Why it works: Lobster and butter are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 18% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 2,609 recipes. Both carry 2,6-nonadienal, which smells cucumber, green. The science ↓
To Boil Lobsters
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Choose live lobsters, preferably of medium size.
Fill a pot with water and add salt.
Bring the water to a boil.
Boil and serve
Add the lobsters and boil briskly for 30 to 60 minutes, depending on size.
Remove scum from the surface and rub the shells with a little butter or oil.
Crack the claws carefully and cut the tail down the middle.
Serve the body whole.
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
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
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Lobster + buttertop 18% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together2,609 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,6-nonadienal (cucumber, green).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Live lobsters
- Provide the main protein, which becomes firm and opaque as it cooks.
- Butter or sweet oil
- Adds richness and a glossy coat to the shells, carrying flavour.
The step that matters
Boiling the lobsters for the right time. Boiling too long toughens lobster meat as proteins tighten and squeeze out moisture. Timing should follow the lobster's size so the meat turns opaque and tender without overcooking.
“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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