Lobster Help

DHall · June 2007

Ok so I just find out that my dad has decided he wants fresh lobster for Fathers Day. Then I find out that my Mom has already ordered some to be sent overnight to arrive on Saturday. The people she ordered them from said the lobsters may actually survive till Sunday just by placing them in the package they come in in the fridge. And if they dont survive that as long as they are in the fridge overnight they will still be perfectly fine. Now I have no experience cooking lobsters but I have cooked quite a few thousand pounds of crawfish over the years. Should I just cook them basically the same way I would live crawfish? I know there are bound to be some lobster experts around here. To keep this egg related I do plan on baking a homemade blueberry pie on the egg for desert.

Richard · June 2007

DHall,[p]Must be lobster week. This was down the page a few steps.

[ul][li]http://www.biggreenegg.com/archives/2002/messages/98920.htm[/ul]

DHall · June 2007

Richard,
Yeah I saw that but my dad wants whole lobster boiled. Just figure there are bound to be a few folks around here who have alot of experience with this.

Tony · June 2007

DHall,
I've never cooked a lobster on an Egg as the recipe suggests; but having boiled a few (hundred) pounds of crawfish myself (this year!) - I would go with the recipe for the Egg when it comes to lobster. Somehow, lobster done like a crawfish seems like a waste of lobster to me - especially if they are fresh/live as you suspect they are going to be. Let us know what you decide and how they come out!

Tony · June 2007

DHall,
Oh, didn't know Dad specifically requested them boiled. Can't help you there... a good compromise might be to steam them, instead; I don't know about this boiling thing and lobster. If he's willing to give in to the Egging... I bet all will be wonderfully surprised.

Wardster · June 2007

DHall,
I claim the D.C. area as my hometown. We steamed all shellfish. I move south and they boil everything. I hate it!! When at my house and I go to steam my shellfish, people gawk... till they eat it. [p]I would do half on the egg and half the way he wants it and let him decide.[p]Win win from here. Good luck.

Trouble · June 2007

DHall,
I once had lobster fed-exed to me. They were still alive, but sluggish. After they warmed up, we had lobster races on the kitchen floor. [p]Ahem, anyway, directions for cooking the lobster came with them. I researched a bit, but didn't come up with anything better than the simple steam process sent in the box with the lobster. Just tell your dad that you're boiling them in a very small amount of water. [p]They were wonderful--I hope yours are, too.[p]Joyce

Richard · June 2007

DHall,[p]Now were wasting expensive lobster. Boil his egg the rest hehe. Hope this helps!

[ul][li]http://gonewengland.about.com/c/ht/00/07/How_Boil_Lobsters0962932720.htm[/ul]

Steeler Fan · June 2007

DHall, I remember that DR. BBQ had one on his website.
Joe

Eggvis · June 2007

DHall,[p] Last Father's day, i cooked eight of them bugs and got rave reviews from all. I pre boiled them only for a few minutes. Then, I slit the back of each tail and packed in a nice herb butter. I finished them off on a 375 degree egg for a few minutes more. The time will depend on how big yours are. Mine were about 1 lb. each. [p]here's the pre boil ceremony:
[p]here they are getting a nice char:
[p]Some satisfied customers....
[p]

stike · June 2007

DHall,
we used to boil. takes forever to hit temp, then when you put the lobstahs in, they chill the water so much, it takes forever to boil again and you never know when to start timing the cook.[p]you have a small folding steamer rack? put that in the bottom of a big pot. add water, and a good half handful of kosher salt. get her steaming.[p]just before you toss the lobsters in, snip the rubber bands. not a big deal if you steam, but if they boil, that latex flavors the water.[p]so.. steaming. toss them in. give them 12 to 13 minutes for the first pound of the lobster's weight, then an additional 3 minutes per pound thereafter. This is for the average lobster size. meaning a pot of pound-and-a-half lobsters cooks about as long as just a single pound-and-a-halfer. don't add the total weight of all the lobsters, or you'll never eat.[p]since it's a bit of a presentation, you might want to slice a lemon and rub it on the shell all over when it comes out. what that'll do is simply LOOK nice (nice and glossy like a fancy magazine), and it'll actually show up a bit on your fingers when you eat it not much, just a little lemon.[p]serve with drawn butter...[p]don't overcook them.[p]and i doan care what nobodaddy says. a six pound lobster is as good (if not better than) a little bitty chix lobster! cheaper, too, in the long run

DHall · June 2007

DHall,
Thanks everyone. I will go for the steamed method. If I can get the venue for the meal changed to my house then I may see about doing the steam then egg method. I will take pics of the results regardless.

