Steamed Lobsters Food

STEAMED LOBSTER

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Place a trivet or steaming basket in a large stockpot and add 1 1/2 to 2 inches of water and the salt.
• Bring the water to a full boil. Grasp a lobster around the abdomen, behind the claws, and lower it into the pot, head-first. Put the second lobster in the pot. Immediately cover the pot and let the lobsters steam for about 10 minutes for 1-pound lobsters, 12 minutes for 1 1/4 pound lobsters, or 14 minutes for 1 1/2-pound lobsters. Increase another 2 minutes for every 1/4-pound over 1 1/2 pounds.
• Remove the lobsters with tongs and let them stand for 5 minutes before cracking. Serve the lobsters with melted butter and lemon wedges, if desired.

STEAMED LOBSTER

Steps:

• Fill a large steamer or soup pot, with about 2 inches of water, add the salt and squeeze in the lemon juice; toss the halves in there too for extra flavor. Bring to a boil over medium heat.
• Place the lobsters in the steamer basket or directly in the pot, cover, and allow to steam until they turn bright red, about 15 minutes. Remove the lobsters from the pot and cool to room temperature, and then chill thoroughly before cracking open. Serve with lemon wedges and Lemon-Caper Mayonnaise as part of a raw shellfish bar.
• Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and blend with a wooden spoon to combine. Set aside to allow the flavors to marry. Serve as a dipping sauce with steamed lobster and poached shrimp.
• Yield: 3 cups

STEAMED LOBSTERS

Steps:

• Choose a pot with a tight-fitting lid that is large enough to fit the lobsters comfortably with enough room for the steam to circulate around them. Wrap the lid tightly with a kitchen towel. Place a steamer basket or an upturned colander in the pot, and pour in cold water to a depth of about 2 inches. Cover and bring to a boil.
• Meanwhile, put the lobsters on a cutting board. Place the tip of a large, heavy knife at the cross marks on the back of a lobster's head. In one quick motion cut down through the head to the cutting board. Repeat with the remaining lobsters.
• To keep the tails straight and ensure even cooking, slip a thin wooden skewer through the length of the lobster's tails.
• When the water is boiling, quickly add the lobsters to the pot and cover. Steam the lobsters, shaking the pot occasionally, until cooked through, about 8 minutes for 3/4 to 1 pound lobsters, about 10 minutes for 1 to 1 1/4 pound lobsters, and about 11 minutes for 1 1/2 to 2 pound lobsters.
• Remove the lobsters from the pot and, if you are serving them whole, set them aside for several minutes to rest. Using the back of the heavy knife or a mallet crack the claws. Transfer the lobsters to plates and serve with drawn butter and lobster claw crackers.
• To remove all the meat from the lobster: Transfer the lobster to a colander in the sink and rinse under cold running water to stop the cooking. Using your hands, twist the claws, knuckles, and tails off of the lobsters. Reserve the bodies for making broth.
• On a work surface, rest the tails on their sides and, using the palm of your hand, press down on them to crack the shells. Holding a tail with both hands, with the belly facing you, break the tail shell back and pop out the meat. Repeat with the remaining tails. If you have female lobsters (the swimmerets at top of the tail are soft and have hair-like wisps protruding from them), you may want to prepare coral butter, (recipe follows) with the roe. The roe are the dark green eggs located in the body and the top of the tail. Carefully cut open the top of the tail and the body and remove the roe.
• Grab the "thumb" of a lobster claw and move it back and forth. Try to wiggle the shell off of the meat while pulling out the internal piece of cartilage, leaving the meat attached to the claw (this is a tricky maneuver, if it doesn't work you should be able to shake the meat out). Place the claw horizontally upright with the curve of the claw facing up. Using the heavy part of the blade of the knife, with a short and swift motion, crack the back end of the claw. Drop the claw to its side and, with the back of the knife, crack the side of the back of the claw. Remove the cracked back end of the claw and wiggle the meat out from the shell. Repeat with the remaining claws.
• Place the knuckles on the work surface and cover with a kitchen towel. Using the back of the knife, crack the knuckles. Using your hands, remove the shell from the knuckles and carefully pick out the meat. You may also use kitchen shears to cut open the knuckles and remove the meat.
• Place the butter in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Boil for 1 minute.
• Set the saucepan aside and let the butter settle, undisturbed. The milk solids will come to the top of the butter and the watery whey will collect on the bottom. Skim off the milk solids with a spoon and pour the drawn butter into a serving bowl or several small ramekins, taking care not include the watery liquid in the bottom of the pan. Serve.
• Yield: about 1 cup
• Place the butter in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Boil for 1 minute.
• Set the saucepan aside and let the butter settle, undisturbed. The milk solids will come to the top of the butter and the watery whey will collect on the bottom. Skim off the milk solids with a spoon and pour the drawn butter into a small bowl. Wipe out the sauce and return the drawn butter to it.
• Place the roe in a medium bowl and whisk lightly to break it up. Heat the butter over medium heat until just hot. Gradually pour the warmed butter over the roe, while whisking, until the eggs turn bright red. Serve with lobster or other shellfish.
• Yield: about 1 cup

