Cooking Live Lobster

Why are you freezing it? That's really a strange way of killing something.

Have you ever worked with Lobster before?  I don't think so !

My goodness. Take it easy on the guy. He's not quite so sure about his methods, wherever he may have gotten them from, and he's coming here for better advice. 

You don't even have to kill them, just drop them in the screamingly boiling water (Julia Child did it that way so it can't be wrong), or you can jab them just behind the head w/ a Chef's knife in the nice crevasse of their shell. A fraction of a second, lights out. 

Now as for cooking times, here's an "IDEA", not gospel carved in stone: 

Boiled : 1 lb. : 12 - 15 minutes / 1-1/2 lbs. : 15 - 20 minutes. /  2-3 lbs. :  20 - 25 minutes / 3-1/2 - 5 lbs. :  25 - 30 minutes

Steamed : 1-1-1/2 lbs. :  20 minutes

Grilled Whole *(pre-cooked) : 1-1-1/2 lbs. :  2 - 3 minutes

Grilled Tails : Each : 5 - 7 minutes

Broiled Whole *(pre-cooked) : 1-1-1/2 lbs. : 3 - 4 minutes

Broiled Tails : Each : 9 - 10 minutes

Quote:

Originally Posted by handofike 

 That's what I expected to do but was told it would get messy....

You can always hold a lid over them until they subside...

I prefer to kill them before I cook them though: place your knife as on these pictures, then push it all the way down, then slightly forward (toward the eyes) by about 1 inch or so. 

How long does it take a Lobster to freeze to death ?????? I think the boiling and knife through the body is the faster way...........

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChefBillyB 

How long does it take a Lobster to freeze to death ?????? I think the boiling and knife through the body is the faster way...........

I think some people put the lobster in the freezer for a little bit just so it falls asleep, then they boil it. I think it makes the whole experience easier on the cook, but I'm not sure exactly how easier it is for the lobster. And personally I don't want my lobster to stay in the freezer at all.

Quote:

Originally Posted by French Fries 

I think some people put the lobster in the freezer for a little bit just so it falls asleep, then they boil it. I think it makes the whole experience easier on the cook, but I'm not sure exactly how easier it is for the lobster. And personally I don't want my lobster to stay in the freezer at all.

 
I figured the keyword was fresh, I do feel better that they are sleeping. I already have some cows, pigs and fish in there to keep them company..............I was in your neck of the woods a week ago............

A Japanese cook I worked with would "hypnotize" lobster by standing it up on its head and claws and rubbing the top of its head.  My advice is that if you like eatting animals is to not make it too personal.  The best way to pay your respects is to do a good job in preparing your dish.  In the case of a lobster for thermador this means to whack it in half with a cleaver.

 "You don't even have to kill them, just drop them in the screamingly boiling water "

They say that lobsters don't feel pain. I must say in my younger days there were a many times that I was feeling no pain. Don't think I would have enjoyed boiling or freezing.

We had a summer place in Martha's V. where I learned to cook lobsters 40 yrs ago.

The live puppies go into a large pot with rocks or a grate on the bottom so they don't touch it. They can burn or overcook.

Then fill the pot with salted room temp water. Flame on slowly at first to get the water warm. Around blood temp the lobsters fall quietly asleep. Then increase

the flame to simmer. Adjust time to # of lobster.  This is the nicest way for the lobsters, and the meat will be the tenderest it can be.

Any type of shocking will result in tensing. adrenaline will flows and the meat will be chewy.

for what that's worth

salty

Good point Panini. I used the term "screamingly boiling" because I believe the temp would immediately go down as you add the lobsters (kinda like putting things into a deep-fryer). I like things to be as extreem as possible in the beginning, then adjust after. 

Hey French Fries, those are great demonstration pics. Nice addition. 

After steaming plunge them in icewater so they stop cooking and dont get tough.. Save the liquid you boil them in for a stock. Or boil them in a Court Boullion mixture for flavor.

It's a wellknown procedure to first put the lobster in the freezer for a short while (1/2 hour or so), just to benumb it. Then you put it indeed in a boiling court bouillon; you need to see the liquid bubbling, just simmering is not enough. Please do use a large pot with enough liquid in it, in which the lobster can easily be submerged entirely.

Put the lobster in upside down, head first, without hesitation and be sure it is completely under the liquid. This kills the animal instanteniously. You may however see some post-mortem contractions of the legs, nothing to worry about, the animal is dead. Cooking time depends on the weight of the animal. Iceman gave you some cooking times.

