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How to Boil Lobsters

How to Boil Lobster: Get into Some Hot Water!

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Now that the lobsters are ready to cook and the cooking preparations are taken care of, it is time to dive in and boil! Learning how to boil lobsters is one of the first, and easiest ways, to cook a good lobster, like what you can buy here on Lobster Anywhere. With a few easy steps and tips, you will be out of the pot and into the butter.

  • Total Time: 15 minutes
  • Yield: 2-4

Ingredients

  • Live Lobsters (2-4)

  • Pinch of sea salt or kosher salt

Instructions

  1. 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.
  2. 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 sea water is available skip the salt and use Triton’s gift.
  3. Place the lobsters head first into the water.
    Working one at a time, place your live lobsters headfirst into the boiling water. Make sure they are fully submerged. If your pot is large enough to accommodate multiple lobster, add the next. However, it’s better to use a couple of pots than risk overcrowding and over flowing.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. Check to see if the Lobster is ready.
    If you’re in doubt of 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 or not is by giving their antenna a firm tug. If it easy comes off, it’s done.
  7. 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 keep you from making 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.

  • Author: Lobster Louie
  • Prep Time: 5
  • Cook Time: 10
  • Category: Dinner
  • Method: Boil
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Gluten Free

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