Cookbook:Lobster
| Lobster | |
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| Category | Shellfish |
Cookbook | Recipes | Ingredients | Equipment | Techniques | Cookbook Disambiguation Pages | Ingredients | Seafood
Lobsters are crustaceans somewhat akin to shrimp, crab, and crayfish.
Characteristics
[edit | edit source]A large number of lobsters exist for use in cooking,[1][2] though the availability varies according to location and culture. They all have firm white-to-pink, moist, meat after cooking.[2][3]
The northern lobster, also called Maine lobster, American lobster, European lobster, or common lobster, is a group of lobsters found in cooler waters of the northern Atlantic ocean.[1][4][5][6] Those of the coast of North America may grow to be slightly larger.[7][5] These lobsters have large front claws and tails, which together contain a substantial amount of meat in addition to that from the 8 legs.[4][8][6] The carapace is a mottled blue-green-brown color, turning bright red after cooking.[2][8][4][7] Uncooked, the flesh is somewhat jelly-like;[2] once cooked, it is white with streaks of pinkish red and is considered succulent and sweet.[9][8][5] The claw meat is described as having a richer flavor and less-firm texture than that of the tail meat.[2][3] The roe (called "coral") turns red when cooked and may be eaten in addition to the greenish liver ("tomalley"),[3][4][8][9] both of which are located in the body or thorax of the lobster.[8] Some avoid the liver, citing the buildup of environmental toxins.[2] These lobsters may be classed by weight into the following sizes: chicken (1 lb / 450 g), quarter (1.25 lb / 575 g), half/select (1.5–2.25 lb / 675–1025 g), or jumbo (≥2.5 lb / 1130 g).[4][8] So-called "culls" have only one claw, and "pistols" have no claws.[8] Soft-shell varieties are also sometimes available,[10] though they don't travel well.[1]
The Norway lobster, also called Dublin Bay prawn, langoustine, or scampi, is a very small lobster from the ocean off the European coast and parts of the Mediterranean sea.[7] It is a couple inches long, and the carapace is always rosy pink,[7] even when uncooked. The tail meat is eaten.
The spiny lobsters (including rock, slipper, and Spanish lobsters)[2] are not technically true lobsters in the biological sense, but they are considered lobsters culinarily. A variety of species exist across a range of habitats and multiple oceans.[2][4] They are often classified as either warm-water or cold-water, depending on their origin, with cold-water meat thought to be superior in flavor and texture.[2][4] They all lack claws and are therefore primarily harvested for their tail meat,[2][3][8][5] which is often sold frozen as it freezes well.[1][2][3][4] The flesh is considered coarser and less sweet than that of the northern lobster.[1][2][8][5]
Langostino, in English, refers to a a couple species of commercially-fished squat lobster.[11] The name can be confusing, as it may refer to completely different organisms in other languages.[12] These, too, are not true lobsters biologically.[12] The edible portion is the meat of the short tail,[6][11][12] whose flavor is said to be like that of lobster,[11][12] with a texture slightly more like that of shrimp.[6][11]
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Langoustine/Norway lobster -
Northern lobster -
Variety of langostino/squat lobster -
Variety of spiny lobster
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Selection and storage
[edit | edit source]Because the flesh deteriorates very rapidly after death (on the order of 2 hours),[1] lobster should be purchased live, frozen, or cooked.[2][4][5] Lobsters intended for live purchase are typically kept in aerated saltwater tanks.[2][8] When selecting live lobster, look for those that are active and not sluggish[5]—when picked up, the tail should curl, and the legs and claws should move around well.[1][8][9] When storing these until cooking, keep in the fridge, in a perforated container and wrapped in a damp cloth or seaweed, for the shortest possible duration.[2][4][5][8] Ice and freshwater submersion will both kill them.[2][4][5] If you notice that the lobster has died during storage, you should not use it.[4] The meat should be firm once cooked; if mushy, the lobster was probably dead for too long.[8]
Cooked lobster meat is still perishable and should be stored at 30–34°F (-1–1°C) for up to a couple days.[8] It should have a fresh, sweet smell and no off colors.[2][8] If frozen, the digestive vein should ideally have been removed beforehand.[2]
