To Boil Crabs, Lobsters, and Crayfish
Ingredients
Directions
Bring a large pot of water to a vigorous boil.
Add a handful or two of coarse sea salt to the boiling water.
Carefully plunge in the crab or lobster.
Boil a large crab or lobster for about 15 minutes; smaller ones will take less time.
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.
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The step that matters
Plunge into a vigorous boil. Adding crab or lobster lowers the water temperature. Starting from a strong boil helps the water return to a boil quickly, so the shellfish cooks evenly. Lower in carefully to avoid splashing.
“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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