The easiest way to cook lobster: Steam it
Overview
Lobster lovers are divided into two major camps: steamers vs. boilers.
I come down the side of the steamers not because it produces a lobster so vastly superior to boiling, but because it is the easier way to cook lobsters at home.
Talk about Dinner in Minutes: Steaming lobsters may be one of the fastest — although definitely not the thriftiest — ways to get dinner on the table.
[Recipe: Maine-Style Lobster Rolls]
Place your live lobster — still in the market bag — in your freezer for 15 to 20 minutes to sedate it. Then prep your steamer: For 1 1/2-pound lobsters, I use my 8-quart stockpot with a steamer basket on the bottom; I’m able to cook two at a time this way. (The basket isn’t essential, but it keeps the lobsters above the water line so that no part of the lobster sits in the boiling water.)
When you’re ready to steam, add 1 to 2 inches of water to the pot, bring it to a boil, add the lobsters on top of the basket and lower the heat just to maintain a vigorous simmer. Put the lid on and wait about 15 minutes.
Now, you’ve got a couple of steamed lobsters.
Lift them with tongs and let them rest until cool to the touch, about five minutes.
Scale and get a printer-friendly version of the steamed lobster recipe here.
Add a dish of melted butter and a handful of lemon wedges, along with boiled new potatoes and corn on the cob, which you can make while the lobster is in the freezer and then in the steamer pot, and you can have a fancy-pants dinner on the table in about 40 minutes.
Some say boiling lobsters leeches flavor from the meat, but, to me, the biggest benefit of steaming over boiling is less mess. Once your lobster is done, you’re not left with a big pot of boiling hot water. Why waste that water?
Even within steaming circles, however, home cooks can find varied advice: Add salt to the water, add fresh herbs or wine to the water, use stock or broth rather than water. When I tried such variations, I found it made little difference in the flavor of the meat.
Besides, lobster meat is sweet with a hint of salt all on its own.
[In a summer that’s anything but carefree, a lobster roll brings back memories]
A few considerations:
How big of a lobster should I get? When we buy lobster, the biggest decision most of us get to make is the size. Most sources recommend going with smaller lobsters, around 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 pounds, for ease of home cooking. Two of this size will fit in a standard stockpot. A 1 1/2-pound lobster should yield about 6 ounces of claw and tail meat. (Some claim the meat is more tender in a smaller lobster, but I’ve had delicious meat from large lobsters, as well.)
How to pick my lobster? Look for ones that are lively, with claws of fairly equal size and antennae attached.
How do you know when the lobsters are done? Cook them for the recommended time, about 13 minutes for 1 1/4 pounds, with an additional 2 minutes for every additional 1/4 pound up to 2 1/2 pounds. (Anything bigger is too large for my home-freezer and stove top.) The lobster shell will turn from blueish-green to bright red once steamed. Try tugging on one of the long antennae. If it easily releases, the lobster should be done. If you’re concerned, crack open one of the lobsters and make sure the meat has gone from translucent to white with red markings.
How should you kill the lobster? Some experts advocate slipping the lobsters into the freezer to sedate them and then killing them using a chef’s knife before steaming. I tried the knife method, but noticed little difference in the lobster’s movement once added to the pot, so I stuck with sedating alone. (More about both methods below.)
[Baked, then boiled: Why one Maine restaurant is sedating lobsters with marijuana smoke]
Why not just buy tails? I read in Cook’s Illustrated that tails that were cooked immediately after butchering have better texture and taste than tails cooked 4 hours or more after butchering. My experimentation bore that out. Fresher makes a big difference when it comes to lobster. Besides, with a whole lobster, you get the delicious claw meat, too.
Steamed Lobster
If you have a typical stockpot (8 quarts), you will likely be able to cook only two 1 1/2-pound lobsters at a time. For even cooking, it is important not to crowd the lobsters in the pot.
Ingredients
4 live lobsters (1 1/4 to 1 1/2 pounds each)
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
Lemon, for serving (optional)
Steps
Step 1
In a large, tall stock pot with a tightfitting lid, add about 1 to 2 inches of water. Add a rack or steamer basket to the pot, if using. Bring the water to a boil over high heat.
Add two lobsters, more if the pot is large enough, then cover the pot and return the water to a boil. Decrease the heat to medium or medium-low to maintain a vigorous simmer and steam the lobsters until they turn bright red, 13 to 15 minutes.
Step 2
To check to see if the lobster is done, pull on one of the long antennae. If it comes off easily, the lobsters are ready. If not, cook for a few more minutes. (The flesh of cooked lobster should be white with red markings, and the tomalley, or liver, should be green.)
Use tongs to remove the lobsters. Check the water level and then repeat this process with the remaining lobsters.
Step 3
Allow lobsters to rest until cool enough to handle, about 5 minutes.
Serve warm with melted butter and, if desired, lemon.
NOTES:
Want picture-perfect lobsters? Food stylist Lisa Cherkasky has this advice: After they are steamed, spray the lobster with hot water and give them a quick rub with a towel to remove any white bits of protein. Then, rub them with a little olive oil, sort out their legs, unfurl the tail a little and set them on a plate.
For cold dishes: If steaming lobster for lobster rolls or salad, place the steamed lobster on ice and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Then, use lobster crackers and picks to remove the tail, claw and, if you’re patient, the leg meat.
How to kill the lobster: One of the more palatable ways to do this is to clear a spot in your freezer before buying the lobsters. As soon as you get them home, put them in the freezer (in the bag they came in) for 15 to 20 minutes. Then, put them directly in the pot.
Some people prefer to use a knife through the head to kill the lobster before steaming. To do this, place the lobster on a cutting board, firmly holding it where the body meets the head — the point at which the vertical and horizontal creases in the shell meet. Quickly thrust a chef’s knife into the head until the knife hits the cutting board, and then cut downward through the center of the head, away from the tail, through the lobster’s eyes. Then, proceed with steaming.
To make lobster stock: In a large stockpot over medium-high heat, add the empty lobster shells and cover with water, or until the pot is about two-thirds full. You may add fresh herbs, alliums or seasoning, or simply simmer the shells in water in the covered pot, for at least 3 hours. Using tongs, remove the large pieces of shell, then strain the stock through a fine sieve, straining again if necessary. Refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze in freezer-safe containers for up to 4 months.
For a more flavorful stock: In a large stockpot over medium-high heat, heat about 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil until shimmering. Add the shells and cook, stirring, for about 2 minutes. Add enough water to cover the shells or until the pot is about two-thirds full. Add 1 rough-chopped yellow onion, 3 bay leaves, 1/4 cup cognac, 1/4 cup white wine and your favorite fresh herbs, such as thyme or tarragon, and whole peppercorns or garlic cloves as well. Then simmer and strain as directed above.
From recipes editor Ann Maloney.
Tested by Ann Maloney; email questions to voraciously@washpost.com.
Scale and get a printer-friendly version of the recipe here.
Did you make this recipe? Take a photo and tag us on Instagram with #eatvoraciously.
Browse our Recipe Finder for more than 9,000 Post-tested recipes at washingtonpost.com/recipes.
More recipes from Voraciously:
Lobster Tails With Garlic and Oil
Coconut Milk Soup With Lobster
Nutrition
Calories: 309; Total Fat: 23 g; Saturated Fat: 14 g; Cholesterol: 240 mg; Sodium: 600 mg; Carbohydrates: 0 g; Dietary Fiber: 0 g; Sugars: 0 g; Protein: 23 g.
