How to Cook Lobster the Maine Way

How to Cook Lobster the Maine Way. The short answer: It's failproof.

I didn't grow up in Maine, but I did grow up in Maryland which is also on the East Coast and has a bustling seafood scene. Around these parts, our lobster is the blue crab. (BRB while I wonder why I don't have any crab recipes up yet.) My father introduced me to harvesting tons of live seafood growing up though, including mussels, clams, and Chincoteague oysters. All of this to say; cooking lobster is no challenge to me.

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We got live lobsters from a local lobsterman while staying on Mount Desert Island, Maine in June 2022. They cost $8 per pound. We opted for four 1 ½ pounders since we were staying at a rental and knew the stock pot wasn't big enough for much larger crustaceans. These are nothing compared to the large 3-4 pounders my dad often cooks. (See below)

Methods to Cook Lobster:

Steaming and boiling are the two most common ways to cook a whole live lobster. If you have a bunch of lobster tails, grilling the meat is often the preferred choice.

• Boiling whole live lobsters is a slightly faster and easier-to-time method. The meat also comes out of the shell easier than when steamed.

• Steaming whole live lobsters is a more gentle method, yielding more tender meat. It's also harder to overcook the lobster this way.

The method I'll be showing you is boiling. In all the many, many years my father has been boiling lobsters, the meat has always been perfectly tender and flavorful.

Regardless of whether you choose to steam or boil, you will need a large stock pot to submerge the lobsters all of the way. The bigger the pot, the better.

The Star Ingredient: Salt

The most important ingredient, other than the lobsters themselves, is salt. It boosts and flavors the meat.

Many Mainers boil or steam their whole lobsters in seawater from the Atlantic Ocean. And that's how our lobster rolls in Maine were cooked, too.

Since many of us don't have access to a couple of gallons of Atlantic seawater, we opt for Kosher salt instead. And trust me when I say you use a lot.

What to Serve with Lobster:

Lobster is such a special meal that tastes so decadent on its own that you don't need to go too crazy with the sides. Growing up, it was always served with corn on the cob and gold potatoes, all boiled in the same pot with the lobster.

If you need a little more food on the table, then you might want to try my:

Gluten Free Cheddar Bay Biscuits – Red Lobster Copycat

Gluten Free Dinner Rolls (that rise!) – Great Value Recipe

Boiling Lobsters Alive

A simple search of the web will show you that there are differing opinions on whether or not it's humane to cook lobsters while alive. Some countries such as New Zealand and Switzerland have even made illegal the live boiling of lobsters. While I will not go into details here, I will just state to please be sure your lobsters are active and live before cooking.

When a lobster dies before it is cooked, it only takes a mere couple of hours for potentially harmful Vibrio bacteria to infect it. This bacteria thrives on the decaying flesh of the lobster. Even cooking the lobster meat after it is infected won't kill this bacteria, often causing food poisoning. Cooking lobsters while they are still alive ensures they are free of this bacteria.

How to Cook Lobster:

1. Pick a large enough stock pot to cover all of the lobsters while still allowing space for boiling water. A general rule of thumb is to allow 3 quarts of water for every 1 ½ lbs. of lobster. Typically, a 4-5 gallon pot can handle 6 to 8 pounds of lobster. Metrics Guide: 1 quart = 4 cups. 1 gallon = 16 cups.
2. Stir in salt. (Add 2 tablespoons of salt to each quart of water)
3. If cooking potatoes; add in now.

4. Turn the burner on high and bring water to a rapid boil. You may use a lid to cover it at this stage to encourage the water to boil faster. This stage often takes the longest, especially if you have 4-5 gallons or more of water to boil.

5. Once boiling, remove the lid and plunge the live lobsters headfirst into the salted water. Do not cover. Bring back to a boil; then reduce heat and simmer uncovered. You can also add in corn cobs at this time if using. Growing up, we always used frozen nubs of corn so they would fit better.

Weight/boil times:

• 1 pounders / 8 minutes
• 1 ¼ pounders / 9-10 minutes
• 1 ½ pounders / 11-12 minutes
• 1 ¾ pounders / 12-13 minutes
• 2 pounders / 15 minutes
• 2 ½ pounders / 20 minutes
• 3 pounders / 25 minutes
• 5 pounders / 35-40 minutes

6. When the lobster is floating at the top of the water and is bright red, remove it from hot water with tongs. Set aside on a tray. The meat will continue to cook a little bit inside for about another minute. Meat should be white, not translucent.

7. Serve with melted butter, gold potatoes, and corn.