HOW TO COOK AND EAT A LOBSTER – BROILED OR BAKED

The uncooked lobsters that you picked up at St. Thomas’ Lobsterfest on Friday or Saturday were delivered to Huntsville on ice on Friday. They are carefully checked to be sure that they are alive before being distributed to purchasers, since it is unsafe to eat a lobster that was not alive when food preparation began.

To store the live lobsters until ready to use, place them in your refrigerator, keeping the rubber bands on their claws. Before cooking, check to make sure your lobster becomes active when your remove it from the refrigerator and it warms slightly. You can also check by stretching the tail out flat when you pick it up. A live lobster will curl its tail back when you turn loose.

Make sure that the lobster is clean by grasping it firmly at the back and rinsing claws, body and back under a faucet.

Preparing  a lobster for broiling (“on the half shell”) begins by severing the vein at the base of the neck. Place the live lobster on his back. Protecting your hand with a towel, hold it with your left hand firmly over its head. (This assumes that you are right-handed.)

Draw the knife from the head down through the base of the abdomen

so the lobster will lie flat, with the meat evenly exposed to the heat.

Some people savor the greenish-brown liver (“tomalley”) and the black “coral” or roe (the latter found only in females), which will turn red with cooking. If you are going to eat them, leave them in.

The spongy lungs are tough but edible. You can decide whether to remove them or cook and eat them.

Remove and discard the inedible parts: the stomach (a hard sac near the head) and the intestinal vein, which runs through the middle of the underside of the tail meat.

You can also cut off the “fins” if you wish.

Rinse out the body cavity and remove the rubber bands from the claws before you brush the exposed lobster meat with melted butter.

If you wish to stuff your lobster with prepared stuffing, spoon it into the cavity at this time.

You can now broil, grill or bake your lobster.

To broil or grill: If your lobster is not stuffed, place it shell-side toward the heat on your oven broiler (or over charcoal) and cook 7-8 minutes, then turn and broil, flesh-side to heat, an additional 8 minutes.

If your lobster is stuffed, cook it the entire time “on its back”.

To bake: Preheat your pan and oven to 500°. Place your lobster(s) shell-side up (unless stuffed) on the preheated pan and bake for 12 minutes with the rack in the middle of the oven.

When finished cooking, place the lobster on a platter and admire your creation!

To eat broiled, grilled or baked lobster, insert your fork (the smaller, the better) into the tail to twist out bite-size pieces.

Dip the pieces in melted butter and/or squeeze lemon juice over the meat.

Using your fingers, twist off a large claw.

Using a nutcracker or mallet, crack the claw to gain access to the meat inside.

Pull off the small side claws, one by one, with your fingers and suck out the meat.

Enjoy your lobster, and thanks for supporting Lobsterfest!