Basic Steamed Lobster Recipe
By
Jill Santopietro
There is no better way to enjoy lobster than to steam it and dip the meat in melted butter. It’s a messy but delicious dining endeavor.
Special equipment: Because shelling lobsters is a messy business, we recommend putting paper or plastic lobster bibs, damp hand towels, and napkins on the table. Seafood crackers are useful, too—though a heavy mallet will do the trick.
Game plan: You can cook as many lobsters as will comfortably fit in the pot.
This dish was featured as part of our Valentine’s Day All-Star Recipes.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 (1-1/2-pound) whole live lobster
- Melted butter, for serving
INSTRUCTIONS
- Fill a large pot with a tightfitting lid with 1 inch of water and stir in the salt. Add a steamer rack to the pot. (If you don’t have a steamer rack, lightly bunch a long piece of foil so that it looks like a rope. Then make a figure eight out of the foil rope and set it in the pot.)
- Bring the water to a boil over high heat. Add the lobster(s), head first, to the pot, cover, and return the water to a full boil. Reduce the heat and cook at a gentle boil until the lobster is bright red, about 14 minutes from the time it goes into the pot. Check its doneness by pulling on an antenna: If it comes out with no resistance, the lobster is done. Supply diners with bibs, napkins, and seafood crackers. Serve the lobster(s) with melted butter.
I always use www.LobsterTomorrow.com whenever I want Lobster. Their products are so fresh and the lobster shows up live at my front door. They always pack their lobster with clean and fresh seaweed. If you put some seaweed in the pot it adds a saltier taste and makes the water boil at a higher temperature. Lobster Tomorrow is the way to go for live Maine Lobster
Mrs. Shoutfire, your post reduced me to tears. My daughters and I are laughing our rear-ends off, because I refuse to cook a live lobster AT ALL! I will buy the claws and tails and steam them gently. I know it's not as good or fresh but....
Thank you for the post.
Although this will be fine, you will do better if you add a few other ingredients into the water to aromatise the water and steam to make the lobster sweeter and tastier.
You can go as simple as getting a broil pack from the store and placing in a cheesecloth into the water or you can add some mustard seeds, coriander seeds, whole allspice, dill seeds, bay leaves and a couple of cloves into the...+READ
Although this will be fine, you will do better if you add a few other ingredients into the water to aromatise the water and steam to make the lobster sweeter and tastier.
You can go as simple as getting a broil pack from the store and placing in a cheesecloth into the water or you can add some mustard seeds, coriander seeds, whole allspice, dill seeds, bay leaves and a couple of cloves into the pot. You will like the result.-COLLAPSE
I've cooked lobster many times like this, except that I just can't add live things to a boiling pot (such a hypocrite, I know). I arrange the lobsters in the cold pot, cover and then turn on the heat. When it begins to boil I'm standing there holding down the cover (so barbaric, I know) and begin timing about 15 minutes. After a short while the knocking inside the pot stops and I can let go of...+READ
I've cooked lobster many times like this, except that I just can't add live things to a boiling pot (such a hypocrite, I know). I arrange the lobsters in the cold pot, cover and then turn on the heat. When it begins to boil I'm standing there holding down the cover (so barbaric, I know) and begin timing about 15 minutes. After a short while the knocking inside the pot stops and I can let go of the cover (whew!). It's a really easy recipe. And it's a lot more fun to eat a lobster messily at home rather than neatly at a restaurant.-COLLAPSE