Preparation
[edit | edit source]Killing
[edit | edit source]Because lobster is so often purchased live and killed immediately before cooking,[3][4][13] the cook will likely need to kill it themself. The most humane way to do this is up for debate, since lobsters don't have a centralized nervous system, and it's unclear how they perceive pain.[2][3][14] To subdue it and make handling easier, you may place the lobster in the freezer or iced saltwater for a several (15–30) minutes.[3][9] Some advocate for quickly driving a knife all the way through the head, between the eyes to destroy the primary nerves and organs before proceeding with any further preparation or cooking.[2][5][8][14] Note, however, that the tail and claws may still move after you do this.[14] Some others simply place the live lobster in vigorously boiling water to kill it as it cooks.[3][8][13]
Breakdown
[edit | edit source]After killing, the lobster may be broken down further, especially if large. If broiling, grilling, or roasting, the lobster should be split in half length-wise for proper cooking.[2][4][5][8] To do so, place the lobster on its back, then use a chef's knife to cut through the body and tail in a single motion, without cutting through the back of the carapace.[4][5][8] Use your hands to crack the shell slightly and spread the lobster open so it lies flat.[8] Remove and discard the stomach, which is located right behind the eyes and not eaten.[4][8] If desired, you can remove the tomalley (liver) and coral (roe) for use separately.[4][8] Use the back of a heavy knife to strike the claws and crack them in advance.[4][8]
To fabricate the whole lobster into smaller pieces, either for ease of consumption or cooking, first cut off the claws and arms/legs, and crack the claws in advance with the back of a heavy knife.[4][8] Remove the tail from the thorax by either breaking it off or cutting it off with a knife[8]—if large, the tail may be further split or cut into cross-sectional pieces at each segment of the shell.[4][8] To extract the coral and tomalley, split the head and thorax in half and remove them.[4][8] Discard the stomach.[8]
Cooking
[edit | edit source]Depending on the method of preparation, lobster can be cooked by boiling, steaming, broiling, sautéing, or roasting.[2] If you would like to prevent the tail from curling during cooking, you can either weight it down (if practical) or flatten it and insert a stiff, straight tool like a knife or skewer down between the meat and the shell.[2][8][9][14] The ideal target temperature for cooking lobster meat is 135–145°F (57–63°C) in the center of the tail,[2][14] with lower temperatures producing a more tender texture. Overcooking the meat will make it tough, rubbery, and grainy.[2][14][15] An instant-read probe thermometer is the best way to accurately gauge the temperature of the meat.[2][14] If you don't have a thermometer to evaluate a large (e.g. northern) lobster, note the color and the feeler antennae—the carapace should be red and not brown, and the feelers should come off easily.[9]
One of the most straightforward ways to cook lobster is by boiling in a covered pot of salted, and sometimes more complexly flavored, water.[4] Recommended cooking times range from 5 to 8 minutes per pound (450 g).[4][8][15] Again, target temperature is the best way to assess doneness. Larger lobsters may seem tougher than smaller ones when boiled, because the outer meat can overcook by the time the inner meat is correctly cooked.[14] Note that boiling the lobster will cause some of the lobster flavor to be lost to the boiling water,[14] and it will also cause the body to fill with additional liquid that you may want to drain.[15]
Lobster can also be steamed, which avoids the loss of flavor into the cooking liquid; however, it still carries the same risks of over-cooking some regions.[14]
Roasting is another option, and this allows for both slower cooking of the meat and concentration of the flavor through moisture evaporation.[14] Because roasting causes the meat to adhere to the shell, you'll want to steam or boil the lobster briefly (about a minute for northern lobsters) so that the meat shrinks slightly, then finish it in the oven at 350°F (175°C).[14]
