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Lobsters, to Dress

A boiled lobster prepared for serving, with claws tied, oil rubbed, and tail split.

From an old cookbook · modernised transcription
From a historical cookbook (Internet Archive) · 3 ingredients
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Lobsters, to Dress

Ingredients

Directions

Prepare

  1. Wash the lobster well before boiling and tie the claws securely.

Boil

  1. Bring a saucepan of salted water to a boil and add the lobster head first.

  2. Boil gently for 20 to 40 minutes, depending on the size, avoiding overcooking.

Finish and serve

  1. Once cool enough to handle, rub the lobster with a little salad oil to brighten the color.

  2. When completely cold, break off the claws and divide the tail lengthwise.

  3. Place the lobster body upright in the center of a dish, with half of the tail on either side, and arrange the claws at the ends.

Recipe from a historical cookbook (Internet Archive).

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
Its protein sets as it cooks, turning firm and opaque while the shell turns red.
Salad oil
A thin coat of oil gives the cooked shell a brighter, glossier appearance.

The step that matters

Boil gently for 20 to 40 minutes. Overcooking toughens lobster protein and makes the meat rubbery, so timing should match the lobster's size and the boil should stay gentle rather than rolling.

“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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