Handofike, when you say thermadore the lobster, do you mean making lobster Thermidor? That's a recipe starting with cooking a lobster. You're not nearly halfway when the lobster is cooked.

However, nothing really difficult.

Lobster pouched in butter, what two things go better together

Just curious if anyone else starts their lobster in room temp water? I tried to google it and could not find anything.

I'm shocked. This was the norm for us as well as most others living around us. We would just head down to

the boats and buy their culls for dirt cheap. We cooked a lot on the beach. We always had a piece of plywood to

keep them from walking off. If you put them upside down, they will stay/sleep.

There was an absolute difference in the texture of the meat compared to boiling.

What I can remembe,r the lobsters will sleep with a temperature change, sometimes play dead.

The capt's would tell us they start to loose sweetness as soon as they leave the trap.

pan

I miss Maine Lobster, down here we have the Florida Spiny Lobster which no matter what you do with them they are tougher and stringy. Only thing they are good for is cut small lobster salad. I really believe people freeze them first because they are afraiid of them when they move.Put them in boiling H2O  with a wedge of lemon, piece of celery,onion,carrott, bay leaf and Old Bay seasoning 12 to 14 minutes thats it.

 I would agree, chefedb that the frozen out of season spiny lobsters don't compare to the Maines but when they are fresh and  in season,  I like the flavor and texture of the finished product for what it is. In the Keys we would salt and pepper the raw meat dredge in flour and cook  in a cold pan with whole butter and  chopped garlic scampi style. And one day out of the year you could go catch your own lobsters with a limit of six I believe ......that free lobster tasted doubly good!

I could be way off my rocker but I read somewhere that "hypnotizing" a lobster by holding it's head down is the result of blood shifting out of it's open circulatory system. Lobsters are cold blooded and like any cold blooded animal more docile when they are cold. Sticking em in the fridge makes them a bit lethargic thus less flapping.

For those of you squeamish about killing the lobster remember your salad is still alive when your eating it.

Ive heard it said that killing the lobster faster makes it taste better because it reduces panic hormone release in the lobster. Anybody know if there is any truth to that? That said, if you're going to kill a lobster correctly i think you should offer it a cigarette and a blindfold.

Just sayin-

TBN

TBN,

 (instead of a ciagarette, maybe an ativan ?)

Eric Ripert shows in his video (as French Fries showed in his pic) how to kill a lobster Humanely.

http://youtu.be/Nz4etAin564 

I personally never had a problem with a very large pot of water....that being said , everyone is different and I can appreciate how the OP feels , and thumbs up for making a lobster dinner for his girlfriend.

Quote:

Originally Posted by chefedb 

I miss Maine Lobster, down here we have the Florida Spiny Lobster which no matter what you do with them they are tougher and stringy. Only thing they are good for is cut small lobster salad. I really believe people freeze them first because they are afraiid of them when they move.Put them in boiling H2O  with a wedge of lemon, piece of celery,onion,carrott, bay leaf and Old Bay seasoning 12 to 14 minutes thats it.

I agree but also know that florida lobster or spiny lobster (bugs) are not lobster at all. They are actually most closely related to crayfish. They are ok, but it's something like eating a giant shrimp rather than an actual lobster. I have put in my time chasing them around the keys though!

Quote:

Originally Posted by eastshores 

I agree but also know that florida lobster or spiny lobster (bugs) are not lobster at all. They are actually most closely related to crayfish. 

In fact they're called crayfish (or crawfish) in some parts of the world. In France we call them "langoustes" (while lobsters are called "homards", so I was quite confused myself when I heard them called "something-lobster"). 

You are both correct  They are not lobster as we know lobster.. But down here they call them spiny lobsters don't ask me why . FRESH OR FROZEN THEY ARE TOUGH AND STRINGY. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by chefedb 

But down here they call them spiny lobsters don't ask me why

We don't have anything else like lobster! So that's our Florida Lobster. Spiny lobster is not a common term.. just lobster.. or bugs. You will find in some menus warm/cold water lobster. Warm being the crayfish we call lobster.. cold being actual lobster.

Quote:

Originally Posted by eastshores 

We don't have anything else like lobster! So that's our Florida Lobster. Spiny lobster is not a common term.. just lobster.. or bugs. You will find in some menus warm/cold water lobster. Warm being the crayfish we call lobster.. cold being actual lobster.

Common termonology in restaurant back or front  of house is spiny lobster.  When talking to the public last thing we want to call them is bugs !!! Maybe home its ok.

Haha true.. the slang for them amongst those that go after them is bugs. I can see where spiny lobster would be the term in restaraunts although inside of Florida I've seen them just referred to as "Florida Lobster"