If you're planning to incorporate the meat alone into another cooked preparation, you don't want the meat to be fully cooked from the get-go—this would result in tough meat as it continues to heat in the second stage of cooking.[7] However, lobster meat cannot be removed from the shell in its uncooked state, since it's simply too jelly-like.[2] A solution to this issue is blanching the lobster just long enough for the outer meat surface to cook and become easier to remove from the shell. The blanching duration will depend on the lobster's size, but 1–2 minutes is a good rule of thumb for larger lobsters like the northern variety.[2] Note that blanched meat cannot be held for any period of time and must still be used immediately, as if it were fully raw.[2]
Extraction
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Once cooked and cooled, the meat needs to be removed from the shell. After twisting it off the rest of the body, squeeze between your hands to crack it, then use your fingers to pull off the bottom region and expose the meat.[2][14] If applicable, twist off the large claws and knuckles,[4][14] breaking the knuckle off from the claw at the joint.[2] Soft-shell lobster claws can often be snipped open with kitchen shears.[14] Those with very hard shells often need to be struck with the back of a heavy knife to crack them open.[5][14] Knuckles can be cut in half to expose the meat.[2] If you choose to remove the meat from the legs, you can either split them in half or place them next to each other and push the meat out using the back of a knife or a rolling pin.[2][4][9]
Use
[edit | edit source]When messy eating is acceptable, lobster is served in the shell. For those who desire the distinctive taste of lobster without the mess, there are various recipes for prepared lobster meat,[2] such as Lobster Newberg, rolls, soups, salads, and more.[4][12] Smaller lobsters (e.g. Norway varieties) may be prepared like prawns.[7] The shells and legs can be cooked into flavorful stocks, soups, and flavored butters.[2][9][14] The roe/coral and liver/tomalley may be cooked and eaten as-is, as a garnish, or incorporated into sauces.[5][8][9][13]
Substitution
[edit | edit source]In some cases, shrimp will work as an acceptable substitute for lobsters, especially langostinos.[12]
Recipes
[edit | edit source]References
[edit | edit source]- ↑ a b c d e f g "How To Buy A Lobster | The Food Lab". Serious Eats. Retrieved 2025-02-05.
- ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai The Culinary Institute of America (CIA); Ainsworth, Mark (2009-02-04). Kitchen Pro Series: Guide to Fish and Seafood Identification, Fabrication and Utilization. Cengage Learning. ISBN 978-1-4354-0036-8.
- ↑ a b c d e f g h i McGee, Harold (2007-03-20). On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 978-1-4165-5637-4.
- ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z Labensky, Sarah R.; Hause, Alan M.; Martel, Priscilla (2018-01-18). On Cooking: A Textbook of Culinary Fundamentals. Pearson. ISBN 978-0-13-444190-0.
- ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) (2011-09-13). The Professional Chef. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 978-0-470-42135-2.
- ↑ a b c d Research Chefs Association (2016-02-29). Culinology: The Intersection of Culinary Art and Food Science. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 978-0-470-48134-9.
- ↑ a b c d e f Davidson, Alan (2014-01-01). Jaine, Tom (ed.). The Oxford Companion to Food. Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/acref/9780199677337.001.0001. ISBN 978-0-19-967733-7.
- ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae Gisslen, Wayne (2014-04-15). Professional Cooking. Wiley. ISBN 978-1-118-63672-5.
- ↑ a b c d e f g h i Kipfer, Barbara Ann (2012-04-11). The Culinarian: A Kitchen Desk Reference. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. ISBN 978-0-544-18603-3.
- ↑ "Hard Versus Soft Shell Lobsters | Taste Test". Serious Eats. Retrieved 2025-02-05.
- ↑ a b c d "Langostino | SeafoodSource". www.seafoodsource.com. Retrieved 2025-02-08.
- ↑ a b c d e f "Products | Sea Port". www.cport.net. Retrieved 2025-02-08.
- ↑ a b c Ruhlman, Michael (2008). The Elements of Cooking: Translating the Chef's Craft for Every Kitchen. Black Incorporated. ISBN 978-1-86395-143-2.
- ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q "How to Kill, Cook, and Shell a Lobster | The Food Lab". Serious Eats. Retrieved 2025-02-05.
- ↑ a b c Wolke, Robert L.; Parrish, Marlene (2002). What Einstein Told His Cook: Kitchen Science Explained. W. W. Norton & Company. ISBN 978-0-393-01183-8.