How To Boil a Lobster

Howcast Studios
Print
Easy Steps |

Vote! Was this useful? No Yes

3 votes

2,135 views
Boiling a lobster is practically as easy as it sounds. Here’s how to do it perfectly every time.
Added May 18, 2008

Link

Embed Customize

This video has Easy Steps. | Show all steps » Print

You Will Need

A large pot
A lobster
A few bay leaves
Salt and pepper
A colander
A sheet pan
A stove top

Step 1.
Boil water

Fill the pot with water, cover it, and bring it to a boil.
Step 2.
Remove the claws and tail

Remove the claws and tail. Twist them off while the lobster is still alive—you want to boil them separately, as the tails will take longer to cook.
Step 3.
Season the water

Season the water. Throw a couple of bay leaves into the pot and season with salt and pepper.
Step 4.
Add the lobster

Add the lobster to the pot. Tails take about seven minutes to cook, and claws take about five minutes, so put the tail in two minutes before you add the claws.
You don’t need to remove the thick rubber bands around the claws before boiling—they won’t melt.
Step 5.
Remove the lobster

Strain the lobster. Turn off the heat, remove the pot, and pour the lobster into a colander in the sink.
Step 6.
Let the lobster cool

Let the lobster cool. Put it on a sheet pan for a few minutes.
The biggest lobster on record was caught off Nova Scotia in 1977; it weighed 44 pounds and measured 41 inches.

Comments View all (2)...

I'm from Guysborough, Nova Scotia and we have the best, sweetest tasting lobster. It's best to keep it simple but using only saltwater (skip the bay leaves) or sea water if available. Lobsters die almost instantaneously in boiling water. Don't rip your live lobster in half. Cook for 7 minutes for store size lobsters or 10 minutes for bigger ones. It's good to know the lobster fishermen :D

Reply about 1 year ago by anarch17