Lobster Recipes

Okay, so your thinking about having lobster with your lovely companion, or maybe you have guests over and want to suprise them with a delicious meal that they would least expect. Only you have one problem..... you don`t know where to start when it comes to cooking lobster. Well thats okay because I will give you some great tips and ideas as far as lobster recipes go. And the great part is you don`t have to be a gourmet chef to be able to keep your lover or guests taste buds tingling.

The three most popular ways to cook lobster are; boiling, steaming, and grilling.

Boiling

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon salt per 1 quart water added
2-2 pound Maine lobsters
1 medium onion, rough chopped (approximately 3/4 inch square )
2 stalks celery, rough chopped
1 tsp cracked peppercorns
2 bay leaves
whole branches of fresh dill (if no dill, substitute tarragon or parsley)

Directions:

Using a lobster pot or very large kettle, bring to the boil 2 1/2 quarts of water PER LOBSTER. Add two to four tablespoons salt. When at a rolling boil, plunge in one lobster at a time, head first. Lower heat, cover pot, and simmer. Allow about 15 minutes for 1-to 1 1/4-pound hard-shell lobster, and 20 minutes for 11/2- to 2-pound hard-shell lobsters. Soft-shell lobsters, being less dense, cook more rapidly. Lower the cooking time by 3 minutes. To test for doneness pull at an antenna. If it comes out easily, the lobster is done.

Steaming

Fill pot so that water comes up sides about two inches. Add 2 tablespoons salt. Bring the water to a rolling boil, and put in lobsters, one at a time. Steaming takes a little longer - steam lobster 18 minutes for a 1 to 1 1/4-pound hard-shell lobster and 20 minutes for a 1 1/2-pound hard-shell lobster. Again, the soft shell lobster takes less time - reduce cooking time by 3 minutes.
Grilling

Grilling Lobster is a little more challenging then steaming or boiling but it is well worth it if you have the right directions.

1. Prepare barbecue grill for direct cooking.

2. Place lobster tails on cutting board with backs facing up. Cut through center of lobster shells with kitchen scissors, starting in the middle and cutting to each end.



3. Press tails down to crack shells. This prevents curling on the grill.

4. Place thumbs on either side of cuts in shells. Roll hands to the sides while pulling shells apart to expose meat.



5. Gently pull out meat from shells, starting at wide end of shell. Leave meat attached to the shells at the narrow end.



6. Press shells closed under meat, letting meat rest on tops of closed shells; brush with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

7. Place lobster tails, meat side down, on preheated grill.

8. Grill lobster tails, on covered grill, 7 minutes per side or until meat turns opaque and is cooked through.

9. Serve in the shells or, if desired, remove lobster meat from shells. Slice meat.