add 3 minutes per pound
for each additional pound thereafter. For
example, a 2-pound lobster should steam
for 16 minutes and a 1 ½-pound lobster should
steam for 14½ minutes.
Cooking times are approximate based on stove
and cooking conditions and the lobster-to-pot
ratio mentioned above – the taller you’ve
stacked the lobster in the pot, the longer
they will take to cook. Check regularly.
The lobsters are ready when they are bright
red and the antenna pull out easily.
Preparation:
- 1 pound -- 12 minutes
- 1-1/4 pounds -- 13 minutes
- 1-1/2 pounds -- 14 minutes
- 1-3/4 pounds -- 16 minutes
- 2 pounds -- 17 minutes
In the winter, lobsters have a harder
shell and therefore require more time to
cook. In the summer, the lobsters have a
softer shell and require less time. Note:
If the roe inside a female body is blackish
instead of the customary red, it is undercooked.
Put the lobster back into the pot until
the roe is red.
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