BOILED OR STEAMED LOBSTERS

Steps:

• To boil: Fill a very large (4-gallon) stockpot three-quarters full with cold water. Bring to rolling boil; add salt. Plunge lobsters, one at a time, headfirst into the water. Cook, uncovered, 12 to 14 minutes (from the time lobsters enter pot).
• To steam: Fit a very large stockpot with a steaming basket (or use a round wire rack or an inverted metal colander). Fill pot with cold water just to reach bottom of basket. Cover; bring to a boil. Quickly set lobsters in one layer in pot (or cook in batches). Cook, covered, 15 to 17 minutes.

HOW TO STEAM A LOBSTER

Steps:

• Fill pot with water to match pounds of lobster. (3 qts. per 2 pounds lobster).
• Add seasonings, vegetable, and garlic.
• Bring water to rolling boil.
• Add live lobsters one at a time (if more then one), starting to time immediately. (10 minutes per pound for first pound of lobster, 1 minute per pound thereafter = 2 pound lobster= 12 minutes).
• Do not cover.
• Stir lobster half-way through cooking time.
• Let lobster rest for a full five minutes to allow the meat to absorb the moisture from the shell.
• Carefully remove and grab a bib.

BOILED OR STEAMED LOBSTERS

Steps:

• To boil Fill a large stockpot three-quarters of the way with cold water. Bring to a rolling boil and then add a generous amount of salt (the water should be very salty, to match the brininess of the ocean; at least 1/2 cup in a 4-gallon pot). Plunge 4 live lobsters, one at a time, headfirst into the water, and cook uncovered until they turn bright red. This will take anywhere from 8 to 14 minutes, depending on their size. Use tongs to remove them from the pot and transfer to a platter. Allow lobsters to rest for several minutes until they are cool enough to handle. Serve with butter and lemon wedges.
• To steam Fill pot with enough cold water just to reach the bottom of the steaming basket (or an inverted colander). Cover and bring to a boil. Quickly arrange 4 live lobsters in one layer in the basket (or cook in batches). Steam until bright red, 15 to 17 minutes. Use tongs to remove lobsters from pot, then allow to rest for several minutes until they are cool enough to handle.
• Ingredients
• Purchase lobsters no more than a day before you plan to use them. They can be stored, with their claws banded, on moist seaweed (if your fish market provides it) or damp newspaper in an open bag in the refrigerator until you are ready to cook. (To avoid getting pinched, always hold a live lobster by its body, with the claws facing down.)
• Look for lobsters that are not only alive but lively. Those that are 1 1/2 pounds are ample enough for individual servings. Don't be surprised by their black or bluish-brown color; they will turn their characteristic red only after cooking.
• Equipment
• A large (at least 4-gallon) stockpot is needed to boil or steam 4 lobsters at once. Or you can use smaller pots to cook lobsters in batches. When steaming lobster, an inverted metal colander is a good substitute for a steamer basket.

STEAMED LOBSTER WITH LEMON-HERB BUTTER

Steps:

• Cook lobsters in 2 large pots of boiling salted water until shells are pink and lobsters are just cooked through, about 11 minutes.
• Meanwhile, melt butter in small saucepan. Add lemon juice and herbs. Season with salt and pepper.
• Serve lobsters with lemon wedges and warm herb butter.

STEAMED LOBSTERS

Steps:

• Fill a large lobster pot with 1 inch of water. Stir in the salt, set a rack or large steamer basket in the bottom and bring the water to a boil. Add the lobsters, cover with a tight-fitting lid and return the water to a boil. Once boiling, lower the heat to a gentle boil and steam the lobsters until they are bright red, about 10 minutes. Check doneness by pulling an antenna. If it comes off without resistance, the lobster is done. If not, cook for a few more minutes. Serve with melted butter and, if you choose, corn and potatoes. Remove the meat from the fifth lobster and refrigerate for use later in lobster risotto (recipe here). After eating, reserve the lobster shells for stock (recipe here). Serves 4.

STEAMED MAINE LOBSTER

Steps:

• In a pot large enough to hold 2 lobsters, pour in 2 inches of seawater.
• If you don't have seawater, add 1 tsp.
• salt to plain water.
• Pour in 4 oz.
• of the beer.
• Bring the water to a boil over high heat.
• Place the 2 lobsters in the pot and cover tightly.
• Return to a boil as quickly as possible and then start counting the time.
• The 2 lb.
• lobsters should steam for 16 minutes.
• Take them out with tongs, dump the water and start over with fresh water, adding the salt if no seawater and the beer.
• Serve with individual bowls of melted butter and cracking utensils.
• If you want to cook smaller or larger lobsters: it is 13 minutes per pound, for the first pound; add 3 minutes per pound for each additional pound thereafter (Ex: a 1 1/2 lb lobster will cook for 14 1/2 minutes).