Boiled Lobsters
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Choose live lobsters that are heavy and lively.
Boil
Bring a kettle of water to a fast boil and add coarse sea salt.
Carefully add the lobsters to the boiling water and let them boil for about 30 minutes.
Remove the lobsters from the kettle and wipe them clean.
Rub the shells with a little salad oil for a clear red appearance.
Cut and serve
Crack the large claws without mashing them.
Using a sharp knife, split the body and tail from end to end.
Separate the head from the body, keeping it close for presentation.
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 meat; their shells turn red when boiled.
- Salad oil
- Adds a thin coat of fat to the shell for a glossy finish.
The step that matters
Carefully add the lobsters to the boiling water. Adding the lobsters to a rapidly boiling kettle keeps the water at a steady boil so they cook evenly. Handling them gently avoids damaging the shells and claws.
“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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