Lobsters, to Boil
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Choose heavy, lively lobsters for freshness.
Bring a pot of water to a boil and add the salt.
Cook
Add the lobsters to the boiling water.
Boil quickly for 20 to 45 minutes, depending on size, skimming regularly.
Finish
Rub the shells with a little butter or sweet oil, then wipe off.
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
- Lobsters
- Provide the main protein; their firmness and sweetness set when cooked through in boiling water.
- Coarse sea salt
- Seasons the boiling water so the lobster meat is lightly flavoured as it cooks.
The step that matters
Boil quickly for 20 to 45 minutes, depending on size, skimming regularly. Overcooking toughens lobster meat, as the proteins tighten and squeeze out moisture. Cooking time should follow the lobster's size, so smaller lobsters need less time than larger ones and checking early helps prevent rubbery meat.
“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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