Steamed Maine Lobster 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.

BOILED MAINE LOBSTER

Steps:

• Place onions, carrots, and celery in a large stockpot. Make a bouquet garni: Gather thyme, parsley, and bay leaf; tie into a bundle with kitchen string, then add to the stockpot.
• Fill stockpot 2/3rds full with cold water; set over high heat. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and let simmer about 30 minutes.
• Add white wine and peppercorns; simmer about 15 minutes more. Return to a boil.
• Depending on size of stockpot, quickly add 4 to 6 lobsters to boiling court-bouillon, making sure the liquid covers all the lobsters. Allow court-bouillon to return to a boil again, and cook lobsters about 12 minutes. Using tongs, remove lobsters, and transfer to a platter or large bowl. Repeat with remaining lobsters, working in batches if necessary.
• Using kitchen scissors, trim the tip of each lobster claw; allow the liquid to drain, and discard. Serve lobsters with melted butter and lemons.

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.

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 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).

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 MAINE LOBSTER

Steps:

• Boil the water in a large pot with a lid and add salt, parsley, bay leaves and peppercorns. Place the lobsters into the boiling water, making sure you leave the rubber bands on the claws (to avoid being pinched). Boil covered for about 15 minutes, then remove to a tray. (If using lobster tails only, the cooking time will be less. Boil until the meat is no longer translucent.)
• To shell the lobster, separate the tail from the body by lightly twisting. Remove the claws, and using a lobster cracker or nut cracker, extract the lobster meat and place on a serving platter.
• Put the melted butter in appropriately sized bowls for dipping the lobster pieces and enjoy!
• Note: You can keep the stock from the pot for when you need stock (for soups or other recipes) in the future. Strain, allow to cool, and freeze in labeled containers or plastic bags in 1/2 or 1 cup increments. I actually like to freeze them in ice cubes containers (each cube is about 1/8 of a cup) and then toss them into a labeled plastic bag. (Waste not, want not!)

STEAMED LOBSTER

Steps:

• Set up a collapsible steamer in a very large pot. Pour in a good inch of water and bring to a boil. Lower the lobster into the pot, on top of the steamer; slap on the lid and hold it there for the first minute or so of cooking, to keep the lobster firmly in place. Meanwhile, melt the butter slowly in a small pot, and squeeze in as much lemon juice as you like. Keep warm.
• After 10 minutes of cooking, remove the lobster with tongs, and let the water drip back into the pot. Place on a big plate, with the melted butter in a small cup alongside. If you don't have lobster-eating equipment, look in your toolbox for something to crack the tough shells, or use a nutcracker. I use poultry shears to cut through the middle from head to tail, so I can break the body open and get at the meat. Dip each bite into the melted butter, and relish the delectable sweet, sea-scented flavor. And be sure to spoon out the tomalley, now greenish in color and creamy in texture, and glorious to eat.
• Second Round
• Return the shells to the broth, and cook together for about 15 minutes, adding a little more water. You'll now have a fine broth to use in any fish soup, or for the base of a New England Bouillabaisse (page 91).