Equipment
* optional
Ingredients
Lobster & Steaming Liquid
- 2 live hard-shell lobsters, chilled
- 500 ml water
- 30 g sea salt
Serving (Optional)
- 100 g unsalted butter, melted and clarified
- 1 lemon, cut into wedges
Nutrition (per serving)
Method
Place the water and sea salt into the large stockpot and insert the steamer basket. Cover the pot and bring to a rolling boil over high heat.
Wash hands thoroughly. If dispatching humanely before cooking, swiftly pierce the lobsters head just behind the eyes with a heavy chefs knife. Wash hands and thoroughly sanitize the cutting board and knife immediately after handling the raw seafood to prevent cross-contamination.
Grasp the lobsters by the body using tongs and place them headfirst into the steamer basket. Immediately cover with a tight-fitting lid and steam undisturbed for 12 to 14 minutes, or until the shells are bright red and the internal temperature at the thickest part of the tail reaches 63°C/145°F.
Carefully remove the lobsters from the pot using tongs, allowing excess water to drain back into the pot. Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet and let rest at room temperature for 5 minutes to allow the juices to redistribute.
Crack the claws and tails to extract the meat. Serve immediately with warm clarified butter and lemon wedges, or chill completely for lobster rolls.
Chef's Notes
- Steaming is vastly superior to boiling for lobster. Boiling heavily waterlogs the meat and dilutes the briny ocean flavor into the water, whereas steaming cooks the meat gently in its own natural juices.
- Chilling live lobsters in the freezer for 15 to 20 minutes before cooking makes them dormant. This minimizes stress, makes them much safer to handle, and prevents them from shedding their claws during the cooking process.
- Do not discard the culinary gold left behind. Save the empty shells, the bodies, and the rich green tomalley to simmer into an incredibly flavorful lobster stock or classic bisque.
- If your ultimate goal is to make cold lobster rolls, prepare an ice bath before cooking. Submerge the steamed lobsters in the ice water immediately after removing them from the pot to instantly halt the cooking process and firm up the meat for clean slicing.
Storage
Refrigerator: 2 days — Store picked meat in an airtight container. Do not store whole in the shell for more than 24 hours.
Freezer: 1 month — Freeze picked meat in a vacuum-sealed bag, or submerged in a light brine to prevent freezer burn.
