Lobster

[GordMay]

Cavecreature: Perhaps you might offer some tips on preparing & eating Lobster?

Lobsters will turn their characteristic bright red color well before the meat is thoroughly cooked inside. Follow these easy tips to ensure that the lobster is cooked:
* Tug on an antennae or pull off one of the small walking legs. They both will come off easily when the lobster is done.
* The meat inside the lobster will be firm, white and opaque The tomalley, which fills much of the body cavity, will be greenish-yellow.
* The roe in female lobsters will be bright orange-red and firm. If it is a dark greenish-black, with an oily tar-like consistency, the lobster is under cooked.
* The internal temperature will be 180oF (80oC)

Be careful not to overcook the lobster. Moderate overcooking causes toughening of the meat, shrinkage and loss of flavor; while extreme overcooking may cause the meat to fall apart or become mushy.

Approximate Cooking Times:

Boiled 1 Lb = 12-15 minutes
Boiled 1.5 Lb = 15-20 min.
Boiled 2-3 Lb = 20-25 Min.
Steamed 1-1.5 Lbs = 20 Min.
Grilled Whole 1-1.5 Lb = 2 -3 Min (after boiling)
Grilled Tailes = 5-7 Min each (after boiling)

[Cavecreature]

Im not into lobster that much... most people around here love 'em. Ive eaten a few in my life time but my grandmother is the true pro at breaking and eating them. I found this website (see below) with colour drawings that shows the best way to go about eating it. The site shows pretty much how my granny does it so I recon its about the best way.
In the opinion of me and of most of my local relatives, the best lobster is a about a 1.5 - 2 pound female. The only lobsters I've ever eaten is hard shell. Soft shell apparently tends to have softer meat with less texture and weaker flavour. I wouldnt know for sure because I have never eaten one but my my east coast relatives only eat hard shells.. If you are ever going to eat lobster it must be fresh. If you cant get them fresh as in alive, get them in the afternoon just after they come off the boats. NONE of this sorry canned excuse for lobster! If you are worried about humainly killing them... dont be. Buy them fresh if at all possible as in still alive. Boil the water and drop them in! Cooking time varies from lobster to lobster and there is no really set time. Im not sure about bigger lobsters but for the best eating size mentioned above this is how you cook it. Bring well salted water to a good hard boil. Drop the lobster in and let it cook for 15 mins. When the time is up you can take it out of the pot and let is sit a minute or just leave it there till eating time. If you cook for 15 mins you will never have to worry about undercooking it. My great grandmother cooks them this way and every generation since. None of us have ever gotten sick. Your chart for cooking times looks pretty good. Better to be on the safe side. I knew a guy that worked on the Confederation Bridge when it was being built. Almost every Saturday his whole work crew would eat fresh lobsters. To kill them they just fired up the grill and tossed the lobsters in while still alive. I never had a grilled lobster before but I would imagine it would taste pretty good. Lobsters decompose very rapidly so the sooner they are cooked after death the better they are. The instructions for breakin apart are as good as you can get. As far as the tomally inside, my granmother loves it where as I cant stand the stuff. Its down to a matter of personal taste but because of pollution it really isnt a good idea to eat it anymore. Besides that, lobsters eat decomposing flesh and since the tomally is its digestive system... nasty thoughts.
Using a nut cracker is the best way to open the skeleton. You can buy little hooks for digging the flesh out but whats the fun in that! Other than that just dig in and enjoy!
http://www.gma.org/lobsters/eatingetc.html

Just a foot note here. I you ever happen to sail to PEI, make sure you sail to Summerside at least once. From the harbour enterance you can see the huge bridge outlined against the sky. In the right lighting conditions it is an amazing sight! Even on a normal day its very impressive. You can sail under it as well and from underneath... ITS HUGE! A good breeze blows across the water most days in summer and it makes for some nice easy sailing. Just something a sailor might want to see

[GordMay]

Thanks!
You’re the first red-foot I’ve met, who admitted to being “... not into lobster that much ...”. My sister in-law is from the Island, and tho’ potato farmers themselves, they all* LOVE lobster.

*"They all" is not the plural of "y'all".

[Lakbay dagat]

I reckon that tomally is the butter fat like in crabs used to eat it but don't always taste right anymore.

I cook crabs about the same time 10-15 min per pound w/salt.

love all seafood.

Lakbay makes a very important point. Always cook em in salt water. Fresh water will ruin the taste. Seawater is best, but if you can't get off shore far enough to get clean water, about 5% salt is a good start. Kosher salt is best for this.
For my wife's 40th B-Day, I put together a dinner for 40 people. I had 40 live maine lobsters flown in, broiled artichokes, and fresh san francisco sourdough from a bakery I used to work with.
Lobster is my wife's favorite food. Although, that night, she discovered she could not eat 2-2 pounders She sure gave it the old college try though.

[Cavecreature]

Ya I've seen the result of a weak stomached person trying to eat a large lobster! They're quite rich and get sickening after a short time I find. Ya sea water is the best but if you cant get hold of that use sea salt. Ever try a really good east coast chowder? In my opinion its near the best food on the planet! Its got clams, crab, lobster, cod, and tons of other stuff as well as good old potatoes. Anyway you should eat some if you havnt yet. Every year we have a local family get together on the scottish side of the family (at least 70% of Islanders are of scottish decendance). The morning that we have the food we go and get everything except the cod from the beach. From the time theyre alive to the time they are done cooking is about 3 hrs max. Talk about fresh awsome chowder! Anyway just one of the pleasures of living here.

[Islandmike]

I managed a seafood cannery for many years, we canned clams, lobsters and fish. I know all there is to know about homarus americanos, New England Lobster. Does anyone know how to tell a male from a female, this is good to know if you want the roe? I have many recipes pertaining to clams and lobster. Did you know the reason they are pegged or banded is not to protect the lobsterman, but to protect them from each other! They love to eat each other. A 15 lb lobster is as tender as a chicken, that is what a 1ber is called.

Mike & Paula

S/V Tivoli

[Islandmike]

Yes I am an expert, I can't even spell it correctly. Homarus Americancanus. I can feel my face turing red, oh, such is life.
Mike

S/V Tivoli

[Islandmike]

You should only put about a 1/2 inch of salt water in the pot, much better to steam them, not boil them
tip #1

Mike & Paula

S/V Tivoli

[S/V Elusive]

Originally Posted by Kai Nui

for my wife's B-Day, I put together a dinner for 40 people. I had 40 live maine lobsters flown in, broiled artichokes, and fresh san francisco sourdough from a bakery I used to work with.
Lobster is my wife's favorite food. Although, that night, she discovered she could not eat 2-2 pounders She sure gave it the old college try though.

OMG!!!! Man was I happy to be one of Scott and Susans' friend!!! wooohooo... that was a feast!!!!!!!!

I even volunteered for galley clean up afterwards - had to work off all of that!!

Damn ... three years ago? might be four - time does fly.

[CaptainK]

Hey Tom.

When you had the lobster. Was that during Susan's birthday party?

[Doghouse]

When looking at the tail of a lobster, the first 2 "swimming fins" are the determinant of sex.
If they are hard, then you have a Male. (insert bad joke here)

Personaly, I like claw meat more than tail when it comes to lobster. That is why I pick a male when I have the ability to choose. Male have heavier larger claws, and females have wider tails.