To Boil a Lobster
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the pot
Fill a large kettle with enough boiling water to cover the lobster completely.
Add ½ cup of coarse sea salt to the water.
Boil the lobster
When the water is rapidly boiling, place the lobster head‑first into the pot.
Use a poker to keep the lobster submerged for 1 minute until it calms down.
Boil the lobster for 15 to 20 minutes.
For best results, use seawater for boiling.
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
- Is the main protein, cooked through by boiling until the flesh turns opaque and firm.
- Coarse sea salt
- Seasons the boiling water so the lobster meat takes on a mild seasoned flavor.
The step that matters
Keeping the lobster submerged. Lobster floats and cooks unevenly when only partly under water. Holding it fully submerged while it settles ensures even heat and a uniformly cooked result.
“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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