To Boil Lobster
Ingredients
Directions
Cook the lobster
Bring a kettle of salted water to a boil.
Add the live lobster and boil for 30 to 45 minutes, depending on its size.
Remove the lobster from the kettle and wipe it clean.
Rub the shell with a little salad oil for a clear, red appearance.
Prepare and serve
Crack the large claws without mashing them.
Split the body and tail from end to end with a sharp knife.
Serve and dress as preferred.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Explore the science
What each ingredient does
- Lobster
- Provides the main protein, and its shell colours red when boiled.
- Salt
- Seasons the boiling water so the lobster meat is flavoured as it cooks.
- Salad oil
- Adds a thin coat of fat to the shell, giving it a glossy look.
The step that matters
Cracking the claws without mashing them. Heavy force crushes the meat inside the shell and breaks it into pieces, so the claws should be cracked gently to keep the meat whole.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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