How to Boil Lobster

You have brought your fresh, live lobster home, now what do you do with it? There are many ways to cook lobster, but if you learn how to boil lobster...

...you have found one of the easiest methods for preparing it - especially if you plan to cook several lobsters at one time.

And...

Since the heat of boiling water tends to pull lobster meat away from its shell, separating the two can be easier on a boiled lobster than on steamed, broiled, or grilled lobster.

Boiling Lobster

A large stockpot or lobster pot, lemon, salt, or Old Bay Seasoning, and, of course running water, are all you will need to boil live lobster.

Once boiled, lobster may be served whole - with a side of drawn butter, or the meat can be removed from its shell and used in your favorite lobster recipe.

1. Fill the pot with enough water to cover the lobster, adding salt, lemon or Old Bay Seasoning, if desired. Bring the water to a boil.

2. Place lobster into the boiling water - head first.

3. Once the water has returned to a boil turn the burner to medium heat.

You may also be interested in:
How to Cook Lobster Tail
Types of Lobsters

How long to boil lobster? The general rule is...

4. Boil lobster for 10 minutes per pound, and 3 minutes for each additional pound, being careful not to overcook the lobster. When fully cooked the lobster shell will have a red, orange color and the meat will be white.

Tip: Cooking time should be based on weight per lobster, not a cumulative weight of all of the lobsters in the pot. For instance, two 1 1/2 pound lobsters in the same pot would equal approximately 30 minutes cooking time.

5. Using a clean kitchen towel remove the lobster from the pot, placing it a cloth towel or paper towels. Let drain and cool for several minutes.

If you will not be serving the lobster while it is hot, stop the cooking process by chilling it under cold running water and then refrigerate the lobster meat until you are ready to use it.

6. Serve the lobster whole, or make it more manageable by holding the body and twisting off the claws and the tail, and cracking the claws with a nutcracker or a small mallet.

Tip: Because the lobster will have retained water during boiling, break off the claws and tail over a sink.

7. Additionally, the lobster tail meat can be removed by twisting the tail shell gently until the meat becomes loose.

Once you know how to boil lobster you will have the basic ingredient for many great lobster meat recipes...

Lobster Newburg
Lobster Thermidor
Lobster Casserole
Lobster Bisque are all prepared with cooked lobster meat.