Live Lobster

[sh1234]

I am going to be having a dinner party soon and am planning on cooking lobsters, which I have never done before. Two questions. First, are they better boiled or steamed, and second, what are good side dishes to serve with lobster.

Thanks

[amber]

I prefer boiled lobster, serve with hot butter. Good sides are corn on the cob, cole slaw, and potatoe salad. Thats a typical Maine lobster dinner. Perhaps some hot rolls too. Mass people will chime in, as well as other New Englanders :) Oh and steamers as an appetizer, or mussells, of course with hot drawn butter.

Oh and boil them 15 minutes per pound!

[GB]

I prefer them steamed, but not because I think they taste better that way. I honestly think they taste the same steamed or boiled. The only reason I like steamed better is that when you crack open a steamed lobster there is a lot less water that comes pouring out. You can't go wrong with either method though.

I used to like them with clarified butter (and I still do), but I took a hint from Jasper White and tried using just melted butter instead of clarified. I really like doing this now. It adds a lot more flavor IMO.

[marmalady]

IMO, unless you have a professional sort of steamer, there's not much you can set up at home to do a great steaming job. Especially if you're cooking a lot of lobster. It just takes too long for the heat to er, bring the lobsters to their demise, and the racket in the pot will drive you out of the kitchen. Boiling is the way to go!

You can season the water, if you like, with some cut up lemons, peppercorns, bay leaf, and Old Bay seasoning. Put that in the water right at the beginning, and by the time the water comes to a boil, you'll have a wonderful broth to cook the critters in.

[AllenOK]

I agree with marmalady. Unless you have a commercial steamer at home (those things are pretty big!), you're better off boiling them.

As a side note, I think just about every restaurant that serves lobster probably steams them.

[GB]

I have only cooked lobster at home once, but we steamed them and had zero problems. We just took out biggest pot and put some water and put a steaming basket (you know those collapsible things) and put the lobsters in that so they were raised above the water. We slapped the lid on and that was it. They were some of the best lobsters I have ever had (and I have eaten a LOT of lobster) and could not have been easier.

[auntdot]

Boiling vs steaming, no question, steam. I will take a big pot and steam the critters every time.

If you are squeamish about them flailing about in the pot, just take a sturdy knife and stick it through the shell at the back of the head in the little indentation there, it sort of looks like a cross. It will kill them immediately.

Used to live in New England and have been to many lobster boils and find the boiled critters far too watery. Used to avoid the darned things as often as we could.

But you might want to consider baked stuffed lobster, our favorite. We can easily make a dozen and a half in a bit more than an hour. Could get home from work on a Friday evening with visitors coming and have a dinner ready in an hour or so.

If you have never done it before, I would give the prep a bit longer and allow about two hours.

Just Google for recipes.

Stuffings with Ritz crackers are often used.

And crab, but the phony crab works well.

Have been to a restaurant in Bar Harbor, Maine that was the choice of the locals and all the Maine folk ordered was baked stuffed.

Just my opinion, hope it helps.

[Constance]

I'm a Midwestern girl...I like baked potatoes and crab stuffing with my lobster... and corn on the cob with anything!

[sh1234]

seems like steaming is the popular answer. i have heard its a bit unsettling listening to them in the pot when they are steamed, but its probably worth it if they taste better than boiling.

[GB]

Yeah it is a bit unsettling listening to them in the pot. We joked about it while it was happening, but it was a bit uncomfortable listening to them move around.

Personally I do not find a difference in taste between boiled and steamed. I just like the fact that there is less water inside a steamed lobster so it doesn't come pouring out when you crack them open