Eating lobster can be a synonym for fancy dinner. Besides being a delicacy, lobster is packed with nutrients, so you will not want to mess this up too in the cooking process. As intimidating as all this may sound, a lobster dinner is actually a pretty easy job… and you only need one pot!
Although it is an easy job, you can still make a few common mistakes that may end up ruining it. Take a look at the most common mistakes everyone can do when cooking lobster, and how to avoid them:
Buying a large lobster
You may think that the larger and heavier the lobster is, the more flesh it will have. This is a common mistake inexperienced people have when trying to buy a lobster. You need to pay attention to the shell, if the shell is hard and thick, it indicates that the inner flesh will be abundant.
Overcooking a lobster
If you don’t want to eat a rubbery and dry lobster, make sure you don’t overcook it. A lobster will take only 7-12 minutes to cook, but if you want to be precise, adapt the time to the weight of the lobster. For a one-pound lobster, it will take 12 minutes of cooking. You can add three more minutes for each additional pound. An important step when cooking the lobster is that once is finished, you should immediately cool it under cold water to prevent further overcooking.
Undercooking a lobster
An undercooked lobster will lead to a gelatinous and inedible dish, besides being dangerous for your health. Take a large pot and fill it with water and coarse salt. Remove the rubber bands used to hold its pincers together and, once the water boils, immerse the lobster in the water by grabbing from behind the head. Start calculating the cooking time from the moment the water starts to boil again.
Choosing a lobster that is not fresh
How do we know the lobster we are spending so much money on is actually fresh and healthy? We have two great tips for you: when you buy a lobster, check that it has bright eyes and mobile antennae. Also, hold it by its shell, it should fold its tail well under its thorax.
Only buying a male lobster
You can identify a female lobster by the small fins between the thorax and abdomen. Although there’s a big taste difference between a male and female lobster, females tend to have more meat in the tail and also have roe, which can be similar to caviar… so, it’s not that bad.
Discarding the shells
Don’t throw away the shells! You can use them to infuse with the tasty iodine flavor of lobster and store it in a fridge for up to one month. You only need to immerse them in oil.
Keeping a live lobster for too long
You should cook the lobster as soon as possible after you purchase it. However, you can keep a live lobster for a maximum of a day in the refrigerator, wrapped in a damp cloth. What you can do, is freeze the cooked flesh for up to one month. Once cooked, it can be kept cool for just two days.
Adding too many complicated ingredients
When cooking lobster, you should keep things simple and not mix it with too many competing flavors as this will hide the unique and delicate flavor of the lobster. Grilled lobster or lobster salads are a great success and very simple options.