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Boiled Lobster

By Andrea Geary

Published on May 31, 2013

Time

45 minutes

Yield

Serves 4 or Yields 1 pound meat

Boiled Lobster

Ingredients

4 (1 ¼-pound) live lobsters ⅓ cup salt

Before You Begin

To cook four lobsters at once, you will need a pot with a capacity of at least 3 gallons. If your pot is smaller, boil the lobsters in batches. Start timing the lobsters from the moment they go into the pot.

Instructions

  1. Place lobsters in large bowl and freeze for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, bring 2 gallons water to boil in large pot over high heat.
  2. Add lobsters and salt to pot, arranging with tongs so that all lobsters are submerged. Cover pot, leaving lid slightly ajar, and adjust heat to maintain gentle boil. Cook for 8 minutes, then, holding lobster with tongs, insert thermometer through underside of tail into thickest part; meat should register 140 degrees. If necessary, return lobster to pot for 2 minutes longer, until tail registers 140 degrees.
  3. Serve immediately or transfer lobsters to rimmed baking sheet and set aside until cool enough to remove meat, about 10 minutes. (Lobster meat can be refrigerated in airtight container for up to 24 hours.)
Boiled Lobster

Boiled Lobster

Save

Time

45 minutes

Yield

Serves 4 or Yields 1 pound meat

Ingredients

4 (1 ¼-pound) live lobsters
⅓ cup salt

Test Kitchen Techniques

Ingredients

4 (1 ¼-pound) live lobsters
⅓ cup salt

Test Kitchen Techniques

Ingredients

4 (1 ¼-pound) live lobsters
⅓ cup salt

Test Kitchen Techniques

Why This Recipe Works

Cooking lobster at home can be a daunting process: How do you deal with that thrashing tail, and how do you know it’s done? We sedated our lobsters by placing them in the freezer for 30 minutes, and we determined doneness by taking the tails’ temperature.

Before You Begin

To cook four lobsters at once, you will need a pot with a capacity of at least 3 gallons. If your pot is smaller, boil the lobsters in batches. Start timing the lobsters from the moment they go into the pot.

Instructions

  1. Place lobsters in large bowl and freeze for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, bring 2 gallons water to boil in large pot over high heat.
  2. Add lobsters and salt to pot, arranging with tongs so that all lobsters are submerged. Cover pot, leaving lid slightly ajar, and adjust heat to maintain gentle boil. Cook for 8 minutes, then, holding lobster with tongs, insert thermometer through underside of tail into thickest part; meat should register 140 degrees. If necessary, return lobster to pot for 2 minutes longer, until tail registers 140 degrees.
  3. Serve immediately or transfer lobsters to rimmed baking sheet and set aside until cool enough to remove meat, about 10 minutes. (Lobster meat can be refrigerated in airtight container for up to 24 hours.)

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