Ingredients
- Live Lobsters (2-4)
- Kosher, sea salt, or table salt (For every gallon of tap water, add 1/4 cup of sea salt).
- Sea water or tap water if unavailable
Instructions
- Choose a pot to boil lobsters in and fill it 2/3 with water.
You want to choose a pot that will allow you to fill it halfway to two-thirds full of water while safely accommodating your lobsters without the water spilling over. - Boil the water and add salt.
Bring the water to a rapid boil over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of kosher salt for each quart of water. If seawater is available, skip the salt and use Triton’s gift. - Place the lobster’s head first into the water.
Pick up the lobster by holding the upper side of the thorax between your thumb and middle finger. Keep the underside of the body away from you, just in case the lobster flips its tail, splashing boiling water all over you. Place the live lobsters headfirst, placing them one at a time and completely submerging them. - Cover the pot immediately to maintain heat.
Adding the lobsters to the boiling water will drop the temperature. Cover the pot immediately and bring it back to a boil. - Set up a timer appropriate for your lobster size (see chart in this post).
As soon as the water is boiling, set your alarm. Don’t walk away from that pot, but do get your butter melting. - Check to see if the Lobster is ready.
If you’re in doubt about whether or not your lobster is done, there are a couple of things you can do. First, the most reliable way is by checking the internal temperature. Use an instant read thermometer to make sure the lobster meat is between 135-140 degrees. Always stick it in the underside of the tail closest to the body.
Another way to tell if your lobster is done is by gently pulling on its antenna. If it’s easy to come off, it’s done. For more information on lobster doneness, check out our guide on how to tell if lobster is cooked. - Cool down your lobsters.
As soon as your timer goes off, transfer your lobsters to either a colander and run cool water over them or transfer them to an ice bath to stop the cooking. In addition, boiled lobsters retain a lot of water from the cooking process. Use a sharp knife to pierce the body and tail to drain the excess water and prevent a mess.
Notes
See chart to avoid over- or under-cooking. For boiling timing, use the weight of your individual lobsters, not the total weight of all lobster being cooked. Start your timer when the steaming water returns to a boil. Time is the same for boiling multiple lobsters in the same pot.
- Prep Time: 5
- Cook Time: 10
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Boil
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free