Ah, spring, when a young man’s fancy lightly turns to… lobster. Everything’s coming up lobster for us right now. Lobster recipes. Lobster cracking gear. Even lobster plates! And napkins! And… well, just try to stop us: We’re obsessed. Here’s everything you need, including how to break down a whole lobster, to keep you happy all season long.
1. The Gear
At minimum, you need a pot to cook it in, plus a lobster cracker or mallet. (Don’t be the person who uses a rock, and sends little bits of shell amok everywhere!) Ideally, you also have picks for getting the sweet meat out of legs, and a special set of curved seafood scissors. All our best gear is right here. And of course it’s New England red.
2. Lobster Tableware
We’re all friends, here, so let’s be honest: Lobster is a “more is more” experience. No one will judge you if you set a whole boiled lobster on a platter bearing a lobster. It’s the sort of over-the-top move expected when you’re eating lobster for dinner. So consider the lobster platter, the dinner plates, and the appetizer plates. The whole line is somehow sophisticated and straightforward at once.
3. Cooking and Eating It
OK, you’ve got your lobster pot ready, and it’s glorious. You’ve got your lobster. You picked out an extra-feisty one (read here for more on selection and storage), and you’ve got your melted butter and lemon. Dispatching a lobster can be tough on your nerves. As our buddy Andrew Zimmern points out here, you can put it in the freezer for a few minutes before boiling him or using a sharp knife to take him out, which stupefies the lobster. Just don’t keep it in the freezer for more than 10 minutes, which would freeze the meat. For a 101 on boiling the lobster, go here. For halving and carving, go here. And for cracking the finished product, we love this video from the guy behind Luke’s Lobster on the East Coast. From folding down the claws to getting the whole tail out in one fell swoop, he’s got it down.
4. The Recipes
We have 32 dreamboat recipes for those of you who want to break it down (get it?!) beyond the whole lobster. Think: rolls and chowder, paella and salad, sliders and risotto. They’re all fantastic, tested by our pros, and feature whatever other ingredients you are craving beyond the coveted crustacean.
Remember that you can grill these bad boys, too! (Ooft, they’re so good.) So rustle up a lobster-centric menu, chill the Chardonnay or white Bordeaux, and get cracking!
It’s lobster season! Get your claws on the best of what we’ve got.
