live Maine Lobsters
water*
salt (sea salt if available)
large pot or canner
Put 2 to 4 inches of water in pot, amount of water depends on size of pot. And, yes that's all you need, remember your steaming them! Add about a tablespoon or so of salt to the water. Cover and bring to a hard boil. Quickly put lobsters in the pot right side up and try to keep tails curled under. Cover and cook for 20-25 mins. note that shedders (soft shelled lobsters) only about 20 mins. whereas hardshells about 25, especially if they're larger lobsters (2.5 - 5 lbs.) Remove from heat and dump into sink. They're ready to eat as soon as you can handle them. Be careful! Even if the shells are cool enough to handle, the juices inside can still be very hot!
* If fresh, clean sea water is available, cook your lobsters in it rather than fresh water. It makes them much tastier! Also, fresh, clean seaweed or rockweed gives them a good flavor as well. Just enough to cover them in the pot.
Just a note about curling the tails under. By doing so, you can test for freshness after cooking. Holding the cooked lobster upside down, gently straighten the tail then let it go. It should curl back up, for the most part. If it does not, the meat is crumbly and not good to eat! This can happen with very weak or dead lobsters.
Variation; add 2-4 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar to your pot when adding the lobsters.
Serve with melted butter or vinegar, a bag of potato chips, and a wicked cold CocaCola!
3 comments:
Wow! This brings back such great memories! Every year me and my family go to Maine, and once during our 2 week visit we steam fresh lobsters!
Hey, those look delicious! Can I come eat at your place?
You know the tail curl that you mention? I grew up in Louisiana where we ate tons of crawfish. As a kid we were always sternly warned to never, ever, ever eat one that didn't have a curled tail because it will make you very very sick. Apparently they build up some toxen if they are cooked after dying.
At least a crumbly lobster won't make you sick. Well literally sick. I'd be pretty sad if mine were crumbly.
Thanks for visiting my blog!
jessy,
here's a cool thought...Do you suppose you have eaten any of the lobsters I've caught?
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