Lobster is a nutritious dish, but most of us go through the hassle of cracking the shell and eating the meat because it is succulent. It has a characteristic sweat flavor and a meaty texture. But have you tried to prepare lobster by yourself? If you already did, one of the first questions to ask is how long to boil lobster to achieve the right texture.
In this article, we will talk about it and give you a few extra tips to facilitate cooking and make your life easier.
How long to boil lobster
The time it takes to boil lobster depends on various conditions. You may need more or less water, depending on the weight of your lobster and how many portions you are boiling at the same time. Thus, a higher weight increases boiling time, and you will need a larger pot to hold them without crowding.
If you are cooking one pound of lobster, boiling time will be around 12 minutes. But in most cases, you will be cooking around 2 or 3 pounds, which takes 15 and 25 minutes to boil, respectively. If you are cooking for several people and need to boil 5 pounds of lobster, leave it boiling for 35 to 40 minutes. Use a large pot.
There are other ways to know if your lobster is ready to take out or not. When properly cooked, lobster turns bright red. This is another indicator of doneness, but will depend on the size of your lobsters. A more reliable way to examine doneness is cracking open the beginning of the tail, where it meets with the carapace. The meat in this area is translucent when it is still raw. As lobster gets done, the meat turns white.
Ingredients and method
The main ingredient is lobster, of course, and we recommend not opting for the cheapest options. You don’t want low-quality meat, and chances are you’re not getting a good deal but something called warm water lobster. This is a type of lobster that features lower-quality meat. In contrast, cold water lobster is more expensive. They are larger, they have more meat, and are usually imported from South Africa or New Zealand.
Besides lobster, you also want to include garlic butter and salt as the main ingredients. This is the method you want to follow to boil lobster:
- Choose the pot according to the size of the lobster you’re about to boil. Make sure there is enough room for the lobster without overcrowding.
- Fill the pot with water. Add two tablespoons of salt and take it to a boil. In this step, you still don’t want to add the lobster.
- When it is already boiling, add the lobster. Dive the pieces head first and close the lid.
- Remember that boiling time depends on the size and weight of your lobster. Go for 12 minutes per 1 pound, 15 minutes for 2 pounds, and 25 minutes for 3 pounds.
- Before taking the lobster out of the boil, make sure it is done by cracking open the beginning of the tail where it meets the carapace and making sure the meat looks white without any translucent area.
- Serve with melted garlic butter so that your guests can now take out the meat and dip into before eating.
Mistakes you want to avoid
As you can see above, boiling lobster is relatively easy to do. You only need to consider the exact boiling time according to the weight. Adding salt before boiling and serving with melted butter will help with the flavor. When things go wrong is usually because you made one of these mistakes.
- You added too much salt. Remember that you don’t want to overdo this step. It is only meant to boost the flavor and too much salt will overwhelm the sweetness of the meat. If you want a flavor boost, use two tablespoons per gallon of water.
- You are overcrowding your pot. We mentioned that you need a large pot if you’re cooking many lobsters at the same time. Overcrowding the pot will not let heat circulate evenly. Some parts will end up properly cooked and others won’t be done.
- If you’re cooking a more complex meal with vegetables and other seafood, make sure you’re adding lobster at the right moment. First boil the vegetables. Then, you want to boil the lobster. And only after that you can boil clams and shellfish using the same water.
- You’re not draining the lobster properly. After boiling, make sure the lobster is properly drained before serving. Something that helps is cutting a hole in the claws and holding it upside down for a while.
