Lobster

Preparation, uses, and tips

Lobster can be cooked like crab, in boiling water. For a quicker, more humane method, stab the head just behind the eyes, bringing the knife through to the cutting board, then pressing it forward to divide the head.

To prepare for boiling, kill the lobster and split it lengthways. Remove the stomach sac and pull out the intestinal vein. Scoop out the tomalley and roe, and rinse under cold water. To prepare frozen lobster tail, defrost, then cut the inner edges of the under-shell with a pair of scissors. Clip off the fins, pull back the shell and discard. Bend the tail back to crack the joints. Rinse with cold water.

Boiling

Fill a large pan with at least 1 gallon (3.79 litres) of water plus another quart for each additional lobster and bring to a rapid boil. One at a time, plunge live or prepared lobsters headfirst into boiling water. Reduce heat and simmer five minutes for a 1 1/4 pound (about 567g) lobster plus two minutes for each additional pound (about 454g).

Broiling

Place whole, cooked lobster (or lobster tail) meat-side-up in a broiler pan. Brush with lemon and oil or melted butter. Place 4 inches (10cm) from heating element or flame and broil until meat is heated through. Follow the same method to cook raw lobster tails, except broil tail-side-up for four minutes, then turn, brush with butter or oil, and broil until meat is opaque (four to five minutes).

Baking

Kill the lobster, split it lengthways, and remove the sand-colored grain sac from each side of its head. Twist off claws. Heat oven to 400°F (200° C). Place claws on a shallow baking pan and cook about eight minutes. Remove pan from the oven, then add lobster halves flesh side up. Brush with lemon juice and oil or melted butter and cook for an additional ten minutes.

Steaming

Place an inch or two (about 2.5 to 5cm) of water in a large pot and bring to a boil. Put the whole, live lobsters (or kill them first by splitting the head) in the pot and steam for about five minutes. Use the cooking liquid as base for a sauce.

Soups or stews

Boil lobster lightly—the meat should not be fully cooked. When cool, crack shells and remove meat, tomalley, and coral. Break up shells with a hammer and boil them in water to form a savoury broth. Strain the broth to remove shells, then add herbs, spices, and vegetables. Add lobster meat during the final few minutes of cooking.

Buying and storing tips

Picking quality lobster is easy. Fresh-cooked lobster smells fresh, with no hint of ammonia odour. The freshest lobsters are alive and frisky; their tails curl up or flap rather than hang down when they are picked up. Ask how long the lobster has been in the tank and choose those that have been there less than a week. Discard any lobster that dies before you cook it. Fresh-cooked lobster has a bright red shell. Any exposed meat should be white and moist, not dried out or yellow.

Wrap live lobster in a few sheets of wet newspaper and keep in the refrigerator, wetting the paper again if it dries out. Fresh lobster is best cooked and eaten the same day you buy it; store for no more than a few hours on a bed of ice in the refrigerator.

To freeze, wrap lobster meat in freezer paper or plastic, then over-wrap with a plastic bag. Store for up to two months.

To thaw, unwrap lobster, place in a covered bowl or pan and let thaw in refrigerator overnight. To thaw more quickly, wrap lobster in waterproof plastic and place in a sink with cool running water, allowing about 30 minutes per pound (454g). For fastest thawing, use the defrost cycle of your microwave allowing three to five minutes per 1/2 pound (227g). Let stand for three minutes.

Varieties

American or European clawed lobsters are the classic lobster, with large, meaty claws. They are available live or as frozen lobster tails. You can also buy “culls”—lobsters missing one claw. Spiny lobsters have hard, rough shells, very long antennae, and no claws. Though there are many varieties of spiny lobster, most are sold under the name warm water lobster (from Florida, Southern California, or Hawaii) or cold water lobster (from Australia or New Zealand). They can usually be bought as frozen, uncooked tails. Smaller lobsters (scampi, langostino, slipper) are usually available only in restaurants.

Nutrition Highlights

Lobster (cooked, moist heat), 1 cup (5 oz.) (14.15g)
Calories: 142
Protein: 29.7g
Carbohydrate: 0.0g
Total Fat: 0.85g
Fiber: 0.0g
*Good source of: Potassium (510mg), Selenium (61mcg), Zinc (4.2mg), and Vitamin B12 (4.5 mcg)

*Foods that are an “excellent source” of a particular nutrient provide 20% or more of the Recommended Daily Value, based upon United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) guidelines. Foods that are a “good source” of a particular nutrient provide between 10 and 20% of the USDA Recommended Daily Value. Nutritional information and daily nutritional guidelines may vary in different countries. Please consult the appropriate organization in your country for specific nutritional values and the recommended daily guidelines.

When cooked (moist heat), lobster (spiny, mixed species) provides 0.49 grams of omega-3 fatty acids, derived from EPA (0.341g), DHA (0.139g), and ALA (0.01g), per 100 grams of lobster (spiny, mixed species).

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The information presented in the Food Guide is for informational purposes only and was created by a team of US–registered dietitians and food experts. Consult your doctor, practitioner, and/or chemist for any health problem and before using any supplements, making dietary changes, or before making any changes in prescribed medications. Information expires August 2007.