How to Cook the Perfect Lobster
It’s the most wonderful time of the year (sing it with me). Isle Madame lobster fishers all got to bed early last night because today is setting day, or dump day as some call it, and what a beautiful morning to be on the water. I’m looking out my office window and there’s not a ripple in the harbour. That isn’t always the case throughout the roughly 2 month fishing season, but it’s encouraging to see such a great start.
Lobster is Nova Scotia’s most valuable seafood export. In 2019, Statistic Canada reported $994 million in exports to China alone (the US are also big consumers of NS lobster). Fact: In my Dad’s generation, lobster was considered a poor man’s food. Kids were ridiculed for bringing a lobster sandwich to school. A lobster roll is now the most coveted item on a summer menu!
Lobster is the easiest thing to cook! Done correctly, you end up with a sweet and salty, tender meat that needs absolutely nothing else (although some will dip it in melted butter or garlic butter). I’m going to start with what not to do and these deserve all caps: DO NOT BOIL A LOBSTER, DO NOT USE FRESH (UNSALTED) WATER, and DO NOT COOK LOBSTER WITH THE RUBBER BANDS ON THE CLAWS. You can argue with me on those items, but I’ve had lobster cooked in fresh water and it is tasteless compared to steaming in sea water.
To cook the perfect lobster, you need 3 things:
lobster (we love the 1 1/4 - 1 1/2 lb size)
sea water
a big pot
We collect sea water in a large, clean bucket but we’ve also filled 2L pop bottles or empty water jugs - use whatever you have on hand. Because we steam our lobster, you will only need enough water to fill about 2-3” in the pot. You should also collect enough to dunk them after cooking. If you are not near the ocean, take a box of table salt and pour 3 mounds into the palm of a cupped hand (if I had to guess, I would say 9 Tbsp). Taste the water - it needs to be as salty as the ocean. Place your pot on the stove, cover, and bring the water to a full boil.
Once boiling, remove the rubber bands from the lobster claws using a large knife. Keep your fingers away and hold the lobster securely around its back (my Dad demonstrates below!). Place lobster headfirst into the pot. Cover with the lid and bring the water to a boil again. Once it’s boiling, turn the heat down enough to maintain a simmer and start your timer for 20 minutes (this is based on a 1 1/4 - 1 1/2 lb lobster and roughly 10 of them in the pot - you may need to adjust the time for smaller/bigger lobsters or fewer/more lobsters. To test doneness, pull on an antenna and if it pops off easily, it’s ready.).
Once cooked, we immediately empty the pot into a clean sink and then pour the remaining sea water over the lobster to stop the cooking process. This also causes the meat to shrink a little within the shell, making it easier to remove the meat.
Our traditional lobster dinner includes a fresh-baked roll from the Co-op, The Cottage Bakery, or The Corner Bridge Store, potato salad, and a macaroni salad. Leftovers are rare, but if you find yourself with extras, lobster is delicious hot or cold, in salads, chowder, pasta dishes, casseroles, sandwiches, eggs benny, and the ever-popular lobster roll. Lobster also freezes beautifully (save some of the cooking water, add to lobster, and freeze in air-tight ziplock bags). For recipe ideas, check out Taste of Nova Scotia.
If you’d rather have someone else cook for you, book our Acadian Culture and Cuisine package (available mid-May to Oct as long as we can get our hands on lobster) where you can enjoy an overnight stay and one of our traditional lobster dinners in our private dining area (we’d happily have you join us in the kitchen for an in-person cooking tutorial, pending Covid restrictions).
Comment, send us a message, or tag us @theclairestoneinn in your social media post if you give this a try!