Midnight Smoker · June 2007

DHall,
Stike is DEAD on! Do not over cook and follow the times he set out. And.....he is DEAD on about a BIg lobbie being just as sweet and tender as a small (2lb) one! We get ours from Lobsters-online.com......now that we live in South Carolina. This site is great and you can get BIG ones for around $8-$11/lb. We usually will get a couple of five pounders every other month. DO NOT BOIL.....steaming is the way to go! And, under NO circumstances, NEVER use crab boil or any other spices. Just dip in butter with a bit of lemon. Happy Father's Day, Paul

Slick · June 2007

Here in Maine the most common way to cook them is to steam them. Put 2 inches of water in a large pot and bring to a boil. Put in the lobsters, and when it returns to a boil, keep it going for another 20 minutes. Don't worry about size affecting the time. I've cooked them as small as 1 pound and as large as 5 pounds the same way and they come out perfect every time. Most of the grocery stores (even WalMart) will steam them for you for free around here. Prices range from about $6 per pound for small ones (usually less than1.5 pounds) up to $9 per pound for those larger than 2 pounds. The larger ones have more meat per pound. The cost of shipping quite often exceeds the cost of the lobster.

Haven't tried them on the Egg. Would rather throw a nice ribeye on the Egg and steam the lobster. Two pound lobster and one pound ribeye is surf and turf for under $25. I guess that's the bonus we get for putting up with 12 inch snowfalls in the middle of April.

Slick

bugz on da barbe · June 2007

I split them down the middle (like spatchcocking a chicken), lay them meat side down on the egg with a good fire going underneith for 3-5 min. turn over and drizle with a mixture of melted butter, lemon juice, a few capers, dash of cayenne pepper. cook til' the flesh turns fron opaque to snow white. DO NOT OVER COOK!!!!! serve with drawn butter and lemon. it don't get any better than that!!!!! ken

fishlessman · June 2007

<p />DHall,
2 pounders take 17 minutes steamed, or 20 minutes boiled. 3 pounders and up, i fill the pot to about half way up the lobsters and stew/steam them. because the bigger ones have size shape differences i get a more consistant result with the half covered method, i dont watch the clock until the water is boiling again. 3 pounders take about 30 minutes. now im using sea water for this, with fresh water i would steam them only. i also break tradition by adding garlic or lemon pepper to the butter. did you get some steamers, its hard to not like a big pile of steamers with the lobster. i dont cook lobsters under 2 pounds unless there is a huge sale

stike · June 2007

fishlessman,
it's a crime that they even sell lobsters under 2 pounds.[p]you gettem at shyer's? they hada decent price ($7 a pound for the 6-pounders vs. $11 for the smaller stuff)

fishlessman · June 2007

stike,
i been staying away from shysters since this winters bad scallop incident. will probably pick some up in maine this weekend for fathers day, theres a real nice place near the lake where the family traps and sells good fresh stuff.

DHall · June 2007

Well I finally know what I am going to be dealing with. My mom ordered 5 lobsters that are supposed to be between 2.5 and 2.75 lbs. I dont think that I can do them all at once. What is the best way to hold a couple of them while I cook the rest of them? If things work out I hope to barrow a second burner and big pot from a friend and I can do them all at once but that remains to be seen. I just want to be prepared for whatever I end up with.

Unknown · June 2007

Tony,[p]I've got a great recipe for an Lobster Omelet that you might like. Check it out: <a href=http://www.lobsterhelp.com/Recipes/lobster-omelet.htm>The Best Lobster Omelet Recipe</a>

Unknown · June 2007

Here are some great alternatives to steaming lobster, <a href=http://www.lobsterhelp.com/cooking.htm>Ways to Cook Lobster</a>

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